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: $1,448 in Ostrava versus $1,336 in Bucharest.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,151 in Ostrava versus $2,162 in Bucharest.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,854 in Ostrava versus $2,988 in Bucharest.

Living in Ostrava is roughly 8% more expensive than Bucharest, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ostrava 8% above, Bucharest 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.15 Kč 190

$13.58 RON 61.4

-32.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.14 Kč 960

$68.1 RON 308

-32.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.29 Kč 172

$8.05 RON 36.38

2.98%

Cappuccino

$2.93 Kč 60.9

$3.40 RON 15.36

-13.82%

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

$1.91 Kč 39.78

$2.32 RON 10.50

-17.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 Kč 32.97

$2.38 RON 10.74

-33.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 Kč 44.86

$3.54 RON 15.99

-38.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Kč 59.5

$4.01 RON 18.14

-28.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Kč 23.50

$1.74 RON 7.88

-35.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 Kč 28.03

$1.42 RON 6.42

-4.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 Kč 49.40

$1.93 RON 8.73

22.80%

Eggs

$2.98 Kč 62.0

$3.54 RON 15.99

-15.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.49 Kč 239

$9.27 RON 41.90

23.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.08 Kč 210

$7.13 RON 32.21

41.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.77 Kč 307

$12.28 RON 55.5

20.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 Kč 34.44

$1.35 RON 6.11

22.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 Kč 38.65

$1.74 RON 7.86

6.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 Kč 46.06

$1.76 RON 7.98

25.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 Kč 61.2

$2.40 RON 10.83

22.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 Kč 22.93

$1.05 RON 4.72

4.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 Kč 23.34

$0.96 RON 4.35

16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 Kč 28.36

$0.92 RON 4.15

47.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 Kč 13.55

$0.91 RON 4.09

-28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.42 Kč 154

$6.38 RON 28.82

16.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.29 Kč 152

$6.45 RON 29.16

13.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 Kč 19.64

$1.22 RON 5.51

-22.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 Kč 38.48

$1.98 RON 8.95

-6.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 Kč 26.55

$1.16 RON 5.27

10.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.44 Kč 529

$19.48 RON 88.0

30.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 Kč 38.50

$0.72 RON 3.25

156.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 Kč 25.60

$0.62 RON 2.79

98.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.39 Kč 487

$6.94 RON 31.35

237.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 Kč 34.49

$1.71 RON 7.75

-2.92%

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

$31.5K Kč 654.8K

$29.0K RON 131.0K

8.59%

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

$28.9K Kč 600.6K

$30.3K RON 137.0K

-4.73%

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

$220 Kč 4,584

$178 RON 803

23.95%

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

$29.51 Kč 614

$9.16 RON 41.40

222.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.81 Kč 391

$11.12 RON 50.3

69.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 Kč 1,139

$54.7 RON 247

0.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.47 Kč 405

$29.04 RON 131

-32.95%

Cinema Ticket

$9.42 Kč 196

$9.27 RON 41.92

1.62%

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

$433 Kč 9,015

$677 RON 3,060

-36.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,482 Kč 197.3K

$14.9K RON 67.2K

-36.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.6 Kč 1,656

$79.8 RON 361

-0.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 Kč 1,063

$45.29 RON 205

12.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 Kč 1,779

$89.2 RON 403

-4.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 Kč 1,960

$109 RON 493

-13.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 Kč 12.1K

$662 RON 2,992

-11.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$484 Kč 10.1K

$432 RON 1,953

12.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 Kč 23.5K

$1,355 RON 6,126

-16.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$858 Kč 17.9K

$841 RON 3,802

2.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,395 Kč 70.6K

$3,857 RON 17.4K

-12.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,387 Kč 49.7K

$2,305 RON 10.4K

3.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,782 Kč 37.1K

$1,463 RON 6,615

21.80%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $583 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: $46.00 in Ostrava vs $68.0 in Bucharest. Groceries flip the comparison at $260 vs $233, 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 8% in total monthly costs ($1,448 vs $1,336 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Ostrava pays 22% more on average, 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: $583 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 $1,448 per month in Ostrava versus $1,336 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 31% less than in Ostrava. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,336 in Bucharest versus $1,448 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 8% less than in Ostrava. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.