Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,351 a month against $1,811 in Krakow, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Krakow
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Krakow Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
Learn more

Bucharest Living Index

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Krakow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,811

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Krakow 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 Krakow and in Bucharest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,811 in Krakow versus $1,351 in Bucharest.

Krakow $1,811
Bucharest $1,351

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,597 in Krakow versus $2,033 in Bucharest.

Krakow $2,597
Bucharest $2,033

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,383 in Krakow versus $2,715 in Bucharest.

Krakow $3,383
Bucharest $2,715

Living in Krakow is roughly 34% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Krakow 35% above, Bucharest 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.89 zł 46.38

$14.46 RON 68.9

-17.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 zł 196

$57.7 RON 275

-12.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 zł 38.86

$7.50 RON 35.72

32.80%

Cappuccino

$4.12 zł 16.06

$3.43 RON 16.32

20.12%

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

$2.57 zł 10.04

$2.46 RON 11.72

4.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 zł 9.51

$2.33 RON 11.09

4.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.57 zł 17.85

$3.80 RON 18.10

20.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 zł 17.81

$4.10 RON 19.56

11.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 zł 4.12

$1.65 RON 7.85

-35.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 zł 5.73

$1.35 RON 6.44

8.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 zł 6.61

$1.78 RON 8.48

-5.06%

Eggs

$3.95 zł 15.40

$3.66 RON 17.46

7.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 zł 36.31

$8.57 RON 40.84

8.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.75 zł 30.24

$6.80 RON 32.41

13.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.20 zł 51.5

$11.72 RON 55.8

12.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 zł 5.22

$1.29 RON 6.16

3.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 zł 6.61

$1.56 RON 7.43

8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 zł 6.85

$1.54 RON 7.34

14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 zł 11.93

$2.48 RON 11.84

23.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 zł 3.61

$0.83 RON 3.95

10.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 zł 3.82

$0.80 RON 3.80

22.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 zł 4.80

$0.84 RON 4.01

46.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 zł 3.13

$0.93 RON 4.42

-13.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.22 zł 24.29

$6.44 RON 30.68

-3.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.30 zł 24.57

$6.32 RON 30.13

-0.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 zł 4.62

$1.26 RON 5.99

-6.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 zł 6.89

$1.60 RON 7.65

10.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 zł 5.85

$0.81 RON 3.88

85.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.54 zł 131

$21.13 RON 101

58.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 zł 8.89

$0.60 RON 2.88

280.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 zł 3.88

$0.61 RON 2.93

62.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.22 zł 47.70

$6.17 RON 29.41

98.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 zł 6.61

$1.96 RON 9.34

-13.78%

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

$30.4K zł 118.8K

$28.1K RON 134.2K

8.17%

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

$28.9K zł 112.7K

$26.3K RON 125.3K

9.90%

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

$333 zł 1,299

$197 RON 938

69.13%

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

$8.71 zł 33.98

$8.34 RON 39.74

4.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.32 zł 67.6

$9.19 RON 43.80

88.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.70 zł 178

$49.87 RON 238

-8.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.11 zł 98.0

$24.99 RON 119

0.48%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 zł 33.90

$8.46 RON 40.31

2.72%

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

$463 zł 1,805

$639 RON 3,046

-27.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,594 zł 37.4K

$14.4K RON 68.6K

-33.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.1 zł 387

$90.6 RON 432

9.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.31 zł 157

$38.05 RON 181

5.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 zł 352

$79.7 RON 380

13.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 zł 464

$93.2 RON 444

27.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$946 zł 3,692

$673 RON 3,209

40.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 zł 2,800

$449 RON 2,139

59.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 zł 5,620

$1,098 RON 5,234

31.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,136 zł 4,432

$729 RON 3,474

55.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,602 zł 21.9K

$3,740 RON 17.8K

49.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,540 zł 13.8K

$2,189 RON 10.4K

61.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,855 zł 7,238

$1,323 RON 6,306

40.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.74

-1.78%

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

Last update for Krakow: October 3, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Krakow

$717 39.8%

Bucharest

$449 33.5% 37.4% $269

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Krakow

$359 19.9%

Bucharest

$214 16% 40.3% $145

Groceries & Markets

Krakow

$235 13%

Bucharest

$222 16.5% 5.5% $13

Eating Out

Krakow

$226 12.6%

Bucharest

$226 16.8% 0.3% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Krakow

$157 8.7%

Bucharest

$136 10.1% 13.5% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Krakow

$63 3.5%

Bucharest

$67 5% 5.9% $3.7

Getting Around

Krakow

$47 2.6%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 40% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $946 in Krakow and $673 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 40% 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: $50.0 in Krakow vs $58.0 in Bucharest. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $222, with Bucharest cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Krakow

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

03:21 3:21 AM

04:21 4:21 AM

1 h ahead of Krakow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

806,201

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.228 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.9 PLN (1 PLN = 0.256 USD). 1 EUR = 4.38 PLN (1 PLN = 0.228 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.77 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Krakow Bucharest 780 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Krakow
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

Krakow vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Krakow and Bucharest differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,811 vs $1,351 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 40% higher in Krakow, 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: $946 in Krakow versus $673 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,811 per month in Krakow versus $1,351 in Bucharest – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 59% less than in Krakow. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,351 in Bucharest versus $1,811 in Krakow, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Krakow. 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, Krakow 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 34% less than in Krakow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.