Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mlava and Bucharest

For one person, living costs are similar in Mlava and in Bucharest: $1,406 and $1,340 a month, rent and utilities included.

68

Cost of Living Index in Mlava
Learn more

Mlava Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
Learn more

Bucharest Living Index

Jump to prices

Mlava

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,406

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,406 in Mlava versus $1,340 in Bucharest.

Mlava $1,406
Bucharest $1,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,992 in Mlava versus $2,037 in Bucharest.

Mlava $1,992
Bucharest $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,577 in Mlava versus $2,734 in Bucharest.

Mlava $2,577
Bucharest $2,734

Living in Mlava is roughly 5% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mlava is 4% above, Bucharest is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.13 zł 39.35

$14.49 RON 68.6

-30.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.39 zł 98.7

$58.1 RON 275

-56.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 zł 29.51

$7.48 RON 35.40

1.60%

Cappuccino

$2.50 zł 9.70

$3.44 RON 16.29

-27.33%

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

$1.86 zł 7.24

$2.37 RON 11.22

-21.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 zł 6.25

$2.30 RON 10.88

-30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 zł 9.58

$3.70 RON 17.51

-33.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 zł 14.69

$4.16 RON 19.69

-9.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 zł 4.04

$1.67 RON 7.90

-37.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 zł 6.46

$1.37 RON 6.50

21.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 zł 3.74

$1.72 RON 8.14

-44.19%

Eggs

$3.64 zł 14.13

$3.64 RON 17.22

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 zł 33.87

$9.08 RON 42.98

-3.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 zł 26.65

$6.84 RON 32.35

0.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.68 zł 45.38

$12.00 RON 56.8

-2.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.36 zł 5.27

$1.23 RON 5.80

10.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 zł 6.71

$1.63 RON 7.73

6.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 zł 6.05

$1.57 RON 7.45

-0.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 zł 12.55

$2.54 RON 12.01

27.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 zł 3.81

$0.79 RON 3.75

24.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 zł 5.11

$0.77 RON 3.66

70.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 zł 4.27

$0.87 RON 4.13

26.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 zł 2.68

$0.99 RON 4.70

-30.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.58 zł 17.79

$6.31 RON 29.86

-27.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.42 zł 24.94

$6.20 RON 29.34

3.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 zł 4.12

$1.19 RON 5.63

-10.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 zł 5.41

$1.57 RON 7.45

-11.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 zł 3.71

$0.86 RON 4.08

11.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.25 zł 125

$21.10 RON 99.8

52.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 zł 8.14

$0.64 RON 3.05

228.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 zł 3.21

$0.60 RON 2.86

38.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.71 zł 37.71

$6.43 RON 30.43

51.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 zł 6.10

$1.96 RON 9.25

-19.90%

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

$30.7K zł 119.1K

$29.0K RON 137.2K

5.72%

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

$27.4K zł 106.6K

$26.6K RON 126.0K

2.98%

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

$283 zł 1,099

$196 RON 927

44.46%

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

$6.26 zł 24.33

$8.04 RON 38.04

-22.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.61 zł 29.55

$9.35 RON 44.21

-18.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.86 zł 147

$50.2 RON 238

-24.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.41 zł 87.1

$25.33 RON 120

-11.53%

Cinema Ticket

$5.21 zł 20.24

$8.15 RON 38.55

-36.07%

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

$329 zł 1,279

$628 RON 2,971

-47.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,139 zł 20.0K

$14.1K RON 66.6K

-63.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.3 zł 312

$89.6 RON 424

-10.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.28 zł 145

$38.32 RON 181

-2.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 zł 340

$79.3 RON 375

10.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.1 zł 296

$90.4 RON 428

-15.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$608 zł 2,363

$678 RON 3,209

-10.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 zł 1,962

$448 RON 2,121

12.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 zł 3,802

$1,083 RON 5,125

-9.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$805 zł 3,129

$725 RON 3,430

11.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,881 zł 11.2K

$3,751 RON 17.7K

-23.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,203 zł 8,560

$2,195 RON 10.4K

0.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,013 zł 3,935

$1,329 RON 6,290

-23.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.75

2.07%

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

Last update for Mlava: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mlava

$505 35.9%

Bucharest

$448 33.5% 11.2% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mlava

$297 21.1%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 28.2% $84

Groceries & Markets

Mlava

$220 15.6%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 2.5% $5.4

Eating Out

Mlava

$168 11.9%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 34.4% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Mlava

$127 9%

Bucharest

$134 10% 5.8% $7.4

Sport & Entertainment

Mlava

$48 3.4%

Bucharest

$67 5% 37.8% $18

Getting Around

Mlava

$42 3%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 33.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $608 in Mlava and $678 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25.00 in Mlava vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $225 per month, with Mlava cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Mlava

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

01:03 1:03 AM

02:03 2:03 AM

1 h ahead of Mlava

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,130

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 19, 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 19, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mlava Bucharest 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Mlava
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

Mlava vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mlava and Bucharest differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,406 vs $1,340 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Bucharest. 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: $608 in Mlava versus $678 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,406 per month in Mlava versus $1,340 in Bucharest – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 53% less than in Mlava. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,406 in Mlava, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Mlava. 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, Mlava 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 5% less than in Mlava. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.