Cost of Living Comparison Between Ostrava and Bucharest Cost of Living Comparison Between Ostrava and Bucharest

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,423 in Ostrava versus $1,362 in Bucharest.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,162 in Ostrava versus $2,133 in Bucharest.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,902 in Ostrava versus $2,903 in Bucharest.

Living in Ostrava is roughly 4% more expensive than in Bucharest, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ostrava 6% above, Bucharest 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.12 Kč 193

$14.09 RON 64.3

-35.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.35 Kč 1,002

$68.8 RON 314

-31.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 Kč 171

$8.08 RON 36.87

-0.12%

Cappuccino

$3.08 Kč 65.2

$3.39 RON 15.48

-9.14%

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

$1.94 Kč 41.06

$2.24 RON 10.24

-13.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 Kč 33.30

$2.42 RON 11.04

-35.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 Kč 43.25

$3.38 RON 15.44

-39.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Kč 62.8

$3.83 RON 17.49

-22.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 Kč 23.74

$1.72 RON 7.84

-34.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 Kč 27.98

$1.35 RON 6.16

-2.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Kč 50.9

$1.83 RON 8.37

31.15%

Eggs

$2.99 Kč 63.4

$3.65 RON 16.65

-18.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 Kč 249

$9.23 RON 42.12

27.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.02 Kč 212

$6.85 RON 31.29

46.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 Kč 308

$12.03 RON 54.9

20.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 Kč 34.72

$1.34 RON 6.12

22.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 Kč 39.41

$1.72 RON 7.86

8.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 Kč 46.64

$1.82 RON 8.30

20.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.90 Kč 61.4

$2.39 RON 10.92

21.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 Kč 23.10

$1.04 RON 4.76

4.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 Kč 24.03

$1.02 RON 4.65

11.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 Kč 29.70

$0.98 RON 4.47

42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 Kč 12.71

$0.95 RON 4.32

-36.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.30 Kč 155

$6.40 RON 29.19

14.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.97 Kč 147

$6.50 RON 29.67

7.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 Kč 19.99

$1.24 RON 5.66

-24.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Kč 39.49

$1.93 RON 8.82

-3.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 Kč 26.97

$1.14 RON 5.19

11.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.00 Kč 550

$19.82 RON 90.5

31.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 Kč 40.36

$0.71 RON 3.26

169.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 Kč 26.03

$0.65 RON 2.98

89.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.88 Kč 484

$6.93 RON 31.64

230.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 Kč 36.81

$1.66 RON 7.56

4.82%

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

$30.9K Kč 653.3K

$29.0K RON 132.2K

6.59%

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

$28.7K Kč 608.0K

$30.1K RON 137.3K

-4.50%

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

$226 Kč 4,785

$183 RON 837

23.23%

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

$29.89 Kč 633

$8.95 RON 40.86

233.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.01 Kč 402

$11.12 RON 50.8

70.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 Kč 1,158

$54.4 RON 248

0.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 Kč 411

$29.49 RON 135

-34.18%

Cinema Ticket

$9.50 Kč 201

$9.13 RON 41.68

4.05%

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

$428 Kč 9,067

$676 RON 3,088

-36.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,684 Kč 205.0K

$14.3K RON 65.4K

-32.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.7 Kč 1,686

$81.1 RON 370

-1.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 Kč 1,091

$44.42 RON 203

16.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Kč 1,875

$89.8 RON 410

-1.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 Kč 1,977

$108 RON 494

-13.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$580 Kč 12.3K

$662 RON 3,022

-12.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 Kč 10.4K

$441 RON 2,011

11.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 Kč 23.4K

$1,352 RON 6,173

-18.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$862 Kč 18.3K

$849 RON 3,874

1.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,271 Kč 69.2K

$3,777 RON 17.2K

-13.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,368 Kč 50.1K

$2,231 RON 10.2K

6.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,724 Kč 36.5K

$1,408 RON 6,427

22.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

7.1

-22.54%

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

Last update for Ostrava: July 11, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $580 in Ostrava and $662 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ostrava pays 22% 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: $47.00 in Ostrava vs $69.0 in Bucharest. Groceries flip the comparison at $258 vs $230, with Bucharest cheaper for home cooking.

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

Ostrava vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ostrava and Bucharest differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,423 vs $1,362 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 22% higher in Ostrava, 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: $580 in Ostrava versus $662 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,423 per month in Ostrava versus $1,362 in Bucharest – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 31% less than in Ostrava. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,362 in Bucharest versus $1,423 in Ostrava, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Ostrava. 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, Ostrava 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 4% less than in Ostrava. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.