Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Olsztyn and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $1,816 in Olsztyn, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Olsztyn
Learn more

Olsztyn Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
Learn more

Bucharest Living Index

Jump to prices

Olsztyn

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,816

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,816 in Olsztyn versus $1,340 in Bucharest.

Olsztyn $1,816
Bucharest $1,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,678 in Olsztyn versus $2,037 in Bucharest.

Olsztyn $2,678
Bucharest $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Olsztyn versus $2,734 in Bucharest.

Olsztyn $3,540
Bucharest $2,734

Living in Olsztyn is roughly 35% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Olsztyn is 34% above, Bucharest is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.84 zł 49.88

$14.49 RON 68.6

-11.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.4 zł 196

$58.1 RON 275

-13.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 zł 34.67

$7.48 RON 35.40

19.25%

Cappuccino

$3.31 zł 12.85

$3.44 RON 16.29

-3.78%

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

$2.51 zł 9.75

$2.37 RON 11.22

5.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 zł 7.26

$2.30 RON 10.88

-18.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 zł 11.59

$3.70 RON 17.51

-19.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 zł 15.18

$4.16 RON 19.69

-6.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 zł 4.09

$1.67 RON 7.90

-37.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 zł 4.90

$1.37 RON 6.50

-8.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 zł 5.52

$1.72 RON 8.14

-17.44%

Eggs

$3.85 zł 14.95

$3.64 RON 17.22

5.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.72 zł 37.77

$9.08 RON 42.98

7.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.34 zł 28.51

$6.84 RON 32.35

7.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.04 zł 58.5

$12.00 RON 56.8

25.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 zł 4.77

$1.23 RON 5.80

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 zł 6.25

$1.63 RON 7.73

-1.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 zł 6.99

$1.57 RON 7.45

14.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.43 zł 13.32

$2.54 RON 12.01

35.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 zł 3.78

$0.79 RON 3.75

22.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 zł 4.54

$0.77 RON 3.66

51.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 zł 5.32

$0.87 RON 4.13

57.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 zł 2.64

$0.99 RON 4.70

-31.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.49 zł 21.32

$6.31 RON 29.86

-13.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 zł 28.84

$6.20 RON 29.34

19.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 zł 4.39

$1.19 RON 5.63

-5.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 zł 6.00

$1.57 RON 7.45

-1.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 zł 4.07

$0.86 RON 4.08

22.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.79 zł 100

$21.10 RON 99.8

22.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.08 zł 8.09

$0.64 RON 3.05

225.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 zł 2.88

$0.60 RON 2.86

23.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.21 zł 39.67

$6.43 RON 30.43

58.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 zł 6.43

$1.96 RON 9.25

-15.31%

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

$31.4K zł 121.9K

$29.0K RON 137.2K

8.18%

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

$29.5K zł 114.4K

$26.6K RON 126.0K

10.56%

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

$329 zł 1,277

$196 RON 927

67.78%

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

$10.17 zł 39.53

$8.04 RON 38.04

26.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.00 zł 73.8

$9.35 RON 44.21

103.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 zł 197

$50.2 RON 238

0.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.47 zł 87.3

$25.33 RON 120

-11.29%

Cinema Ticket

$9.12 zł 35.42

$8.15 RON 38.55

11.90%

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

$378 zł 1,467

$628 RON 2,971

-39.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K zł 53.4K

$14.1K RON 66.6K

-2.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 zł 399

$89.6 RON 424

14.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.59 zł 189

$38.32 RON 181

26.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 zł 402

$79.3 RON 375

30.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 zł 406

$90.4 RON 428

15.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 zł 3,900

$678 RON 3,209

48.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 zł 2,892

$448 RON 2,121

66.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,685 zł 6,546

$1,083 RON 5,125

55.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,344 zł 5,221

$725 RON 3,430

85.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,690 zł 14.3K

$3,751 RON 17.7K

-1.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,548 zł 9,898

$2,195 RON 10.4K

16.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,374 zł 5,338

$1,329 RON 6,290

3.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.52

6.75

11.41%

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

Last update for Olsztyn: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Olsztyn

$744 41%

Bucharest

$448 33.5% 39.8% $296

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Olsztyn

$358 19.7%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 40.4% $145

Groceries & Markets

Olsztyn

$238 13.1%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 5.4% $13

Eating Out

Olsztyn

$209 11.5%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 7.5% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Olsztyn

$162 8.9%

Bucharest

$134 10% 17.2% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Olsztyn

$69 3.8%

Bucharest

$67 5% 3.4% $2.4

Getting Around

Olsztyn

$36 2%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 21.1% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,004 in Olsztyn and $678 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Olsztyn pays 3% 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 Olsztyn vs $58.0 in Bucharest. Groceries flip the comparison at $238 vs $225, with Bucharest cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Olsztyn

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

16:52 4:52 PM

17:52 5:52 PM

1 h ahead of Olsztyn

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

174,675

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 17, 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 17, 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

Olsztyn Bucharest 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Olsztyn
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

Olsztyn vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Olsztyn and Bucharest differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,816 vs $1,340 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 3% higher in Olsztyn, 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: $1,004 in Olsztyn versus $678 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,816 per month in Olsztyn versus $1,340 in Bucharest – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 22% less than in Olsztyn. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,816 in Olsztyn, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Olsztyn. 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, Olsztyn 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 35% less than in Olsztyn. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.