Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arad and Iasi

For one person, living is cheaper in Arad: $873 a month against $1,247 in Iasi, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Arad
Learn more

Arad Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Iasi
Learn more

Iasi Living Index

Jump to prices

Arad

🇷🇴 Romania

$873

/mo nomad

Iasi

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,247

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arad and in Iasi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Arad and in Iasi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $873 per month in Arad vs $1,247 in Iasi, rent included.

Arad $873
Iasi $1,247

A couple spends around $1,366 per month in Arad vs $1,839 in Iasi, rent included.

Arad $1,366
Iasi $1,839

A family of three spends $1,858 per month in Arad vs $2,431 in Iasi, rent included.

Arad $1,858
Iasi $2,431

Arad is about 30% cheaper than Iasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Arad and Iasi are more affordable than the global median – Arad 35% lower, Iasi 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.16 RON 38.63

$10.43 RON 49.33

-21.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.35 RON 153

$41.89 RON 198

-22.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.15 RON 33.83

$6.81 RON 32.22

4.99%

Cappuccino

$2.63 RON 12.45

$2.86 RON 13.55

-8.04%

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

$1.48 RON 7.00

$2.20 RON 10.42

-32.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 RON 7.53

$1.83 RON 8.68

-13.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 RON 10.15

$3.18 RON 15.06

-32.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 RON 11.71

$3.78 RON 17.88

-34.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 RON 5.32

$1.57 RON 7.44

-28.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 RON 5.76

$1.34 RON 6.34

-8.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.16

$2.00 RON 9.47

-14.00%

Eggs

$2.57 RON 12.17

$3.22 RON 15.22

-20.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.17 RON 33.94

$8.22 RON 38.87

-12.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.87 RON 23.03

$6.42 RON 30.38

-24.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.13 RON 47.93

$10.12 RON 47.89

0.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 RON 7.59

$1.33 RON 6.27

20.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 RON 8.05

$1.65 RON 7.82

3.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 RON 8.02

$1.60 RON 7.58

5.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 RON 6.60

$2.06 RON 9.73

-32.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 RON 3.59

$0.80 RON 3.77

-5.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 RON 4.04

$0.84 RON 3.99

1.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 RON 5.60

$1.11 RON 5.26

6.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 RON 3.63

$0.99 RON 4.69

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.95 RON 28.14

$6.26 RON 29.61

-4.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.73 RON 27.10

$6.60 RON 31.23

-13.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 RON 5.78

$1.28 RON 6.07

-4.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 RON 8.40

$2.05 RON 9.68

-13.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 RON 4.11

$0.81 RON 3.82

7.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.34 RON 139

$27.14 RON 128

8.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 RON 3.71

$0.82 RON 3.86

-3.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 RON 5.06

$0.86 RON 4.09

24.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.40 RON 49.22

$8.31 RON 39.33

25.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 RON 8.72

$1.91 RON 9.05

-3.66%

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

$27.8K RON 131.8K

$28.7K RON 135.8K

-3.00%

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

$24.9K RON 117.8K

$27.7K RON 131.3K

-10.23%

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

$125 RON 590

$179 RON 847

-30.38%

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

$8.19 RON 38.74

$7.29 RON 34.47

12.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.28 RON 34.42

$8.28 RON 39.19

-12.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.12 RON 161

$44.12 RON 209

-22.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.83 RON 146

$15.93 RON 75.4

93.53%

Cinema Ticket

$5.27 RON 24.91

$8.49 RON 40.15

-37.93%

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

$159 RON 752

$413 RON 1,956

-61.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,847 RON 18.2K

$7,058 RON 33.4K

-45.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.29 RON 200

$73.4 RON 347

-42.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.47 RON 102

$37.95 RON 180

-43.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 RON 335

$94.0 RON 445

-24.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.6 RON 343

$90.7 RON 429

-20.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$332 RON 1,571

$541 RON 2,561

-38.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$222 RON 1,052

$431 RON 2,037

-48.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$529 RON 2,505

$879 RON 4,159

-39.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$412 RON 1,951

$660 RON 3,121

-37.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,420 RON 6,719

$2,924 RON 13.8K

-51.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,062 RON 5,027

$1,902 RON 8,999

-44.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$919 RON 4,349

$1,126 RON 5,325

-18.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.35

7.18

2.37%

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

Last update for Arad: October 11, 2026

Last update for Iasi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arad

$222 25.5%

Iasi

$431 34.5% 93.7% $208

Groceries & Markets

Arad

$188 21.5%

Iasi

$215 17.2% 14.2% $27

Eating Out

Arad

$146 16.8%

Iasi

$178 14.3% 21.5% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arad

$140 16%

Iasi

$195 15.6% 38.9% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Arad

$93 10.7%

Iasi

$133 10.7% 42.9% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Arad

$45 5.1%

Iasi

$61 4.9% 36.8% $16

Getting Around

Arad

$39 4.5%

Iasi

$36 2.9% 8.8% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $332 in Arad versus $541 in Iasi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 22% higher in Iasi, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Arad versus $42.00 in Iasi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $215 – making Arad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Arad

🇷🇴 Iasi

🕒 Local time

19:44 7:44 PM

Same time as Arad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

159,074

290,422

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Arad Iasi 490 km

From you

Arad
Iasi

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

Arad vs Iasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iasi costs about 43% more than Arad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,310 per month in Arad and $1,871 in Iasi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Arad, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Arad and $42.00 in Iasi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $873 in Arad and $1,247 in Iasi. That's a gap of about 43%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Arad, where all-in costs run around $873, than in Iasi at $1,247. In Arad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Iasi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arad costs $873 versus $1,247 in Iasi. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Arad. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Iasi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.