Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lublin and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,351 a month against $1,455 in Lublin, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lublin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

71

Cost of Living Index in Lublin
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Lublin Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
Learn more

Bucharest Living Index

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Lublin

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,455

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,455 in Lublin versus $1,351 in Bucharest.

Lublin $1,455
Bucharest $1,351

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,045 in Lublin versus $2,033 in Bucharest.

Lublin $2,045
Bucharest $2,033

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,634 in Lublin versus $2,715 in Bucharest.

Lublin $2,634
Bucharest $2,715

Living in Lublin is roughly 8% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lublin 9% above, Bucharest 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.09 zł 35.54

$14.46 RON 68.4

-37.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.05 zł 153

$57.7 RON 273

-32.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 zł 30.80

$7.50 RON 35.46

5.07%

Cappuccino

$2.99 zł 11.70

$3.43 RON 16.20

-12.83%

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

$1.95 zł 7.64

$2.46 RON 11.63

-20.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 zł 5.98

$2.33 RON 11.01

-34.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.72 zł 10.62

$3.80 RON 17.97

-28.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 zł 12.70

$4.10 RON 19.41

-20.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 zł 3.86

$1.65 RON 7.79

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 zł 5.14

$1.35 RON 6.39

-2.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 zł 6.01

$1.78 RON 8.42

-13.48%

Eggs

$3.43 zł 13.39

$3.66 RON 17.33

-6.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.82 zł 34.48

$8.57 RON 40.54

2.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.27 zł 24.51

$6.80 RON 32.17

-7.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 zł 43.11

$11.72 RON 55.4

-5.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.16 zł 4.54

$1.29 RON 6.11

-10.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 zł 6.71

$1.56 RON 7.37

10.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 zł 6.88

$1.54 RON 7.28

14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 zł 9.81

$2.48 RON 11.75

1.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 zł 3.36

$0.83 RON 3.92

3.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 zł 4.10

$0.80 RON 3.77

31.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 zł 5.49

$0.84 RON 3.98

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 zł 2.66

$0.93 RON 4.39

-26.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.68 zł 22.19

$6.44 RON 30.45

-11.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.53 zł 25.52

$6.32 RON 29.91

3.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 zł 4.32

$1.26 RON 5.94

-12.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 zł 6.64

$1.60 RON 7.59

6.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 zł 3.61

$0.81 RON 3.85

13.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.12 zł 122

$21.13 RON 99.9

47.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.03 zł 7.94

$0.60 RON 2.86

238.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 zł 3.10

$0.61 RON 2.91

29.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.28 zł 40.17

$6.17 RON 29.19

66.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 zł 6.28

$1.96 RON 9.27

-17.86%

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

$30.6K zł 119.8K

$28.1K RON 133.1K

8.85%

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

$26.8K zł 104.9K

$26.3K RON 124.3K

2.13%

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

$297 zł 1,161

$197 RON 931

50.93%

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

$9.81 zł 38.36

$8.34 RON 39.44

17.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.90 zł 70.0

$9.19 RON 43.47

94.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.33 zł 122

$49.87 RON 236

-37.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.65 zł 92.4

$24.99 RON 118

-5.36%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 zł 31.86

$8.46 RON 40.01

-3.66%

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

$510 zł 1,994

$639 RON 3,023

-20.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,257 zł 20.5K

$14.4K RON 68.1K

-63.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.9 zł 324

$90.6 RON 429

-8.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 zł 162

$38.05 RON 180

8.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 zł 357

$79.7 RON 377

14.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 zł 403

$93.2 RON 441

10.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$706 zł 2,761

$673 RON 3,184

4.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 zł 2,113

$449 RON 2,123

20.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 zł 3,248

$1,098 RON 5,195

-24.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$769 zł 3,007

$729 RON 3,448

5.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,577 zł 14.0K

$3,740 RON 17.7K

-4.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,291 zł 8,957

$2,189 RON 10.4K

4.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,458 zł 5,697

$1,323 RON 6,259

10.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.02

6.74

4.15%

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

Last update for Lublin: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lublin

$541 36.7%

Bucharest

$449 33.5% 17% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lublin

$325 22%

Bucharest

$214 16% 34% $110

Groceries & Markets

Lublin

$210 14.2%

Bucharest

$222 16.5% 5.6% $12

Eating Out

Lublin

$166 11.3%

Bucharest

$226 16.8% 35.7% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Lublin

$143 9.7%

Bucharest

$136 10.1% 5.4% $7.7

Sport & Entertainment

Lublin

$48 3.2%

Bucharest

$67 5% 40.2% $19

Getting Around

Lublin

$41 2.8%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 31.2% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $706 in Lublin and $673 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lublin 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: $39.00 in Lublin vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $222 per month, with Lublin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Lublin

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

07:23 7:23 AM

08:23 8:23 AM

1 h ahead of Lublin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

337,788

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 = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 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 = 3.91 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 = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

USD to PLN in detail →

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Lublin Bucharest 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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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

Lublin vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lublin and Bucharest differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($1,455 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 10% higher in Lublin, 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: $706 in Lublin versus $673 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,455 per month in Lublin versus $1,351 in Bucharest – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 47% less than in Lublin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,351 in Bucharest versus $1,455 in Lublin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Lublin. 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, Lublin 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 8% less than in Lublin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.