Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bacau and Iasi

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacau: $916 a month against $1,256 in Iasi, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Bacau
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Bacau Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Iasi
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Iasi Living Index

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Bacau

🇷🇴 Romania

$916

/mo nomad

Iasi

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,256

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $916 per month in Bacau vs $1,256 in Iasi, rent included.

Bacau $916
Iasi $1,256

A couple spends around $1,552 per month in Bacau vs $1,841 in Iasi, rent included.

Bacau $1,552
Iasi $1,841

A family of three spends $2,189 per month in Bacau vs $2,425 in Iasi, rent included.

Bacau $2,189
Iasi $2,425

Bacau is about 27% cheaper than Iasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bacau and Iasi are more affordable than the global median – Bacau 33% lower, Iasi 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.19 RON 68.2

$10.50 RON 50.5

35.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 RON 407

$42.22 RON 203

100.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.24 RON 34.81

$7.18 RON 34.50

0.84%

Cappuccino

$2.04 RON 9.81

$2.95 RON 14.19

-30.85%

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

$2.01 RON 9.64

$2.28 RON 10.95

-11.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 RON 8.99

$1.78 RON 8.55

5.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 RON 11.88

$3.20 RON 15.37

-22.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 RON 16.04

$3.84 RON 18.45

-13.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 RON 5.68

$1.55 RON 7.45

-23.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 RON 3.35

$1.31 RON 6.31

-46.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 RON 8.12

$1.97 RON 9.49

-14.21%

Eggs

$3.47 RON 16.67

$3.25 RON 15.64

6.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.68 RON 36.92

$8.23 RON 39.59

-6.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 RON 25.62

$6.59 RON 31.67

-19.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.30 RON 39.89

$10.07 RON 48.39

-17.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.10 RON 5.27

$1.31 RON 6.29

-16.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 RON 7.12

$1.62 RON 7.78

-8.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 RON 7.15

$1.68 RON 8.05

-11.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 RON 8.80

$2.12 RON 10.20

-13.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 RON 3.48

$0.86 RON 4.12

-16.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 RON 3.29

$0.82 RON 3.96

-17.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 RON 3.59

$1.10 RON 5.30

-31.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 RON 3.45

$0.94 RON 4.51

-23.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 RON 25.71

$6.11 RON 29.39

-12.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.25 RON 25.25

$6.64 RON 31.93

-20.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 RON 4.90

$1.34 RON 6.43

-23.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.64

$2.12 RON 10.17

-44.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 RON 3.35

$0.85 RON 4.10

-17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.15 RON 140

$27.49 RON 132

6.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 RON 2.94

$0.80 RON 3.86

-23.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 RON 3.12

$0.87 RON 4.18

-25.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.72 RON 32.32

$8.14 RON 39.11

-17.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 RON 8.55

$1.92 RON 9.25

-7.29%

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

$28.9K RON 138.9K

$28.6K RON 137.4K

1.07%

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

$24.8K RON 119.4K

$25.8K RON 124.2K

-3.88%

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

$106 RON 509

$181 RON 871

-41.50%

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

$7.47 RON 35.91

$7.28 RON 35.02

2.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$4.63 RON 22.25

$8.20 RON 39.42

-43.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.29 RON 122

$43.94 RON 211

-42.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.98 RON 76.8

$15.95 RON 76.7

0.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 RON 29.26

$8.58 RON 41.25

-29.02%

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

$589 RON 2,831

$385 RON 1,853

52.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,986 RON 24.0K

$6,965 RON 33.5K

-28.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 RON 409

$73.6 RON 354

15.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.98 RON 154

$38.25 RON 184

-16.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.3 RON 290

$92.0 RON 442

-34.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.2 RON 400

$89.0 RON 428

-6.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$416 RON 2,000

$542 RON 2,608

-23.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$236 RON 1,136

$435 RON 2,090

-45.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$549 RON 2,637

$836 RON 4,021

-34.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 RON 1,946

$645 RON 3,101

-37.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,805 RON 8,676

$2,797 RON 13.4K

-35.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,229 RON 5,907

$1,907 RON 9,169

-35.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$936 RON 4,502

$1,130 RON 5,431

-17.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.97

7.18

-2.92%

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

Last update for Bacau: October 26, 2026

Last update for Iasi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bacau

$236 25.8%

Iasi

$435 34.6% 84.1% $199

Eating Out

Bacau

$194 21.2%

Iasi

$181 14.4% 6.9% $13

Groceries & Markets

Bacau

$177 19.3%

Iasi

$215 17.1% 21.8% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bacau

$118 12.9%

Iasi

$197 15.7% 66.5% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Bacau

$117 12.8%

Iasi

$132 10.5% 12.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Bacau

$37 4.1%

Iasi

$61 4.9% 63.1% $24

Getting Around

Bacau

$36 3.9%

Iasi

$36 2.9% 0.7% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $416 in Bacau versus $542 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 21% 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 $85 in Bacau versus $42 in Iasi. Groceries tell a different story – $177 in Bacau vs $215 in Iasi – so Bacau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bacau

🇷🇴 Iasi

🕒 Local time

18:51 6:51 PM

Same time as Bacau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

144,307

290,422

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.208 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 RON = 0.208 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bacau Iasi 84 km

From you

Bacau
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

Bacau vs Iasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Iasi is pricier by about 37%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,373 per month in Bacau and $1,884 in Iasi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $416 there versus $542 in Iasi.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Bacau and $42 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 $916 in Bacau and $1,256 in Iasi. That’s a gap of about 37%.

It depends on your priorities. Iasi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $916 in Bacau to $1,256 in Iasi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Bacau. 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.