Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bytom and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $1,466 in Bytom, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bytom outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

72

Cost of Living Index in Bytom
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Bytom Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Bytom

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,466

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bytom and in Bucharest

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,466 in Bytom versus $1,340 in Bucharest.

Bytom $1,466
Bucharest $1,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,099 in Bytom versus $2,037 in Bucharest.

Bytom $2,099
Bucharest $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,731 in Bytom versus $2,734 in Bucharest.

Bytom $2,731
Bucharest $2,734

Living in Bytom is roughly 9% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.31 zł 40.07

$14.49 RON 68.6

-28.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.40 zł 138

$58.1 RON 275

-39.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 zł 33.73

$7.48 RON 35.40

16.04%

Cappuccino

$3.52 zł 13.69

$3.44 RON 16.29

2.33%

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

$2.12 zł 8.23

$2.37 RON 11.22

-10.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 zł 7.22

$2.30 RON 10.88

-19.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 zł 14.15

$3.70 RON 17.51

-1.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 zł 17.85

$4.16 RON 19.69

10.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 zł 4.23

$1.67 RON 7.90

-34.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 zł 4.81

$1.37 RON 6.50

-9.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 zł 5.79

$1.72 RON 8.14

-13.37%

Eggs

$3.25 zł 12.61

$3.64 RON 17.22

-10.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 zł 37.22

$9.08 RON 42.98

5.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.30 zł 20.60

$6.84 RON 32.35

-22.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 zł 46.36

$12.00 RON 56.8

-0.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 zł 4.12

$1.23 RON 5.80

-13.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 zł 6.28

$1.63 RON 7.73

-0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 zł 5.81

$1.57 RON 7.45

-5.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 zł 9.70

$2.54 RON 12.01

-1.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 zł 3.55

$0.79 RON 3.75

15.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 zł 3.04

$0.77 RON 3.66

1.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 zł 4.82

$0.87 RON 4.13

42.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 zł 2.58

$0.99 RON 4.70

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.64 zł 21.92

$6.31 RON 29.86

-10.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.26 zł 24.32

$6.20 RON 29.34

0.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 zł 4.02

$1.19 RON 5.63

-13.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 zł 6.60

$1.57 RON 7.45

8.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 zł 4.85

$0.86 RON 4.08

45.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.83 zł 131

$21.10 RON 99.8

60.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 zł 7.04

$0.64 RON 3.05

182.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 zł 2.66

$0.60 RON 2.86

13.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 zł 38.88

$6.43 RON 30.43

55.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 zł 6.36

$1.96 RON 9.25

-16.33%

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

$31.1K zł 120.8K

$29.0K RON 137.2K

7.22%

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

$27.8K zł 107.9K

$26.6K RON 126.0K

4.30%

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

$321 zł 1,249

$196 RON 927

64.08%

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

$7.87 zł 30.58

$8.04 RON 38.04

-2.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.68 zł 68.7

$9.35 RON 44.21

89.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.44 zł 149

$50.2 RON 238

-23.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.62 zł 80.1

$25.33 RON 120

-18.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.16 zł 27.82

$8.15 RON 38.55

-12.15%

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

$488 zł 1,898

$628 RON 2,971

-22.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K zł 46.3K

$14.1K RON 66.6K

-15.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.9 zł 272

$89.6 RON 424

-22.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.85 zł 120

$38.32 RON 181

-19.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 zł 346

$79.3 RON 375

12.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 zł 359

$90.4 RON 428

2.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$530 zł 2,060

$678 RON 3,209

-21.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$496 zł 1,926

$448 RON 2,121

10.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 zł 3,903

$1,083 RON 5,125

-7.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$834 zł 3,241

$725 RON 3,430

15.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,853 zł 11.1K

$3,751 RON 17.7K

-23.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,239 zł 8,699

$2,195 RON 10.4K

1.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.19

6.75

6.52%

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

Last update for Bytom: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bytom

$496 33.8%

Bucharest

$448 33.5% 9.6% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bytom

$347 23.7%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 38.5% $134

Groceries & Markets

Bytom

$205 14%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 9.8% $20

Eating Out

Bytom

$194 13.3%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 16% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Bytom

$127 8.7%

Bucharest

$134 10% 5.4% $6.9

Sport & Entertainment

Bytom

$53 3.6%

Bucharest

$67 5% 26.1% $14

Getting Around

Bytom

$44 3%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 36% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $530 in Bytom and $678 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Bytom vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $225 per month, with Bytom cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Bytom

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

08:23 8:23 AM

09:23 9:23 AM

1 h ahead of Bytom

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

162,250

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇱 Polish Złoty (zł)

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bytom Bucharest 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bytom
Bucharest

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

Bytom vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bytom and Bucharest differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,466 vs $1,340 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,199 in Bytom and $2,011 in Bucharest to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $530 in Bytom versus $678 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,466 per month in Bytom versus $1,340 in Bucharest – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 60% less than in Bytom. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,466 in Bytom, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Bytom. 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, Bytom and Bucharest 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 9% less than in Bytom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.