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 $2,184 per month in Australia vs $1,032 in Romania, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,219 per month in Australia vs $1,581 in Romania, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,253 per month in Australia vs $2,130 in Romania, rent included.

Australia costs about 112% more than Romania on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 63% above the global median, while Romania is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Australia has a wider regional cost range ($1,592–$2,842) than Romania ($802–$1,374), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Australia.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.44 A$23.23

$11.40 RON 51.6

44.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.1 A$110

$46.17 RON 209

69.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 A$14.05

$7.85 RON 35.53

26.62%

Cappuccino

$3.60 A$5.08

$2.89 RON 13.06

24.57%

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

$2.68 A$3.78

$1.95 RON 8.81

37.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.02

$1.86 RON 8.41

15.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.53 A$9.23

$2.79 RON 12.61

134.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 A$9.96

$3.47 RON 15.69

103.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 A$2.23

$1.61 RON 7.28

-1.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.57

$1.22 RON 5.52

107.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 A$2.93

$1.80 RON 8.12

15.00%

Eggs

$4.30 A$6.08

$3.35 RON 15.16

28.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 A$12.76

$8.94 RON 40.45

1.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.55 A$12.08

$6.86 RON 31.01

24.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 A$19.72

$11.17 RON 50.5

24.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.49

$1.18 RON 5.34

169.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.01

$1.61 RON 7.29

76.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.17

$1.65 RON 7.47

78.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 A$6.26

$2.23 RON 10.09

98.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.47

$0.92 RON 4.16

167.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.07

$0.97 RON 4.41

123.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 A$3.24

$1.00 RON 4.51

129.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 A$2.22

$0.81 RON 3.66

93.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.87 A$43.61

$6.24 RON 28.22

394.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 A$19.86

$6.72 RON 30.38

109.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.55 A$6.43

$1.12 RON 5.05

306.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 A$6.80

$1.79 RON 8.10

168.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.87 A$4.05

$0.80 RON 3.60

258.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.8 A$135

$22.67 RON 103

322.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 A$5.15

$0.91 RON 4.09

301.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 A$2.49

$0.70 RON 3.16

151.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.27 A$54.1

$8.04 RON 36.39

376.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.63

$1.65 RON 7.45

-30.30%

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

$28.4K A$40.1K

$28.2K RON 127.7K

0.49%

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

$23.0K A$32.5K

$27.0K RON 122.0K

-14.74%

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

$178 A$251

$161 RON 727

10.73%

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

$26.46 A$37.38

$8.42 RON 38.08

214.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 A$76.4

$9.59 RON 43.37

464.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.64 A$65.9

$43.78 RON 198

6.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.54 A$23.37

$20.48 RON 92.6

-19.24%

Cinema Ticket

$13.65 A$19.28

$8.30 RON 37.53

64.46%

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

$1,575 A$2,225

$491 RON 2,222

220.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$17.9K

$10.0K RON 45.3K

26.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 A$101

$68.8 RON 311

3.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 A$71.8

$41.83 RON 189

21.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 A$142

$82.4 RON 373

21.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$153

$92.7 RON 419

16.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 A$1,955

$495 RON 2,241

179.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 A$1,562

$356 RON 1,610

210.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,298 A$3,246

$823 RON 3,724

179.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 A$2,441

$603 RON 2,727

186.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,610 A$10.8K

$2,582 RON 11.7K

194.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,504 A$7,776

$1,891 RON 8,556

190.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,002 A$5,654

$1,065 RON 4,816

275.87%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Romania: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $392 in Romania. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,568 in Canberra and $644 in Bucharest.

Average salary: $3,845 in Australia vs $891 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 235% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 332% higher in Australia, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

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 104% 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 104% 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.