Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Warsaw and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,351 a month against $2,045 in Warsaw, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Warsaw
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Warsaw Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
Learn more

Bucharest Living Index

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Warsaw

🇵🇱 Poland

$2,045

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,045 in Warsaw versus $1,351 in Bucharest.

Warsaw $2,045
Bucharest $1,351

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,944 in Warsaw versus $2,033 in Bucharest.

Warsaw $2,944
Bucharest $2,033

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,843 in Warsaw versus $2,715 in Bucharest.

Warsaw $3,843
Bucharest $2,715

Living in Warsaw is roughly 51% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Warsaw 53% above, Bucharest 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.46 zł 44.74

$14.46 RON 68.9

-20.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 zł 239

$57.7 RON 275

6.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 zł 40.58

$7.50 RON 35.72

38.67%

Cappuccino

$4.36 zł 17.03

$3.43 RON 16.32

27.11%

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

$2.22 zł 8.65

$2.46 RON 11.72

-9.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 zł 8.73

$2.33 RON 11.09

-3.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.67 zł 18.24

$3.80 RON 18.10

22.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.20 zł 20.28

$4.10 RON 19.56

26.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 zł 4.11

$1.65 RON 7.85

-36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 zł 6.00

$1.35 RON 6.44

14.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 zł 6.15

$1.78 RON 8.48

-11.24%

Eggs

$3.81 zł 14.88

$3.66 RON 17.46

4.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.71 zł 34.00

$8.57 RON 40.84

1.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.49 zł 25.34

$6.80 RON 32.41

-4.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.86 zł 58.0

$11.72 RON 55.8

26.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 zł 4.70

$1.29 RON 6.16

-6.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 zł 6.51

$1.56 RON 7.43

7.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 zł 6.38

$1.54 RON 7.34

6.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 zł 16.58

$2.48 RON 11.84

71.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 zł 3.60

$0.83 RON 3.95

10.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 zł 3.40

$0.80 RON 3.80

8.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 zł 5.77

$0.84 RON 4.01

76.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 zł 2.51

$0.93 RON 4.42

-31.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.37 zł 24.86

$6.44 RON 30.68

-1.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.37 zł 24.84

$6.32 RON 30.13

0.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 zł 4.25

$1.26 RON 5.99

-13.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 zł 6.37

$1.60 RON 7.65

1.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 zł 4.35

$0.81 RON 3.88

38.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.30 zł 110

$21.13 RON 101

33.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 zł 10.24

$0.60 RON 2.88

338.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 zł 4.93

$0.61 RON 2.93

106.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.86 zł 50.2

$6.17 RON 29.41

108.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 zł 6.64

$1.96 RON 9.34

-13.27%

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

$30.2K zł 118.0K

$28.1K RON 134.2K

7.40%

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

$29.7K zł 116.1K

$26.3K RON 125.3K

13.13%

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

$352 zł 1,375

$197 RON 938

78.95%

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

$9.15 zł 35.71

$8.34 RON 39.74

9.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.14 zł 63.0

$9.19 RON 43.80

75.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.94 zł 179

$49.87 RON 238

-7.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.38 zł 111

$24.99 RON 119

13.57%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 zł 34.93

$8.46 RON 40.31

5.79%

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

$600 zł 2,339

$639 RON 3,046

-6.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K zł 55.7K

$14.4K RON 68.6K

-0.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 zł 436

$90.6 RON 432

23.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.03 zł 160

$38.05 RON 181

7.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 zł 418

$79.7 RON 380

34.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 zł 431

$93.2 RON 444

18.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 zł 4,594

$673 RON 3,209

74.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 zł 3,812

$449 RON 2,139

117.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 zł 8,181

$1,098 RON 5,234

90.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 zł 6,166

$729 RON 3,474

116.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,960 zł 23.3K

$3,740 RON 17.8K

59.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,860 zł 15.1K

$2,189 RON 10.4K

76.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,096 zł 8,178

$1,323 RON 6,306

58.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.74

-1.78%

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

Last update for Warsaw: 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

Warsaw

$977 46.8%

Bucharest

$449 33.5% 54% $528

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Warsaw

$378 18.1%

Bucharest

$214 16% 43.2% $163

Groceries & Markets

Warsaw

$234 11.2%

Bucharest

$222 16.5% 5.3% $12

Eating Out

Warsaw

$227 10.9%

Bucharest

$226 16.8% 0.5% $1.2

Clothing & Footwear

Warsaw

$167 8%

Bucharest

$136 10.1% 18.6% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Warsaw

$64 3.1%

Bucharest

$67 5% 4.6% $3

Getting Around

Warsaw

$42 2%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 32.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,177 in Warsaw and $673 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Warsaw pays 58% 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: $61.0 in Warsaw vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $222 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Warsaw

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

04:47 4:47 AM

05:47 5:47 AM

1 h ahead of Warsaw

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,861,599 Capital

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 = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 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 = 3.9 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 = 4.77 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Warsaw Bucharest 940 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Warsaw
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

Warsaw vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Warsaw and Bucharest differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($2,045 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 58% higher in Warsaw, 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: $1,177 in Warsaw versus $673 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,045 per month in Warsaw versus $1,351 in Bucharest – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 34% less than in Warsaw. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,351 in Bucharest versus $2,045 in Warsaw, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Warsaw. 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, Warsaw 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 51% less than in Warsaw. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.