Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Zlin

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $1,757 in Zlin, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Zlin
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Zlin Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Zlin

🇨🇿 Czech Republic

$1,757

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Zlin

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,757 in Zlin.

Bucharest $1,340
Zlin $1,757

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $2,402 in Zlin.

Bucharest $2,037
Zlin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $3,047 in Zlin.

Bucharest $2,734
Zlin $3,047

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 24% less than in Zlin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% below, Zlin is 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$9.28 Kč 201

56.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$36.10 Kč 781

60.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$6.22 Kč 135

20.26%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$3.15 Kč 68.1

9.21%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$2.01 Kč 43.36

17.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$1.61 Kč 34.92

42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$2.35 Kč 50.8

57.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$2.83 Kč 61.2

47.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$1.01 Kč 21.93

65.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$1.25 Kč 26.93

9.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$2.22 Kč 48.10

-22.52%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$3.50 Kč 75.7

4.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$13.53 Kč 293

-32.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$9.65 Kč 209

-29.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$13.95 Kč 302

-13.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$1.58 Kč 34.27

-22.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$1.74 Kč 37.72

-6.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$2.01 Kč 43.48

-21.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$3.61 Kč 78.1

-29.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$1.05 Kč 22.65

-24.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.92 Kč 19.94

-16.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$1.46 Kč 31.63

-40.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.64 Kč 13.77

54.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$7.24 Kč 157

-12.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$6.59 Kč 143

-5.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$0.84 Kč 18.13

41.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.90 Kč 41.03

-17.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$0.78 Kč 16.89

10.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$27.60 Kč 597

-23.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$2.68 Kč 58.0

-76.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$1.58 Kč 34.22

-62.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$15.53 Kč 336

-58.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.78 Kč 38.44

10.11%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$30.1K Kč 652.0K

-3.82%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$29.8K Kč 644.1K

-10.56%

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

$196 RON 927

$345 Kč 7,468

-43.27%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$20.90 Kč 452

-61.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$19.95 Kč 431

-53.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$50.3 Kč 1,087

-0.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$11.45 Kč 248

121.22%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$10.57 Kč 229

-22.89%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$254 Kč 5,490

147.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$5,344 Kč 115.6K

163.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$110 Kč 2,375

-18.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$33.95 Kč 734

12.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$129 Kč 2,779

-38.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$111 Kč 2,394

-18.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$791 Kč 17.1K

-14.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$663 Kč 14.3K

-32.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$1,147 Kč 24.8K

-5.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$898 Kč 19.4K

-19.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$4,936 Kč 106.7K

-24.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$3,422 Kč 74.0K

-35.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$1,466 Kč 31.7K

-9.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

5.33

26.64%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Zlin: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Zlin

$663 37.7% 47.8% $214

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Zlin

$163 9.3% 27.8% $63

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Zlin

$260 14.8% 15.7% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Zlin

$386 22% 81.1% $173

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Zlin

$172 9.8% 28.7% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Zlin

$71 4.1% 7.4% $4.9

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Zlin

$41 2.4% 46.5% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $791 in Zlin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zlin pays 10% 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 $36.00 in Zlin. Groceries flip the comparison at $225 vs $260, with Bucharest cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇨🇿 Zlin

🕒 Local time

20:15 8:15 PM

19:15 7:15 PM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

75,870

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Czech Koruna CZK Kč

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

100 CZK = 4.62 USD

100 CZK = 4.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CZK, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Czech Koruna exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 21.63 CZK (100 CZK = 4.62 USD). 1 EUR = 24.31 CZK (100 CZK = 4.11 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Bucharest Zlin 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Zlin

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 Zlin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Zlin differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $1,757 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Zlin. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $678 in Bucharest versus $791 in Zlin. 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 $1,757 in Zlin – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 31% less than in Zlin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,757 in Zlin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Zlin. 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 Zlin 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 31% less than in Zlin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.