Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Romania Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Romania

Name: Romania
Address: RO

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,181 per month in Australia vs $1,033 in Romania, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,218 per month in Australia vs $1,582 in Romania, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,254 per month in Australia vs $2,131 in Romania, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 111% higher than in Romania on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 64% above the global median, while Romania is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,595–$2,799) than in Romania ($806–$1,361), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.97 A$22.93

$11.67 RON 53.3

36.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 A$113

$45.89 RON 210

72.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 A$13.91

$8.03 RON 36.67

20.55%

Cappuccino

$3.58 A$5.15

$2.88 RON 13.17

24.31%

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

$2.56 A$3.68

$2.03 RON 9.27

26.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.19

$1.80 RON 8.22

23.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.34 A$9.10

$2.83 RON 12.92

124.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 A$9.98

$3.49 RON 15.96

99.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.25

$1.61 RON 7.33

-3.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.63

$1.27 RON 5.79

99.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 A$2.87

$1.80 RON 8.21

11.11%

Eggs

$4.26 A$6.12

$3.39 RON 15.47

25.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.75 A$12.57

$8.66 RON 39.53

1.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 A$11.83

$6.73 RON 30.73

22.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 A$20.33

$11.20 RON 51.1

26.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.69

$1.22 RON 5.55

167.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.04

$1.69 RON 7.70

66.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.31

$1.58 RON 7.22

89.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.19

$2.24 RON 10.25

92.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.67

$0.98 RON 4.48

160.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.10

$0.98 RON 4.45

120.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 A$3.19

$0.92 RON 4.18

141.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.20

$0.80 RON 3.66

91.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.28 A$44.93

$6.23 RON 28.46

402.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 A$20.24

$6.63 RON 30.28

112.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.44 A$6.38

$1.17 RON 5.33

279.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 A$7.05

$1.80 RON 8.22

172.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 A$4.24

$0.85 RON 3.88

247.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.9 A$138

$23.29 RON 106

311.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$5.01

$0.88 RON 4.03

296.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 A$2.64

$0.70 RON 3.21

162.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.26 A$53.5

$7.77 RON 35.50

379.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 A$1.68

$1.61 RON 7.34

-27.33%

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

$28.7K A$41.3K

$28.3K RON 129.2K

1.54%

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

$22.5K A$32.3K

$27.5K RON 125.5K

-18.27%

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

$173 A$249

$162 RON 741

6.77%

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

$26.62 A$38.23

$8.31 RON 37.94

220.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 A$76.2

$9.53 RON 43.52

456.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.82 A$67.3

$43.91 RON 201

6.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 A$23.53

$21.01 RON 96.0

-22.04%

Cinema Ticket

$13.56 A$19.48

$7.93 RON 36.23

71.00%

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

$1,571 A$2,256

$494 RON 2,254

218.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K A$18.1K

$10.1K RON 45.9K

25.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 A$104

$69.0 RON 315

4.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 A$74.1

$41.48 RON 189

24.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$145

$82.7 RON 378

22.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$155

$94.5 RON 432

14.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 A$2,008

$486 RON 2,221

187.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 A$1,560

$355 RON 1,623

205.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 A$3,263

$852 RON 3,890

166.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 A$2,515

$604 RON 2,760

189.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,955 A$11.4K

$2,546 RON 11.6K

212.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,978 A$8,587

$1,848 RON 8,440

223.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,053 A$5,822

$1,032 RON 4,714

292.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

6.84

-7.16%

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

Last update for Australia: July 28, 2026

Last update for Romania: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,230 in Australia vs $392 in Romania. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,557 in Canberra and $661 in Bucharest.

Average salary: $3,808 in Australia vs $881 in Romania. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 214% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 75% more in Australia.

Public transport is 219% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 332% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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

Australia vs Romania: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Romania is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 103% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Romania, contributing to the overall 103% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Romania, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Romania is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.