Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baia Mare and Iasi

For one person, living is cheaper in Baia Mare: $935 a month against $1,256 in Iasi, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Baia Mare
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Baia Mare Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Iasi
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Iasi Living Index

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Baia Mare

🇷🇴 Romania

$935

/mo nomad

Iasi

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,256

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Baia Mare versus $1,256 in Iasi.

Baia Mare $935
Iasi $1,256

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,452 in Baia Mare versus $1,841 in Iasi.

Baia Mare $1,452
Iasi $1,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,969 in Baia Mare versus $2,425 in Iasi.

Baia Mare $1,969
Iasi $2,425

Living in Baia Mare costs roughly 26% less than in Iasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baia Mare 31% lower, Iasi 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.61 RON 60.1

$10.50 RON 50.1

20.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.99 RON 157

$42.22 RON 201

-21.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 RON 38.92

$7.18 RON 34.21

13.65%

Cappuccino

$2.07 RON 9.86

$2.95 RON 14.07

-29.83%

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

$1.81 RON 8.64

$2.28 RON 10.86

-20.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 RON 6.63

$1.78 RON 8.47

-21.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.61 RON 7.67

$3.20 RON 15.24

-49.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 RON 10.23

$3.84 RON 18.29

-44.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 RON 6.91

$1.55 RON 7.39

-6.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 RON 6.70

$1.31 RON 6.26

6.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.33

$1.97 RON 9.41

-21.83%

Eggs

$2.82 RON 13.45

$3.25 RON 15.51

-13.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.92 RON 28.24

$8.23 RON 39.25

-28.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.82 RON 32.50

$6.59 RON 31.40

3.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 RON 51.3

$10.07 RON 47.98

6.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.08 RON 5.16

$1.31 RON 6.24

-17.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 RON 6.99

$1.62 RON 7.71

-9.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 RON 6.52

$1.68 RON 7.99

-18.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 RON 12.45

$2.12 RON 10.12

23.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RON 4.39

$0.86 RON 4.08

6.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 RON 5.16

$0.82 RON 3.93

31.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 RON 5.30

$1.10 RON 5.25

0.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 RON 3.85

$0.94 RON 4.47

-13.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.12 RON 29.15

$6.11 RON 29.14

0.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.52 RON 21.53

$6.64 RON 31.66

-31.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 RON 4.98

$1.34 RON 6.37

-21.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 RON 7.72

$2.12 RON 10.09

-23.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.37

$0.85 RON 4.06

-16.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.38 RON 68.6

$27.49 RON 131

-47.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.80 RON 3.82

-3.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 RON 3.55

$0.87 RON 4.14

-13.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 RON 28.34

$8.14 RON 38.78

-27.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 RON 8.27

$1.92 RON 9.17

-9.90%

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

$28.5K RON 136.0K

$28.6K RON 136.3K

-0.19%

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

$25.2K RON 119.9K

$25.8K RON 123.2K

-2.65%

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

$102 RON 488

$181 RON 863

-43.49%

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

$15.11 RON 72.0

$7.28 RON 34.72

107.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.75 RON 56.0

$8.20 RON 39.09

43.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.40 RON 178

$43.94 RON 209

-14.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.21 RON 77.3

$15.95 RON 76.0

1.63%

Cinema Ticket

$10.01 RON 47.70

$8.58 RON 40.91

16.67%

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

$520 RON 2,480

$385 RON 1,838

34.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,441 RON 25.9K

$6,965 RON 33.2K

-21.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.34 RON 178

$73.6 RON 351

-49.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.05 RON 200

$38.25 RON 182

9.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.3 RON 297

$92.0 RON 439

-32.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.7 RON 356

$89.0 RON 424

-16.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$368 RON 1,753

$542 RON 2,586

-32.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$255 RON 1,215

$435 RON 2,073

-41.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 RON 2,774

$836 RON 3,987

-30.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$440 RON 2,096

$645 RON 3,074

-31.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,187 RON 10.4K

$2,797 RON 13.3K

-21.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 RON 7,041

$1,907 RON 9,092

-22.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$853 RON 4,069

$1,130 RON 5,385

-24.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.48

7.18

4.18%

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

Last update for Baia Mare: October 27, 2026

Last update for Iasi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baia Mare

$255 27.3%

Iasi

$435 34.6% 70.6% $180

Groceries & Markets

Baia Mare

$199 21.3%

Iasi

$215 17.1% 7.8% $16

Eating Out

Baia Mare

$175 18.7%

Iasi

$181 14.4% 3.2% $5.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baia Mare

$129 13.8%

Iasi

$197 15.7% 52.1% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Baia Mare

$97 10.4%

Iasi

$132 10.5% 35.4% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Baia Mare

$57 6.1%

Iasi

$61 4.9% 6.4% $3.7

Getting Around

Baia Mare

$22 2.3%

Iasi

$36 2.9% 66.1% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $368 in Baia Mare and $542 in Iasi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iasi pays 32% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33 in Baia Mare vs $42 in Iasi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $215 per month, with Baia Mare cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Baia Mare

🇷🇴 Iasi

🕒 Local time

12:43 12:43 PM

Same time as Baia Mare

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

123,738

290,422

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Baia Mare Iasi 310 km

From you

Baia Mare
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

Baia Mare vs Iasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baia Mare is about 26% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Baia Mare. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $368 in Baia Mare versus $542 in Iasi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $520 in Baia Mare versus $385 in Iasi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Iasi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Baia Mare and Iasi are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Baia Mare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Iasi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.