Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Szczecinek

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $1,468 in Szczecinek, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Szczecinek outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
Learn more

Bucharest Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Szczecinek
Learn more

Szczecinek Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Szczecinek

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,468

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Szczecinek

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bucharest and in Szczecinek actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,468 in Szczecinek.

Bucharest $1,340
Szczecinek $1,468

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $2,118 in Szczecinek.

Bucharest $2,037
Szczecinek $2,118

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $2,769 in Szczecinek.

Bucharest $2,734
Szczecinek $2,769

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 9% less than in Szczecinek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% below, Szczecinek is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$11.62 zł 45.14

24.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$42.81 zł 166

35.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$9.07 zł 35.22

-17.53%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$3.48 zł 13.51

-1.15%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 RON 11.22

$1.16 zł 4.51

104.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$0.87 zł 3.38

164.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$3.10 zł 12.05

19.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$1.37 zł 5.34

203.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$0.90 zł 3.51

85.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$1.26 zł 4.89

8.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$1.36 zł 5.28

26.47%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$3.53 zł 13.70

3.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$7.64 zł 29.69

18.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$5.98 zł 23.23

14.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$13.19 zł 51.3

-9.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$1.19 zł 4.64

3.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$1.13 zł 4.41

44.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.64 zł 6.38

-4.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$2.43 zł 9.44

4.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.76 zł 2.94

3.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.80 zł 3.12

-3.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$1.28 zł 4.96

-32.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.68 zł 2.65

45.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$5.59 zł 21.70

12.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$7.53 zł 29.26

-17.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.12 zł 4.36

6.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.47 zł 5.71

6.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$1.06 zł 4.13

-18.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$27.13 zł 105

-22.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$2.28 zł 8.86

-71.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$1.04 zł 4.02

-42.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$11.56 zł 44.92

-44.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.48 zł 5.77

32.43%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$31.0K zł 120.3K

-6.33%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$27.8K zł 108.0K

-4.19%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$196 RON 927

$290 zł 1,126

-32.42%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$8.04 RON 38.04

$7.77 zł 30.20

3.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$18.34 zł 71.3

-49.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$38.27 zł 149

31.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$20.63 zł 80.2

22.78%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$7.59 zł 29.49

7.38%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$628 RON 2,971

$206 zł 800

204.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$7,398 zł 28.7K

90.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$78.3 zł 304

14.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$36.84 zł 143

4.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$87.3 zł 339

-9.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$108 zł 421

-16.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$559 zł 2,173

21.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$526 zł 2,045

-14.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$1,019 zł 3,959

6.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$850 zł 3,303

-14.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$3,303 zł 12.8K

13.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$2,012 zł 7,816

9.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$1,300 zł 5,049

2.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

4.2

60.71%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Szczecinek: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Szczecinek

$526 35.8% 17.4% $78

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Szczecinek

$188 12.8% 16.4% $37

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Szczecinek

$206 14% 8.5% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Szczecinek

$316 21.5% 48.1% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Szczecinek

$140 9.5% 4.4% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Szczecinek

$53 3.6% 19.7% $13

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Szczecinek

$39 2.6% 37.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $559 in Szczecinek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $58.0 in Bucharest vs $43.00 in Szczecinek for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $206 per month, with Szczecinek cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇵🇱 Szczecinek

🕒 Local time

04:11 4:11 AM

03:11 3:11 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

39,705

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

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Between locations

Bucharest Szczecinek 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bucharest vs Szczecinek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Szczecinek differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $1,468 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2% higher in Bucharest, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $678 in Bucharest versus $559 in Szczecinek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,340 per month in Bucharest versus $1,468 in Szczecinek – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 29% less than in Szczecinek. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,468 in Szczecinek, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Szczecinek. The gap between the two cities makes Bucharest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bucharest and Szczecinek are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Szczecinek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.