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 $1,035 in Romania, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,217 per month in Australia vs $1,583 in Romania, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,249 per month in Australia vs $2,131 in Romania, rent included.

Australia costs about 111% 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 ($1,584–$2,827) than Romania ($802–$1,375), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Australia.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.24 A$22.73

$11.53 RON 50.3

40.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 A$108

$45.88 RON 200

67.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 A$13.74

$8.15 RON 35.55

20.37%

Cappuccino

$3.58 A$5.01

$2.88 RON 12.55

24.31%

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

$2.57 A$3.60

$2.04 RON 8.88

25.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.05

$1.87 RON 8.14

16.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 A$9.28

$2.78 RON 12.14

138.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 A$9.97

$3.49 RON 15.23

104.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.10

$1.54 RON 6.73

-2.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.54

$1.26 RON 5.49

100.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 A$2.90

$1.74 RON 7.58

18.97%

Eggs

$4.29 A$6.01

$3.30 RON 14.40

30.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 A$12.11

$8.79 RON 38.34

-1.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 A$11.68

$6.61 RON 28.82

26.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 A$19.47

$10.96 RON 47.79

26.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.61

$1.21 RON 5.30

172.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.88

$1.66 RON 7.24

66.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.13

$1.60 RON 7.00

84.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 A$5.87

$2.16 RON 9.42

93.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.39

$0.96 RON 4.19

152.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.94

$0.98 RON 4.27

114.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 A$3.16

$0.98 RON 4.29

130.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 A$2.10

$0.81 RON 3.54

85.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.58 A$44.22

$6.14 RON 26.78

414.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.29 A$20.00

$7.10 RON 30.94

101.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.59 A$6.42

$1.16 RON 5.04

295.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 A$6.75

$1.81 RON 7.87

166.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 A$4.22

$0.84 RON 3.67

259.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.3 A$138

$22.62 RON 98.6

334.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 A$4.88

$0.89 RON 3.86

291.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.45

$0.70 RON 3.07

150.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.97 A$53.2

$7.95 RON 34.65

377.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 A$1.69

$1.59 RON 6.94

-23.90%

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

$29.0K A$40.6K

$28.3K RON 123.5K

2.54%

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

$22.6K A$31.6K

$27.6K RON 120.2K

-18.14%

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

$177 A$248

$165 RON 717

7.79%

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

$26.85 A$37.59

$8.34 RON 36.37

221.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 A$73.4

$10.05 RON 43.80

421.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.57 A$66.6

$45.04 RON 196

5.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.46 A$23.04

$21.01 RON 91.6

-21.66%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 A$19.23

$8.22 RON 35.82

67.03%

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

$1,593 A$2,231

$497 RON 2,169

220.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$17.8K

$9,905 RON 43.2K

28.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 A$101

$70.1 RON 305

2.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 A$71.8

$40.52 RON 177

26.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 A$144

$82.7 RON 360

24.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$152

$91.9 RON 401

18.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 A$1,961

$496 RON 2,161

182.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,512

$365 RON 1,591

196.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,340 A$3,276

$844 RON 3,681

177.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,756 A$2,459

$612 RON 2,669

186.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,733 A$10.8K

$2,641 RON 11.5K

192.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,563 A$7,788

$1,965 RON 8,566

183.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,000 A$5,600

$1,099 RON 4,791

264.01%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Romania: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $391 in Romania. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,529 in Canberra and $643 in Bucharest.

Average salary: $3,878 in Australia vs $924 in Romania. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 215% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 75% more in Australia.

Public transport is 219% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 320% 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 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.