Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Zdunska Wola

For one person, living is cheaper in Zdunska Wola: $1,205 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
Learn more

Bucharest Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Zdunska Wola
Learn more

Zdunska Wola Living Index

Jump to prices

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Zdunska Wola

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,205

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Zdunska Wola

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 Zdunska Wola actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,205 in Zdunska Wola.

Bucharest $1,340
Zdunska Wola $1,205

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $1,773 in Zdunska Wola.

Bucharest $2,037
Zdunska Wola $1,773

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $2,341 in Zdunska Wola.

Bucharest $2,734
Zdunska Wola $2,341

Living in Bucharest is roughly 11% more expensive than in Zdunska Wola, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Zdunska Wola 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$5.83 zł 22.66

148.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$28.30 zł 110

105.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$9.08 zł 35.28

-17.62%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$2.72 zł 10.58

26.47%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$2.00 zł 7.76

18.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$1.24 zł 4.83

85.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$2.50 zł 9.73

48.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$4.12 zł 16.00

0.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$0.91 zł 3.54

83.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$1.27 zł 4.94

7.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$1.61 zł 6.25

6.83%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$2.87 zł 11.15

26.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$7.73 zł 30.04

17.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$6.21 zł 24.14

10.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$13.93 zł 54.1

-13.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$1.06 zł 4.12

16.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$1.66 zł 6.45

-1.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.51 zł 5.87

3.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$3.24 zł 12.61

-21.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.92 zł 3.58

-14.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$1.39 zł 5.40

-44.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$1.46 zł 5.69

-40.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.52 zł 2.01

90.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$4.50 zł 17.49

40.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$7.12 zł 27.65

-12.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.56 zł 6.05

-23.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$2.10 zł 8.16

-25.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$1.02 zł 3.98

-15.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$31.63 zł 123

-33.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$1.50 zł 5.82

-57.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.49 zł 1.90

22.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$6.53 zł 25.35

-1.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.52 zł 5.92

28.95%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$30.5K zł 118.7K

-5.06%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$26.9K zł 104.5K

-0.96%

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

$196 RON 927

$187 zł 728

4.48%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$10.55 zł 40.98

-23.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$14.93 zł 58.0

-37.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$38.39 zł 149

30.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$23.74 zł 92.3

6.70%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$5.89 zł 22.90

38.37%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$194 zł 755

223.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$5,098 zł 19.8K

176.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$45.34 zł 176

97.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$39.10 zł 152

-1.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$77.0 zł 299

2.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$46.46 zł 181

94.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$516 zł 2,006

31.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$452 zł 1,755

-0.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$1,097 zł 4,263

-1.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$783 zł 3,041

-7.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$2,916 zł 11.3K

28.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$2,247 zł 8,730

-2.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$895 zł 3,476

48.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.21

8.70%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Zdunska Wola: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Zdunska Wola

$452 37.5% 0.7% $3.3

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Zdunska Wola

$140 11.6% 37.7% $85

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Zdunska Wola

$217 18% 3.5% $7.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Zdunska Wola

$213 17.7% 0.1% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Zdunska Wola

$94 7.8% 30.1% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Zdunska Wola

$50 4.2% 24.6% $16

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Zdunska Wola

$40 3.3% 40.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $516 in Zdunska Wola. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 49% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $58.0 in Bucharest vs $28.00 in Zdunska Wola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $217 per month, with Zdunska Wola cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇵🇱 Zdunska Wola

🕒 Local time

04:14 4:14 AM

03:14 3:14 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

40,996

💱 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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bucharest Zdunska Wola 960 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Zdunska Wola

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 Zdunska Wola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Zdunska Wola differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $1,205 including rent). Zdunska Wola is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 49% 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 $516 in Zdunska Wola. 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 $1,205 in Zdunska Wola – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Zdunska Wola runs roughly 50% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,205 in Zdunska Wola versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zdunska Wola but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Zdunska Wola 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 Zdunska Wola 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 Zdunska Wola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.