Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bistrita and Iasi

For one person, living is cheaper in Bistrita: $849 a month against $1,256 in Iasi, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Bistrita
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Bistrita Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Iasi
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Iasi Living Index

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Bistrita

🇷🇴 Romania

$849

/mo nomad

Iasi

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,256

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $849 per month in Bistrita vs $1,256 in Iasi, rent included.

Bistrita $849
Iasi $1,256

A couple spends around $1,284 per month in Bistrita vs $1,841 in Iasi, rent included.

Bistrita $1,284
Iasi $1,841

A family of three spends $1,720 per month in Bistrita vs $2,425 in Iasi, rent included.

Bistrita $1,720
Iasi $2,425

Bistrita is about 32% cheaper than Iasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bistrita and Iasi are more affordable than the global median – Bistrita 38% lower, Iasi 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.29 RON 30.08

$10.50 RON 50.3

-40.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.15 RON 149

$42.22 RON 202

-26.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.30 RON 30.12

$7.18 RON 34.33

-12.26%

Cappuccino

$2.22 RON 10.62

$2.95 RON 14.12

-24.75%

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

$1.63 RON 7.80

$2.28 RON 10.90

-28.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 RON 6.47

$1.78 RON 8.50

-24.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 RON 9.85

$3.20 RON 15.30

-35.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 RON 15.15

$3.84 RON 18.36

-17.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 RON 5.87

$1.55 RON 7.41

-20.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 RON 5.04

$1.31 RON 6.28

-19.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 RON 4.97

$1.97 RON 9.45

-47.21%

Eggs

$2.57 RON 12.32

$3.25 RON 15.57

-20.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.21 RON 29.72

$8.23 RON 39.40

-24.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.99 RON 28.68

$6.59 RON 31.51

-9.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 RON 52.8

$10.07 RON 48.16

9.53%

Apples (1kg)

$0.87 RON 4.18

$1.31 RON 6.26

-33.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 RON 6.91

$1.62 RON 7.74

-11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.42

$1.68 RON 8.02

-7.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 RON 9.67

$2.12 RON 10.16

-4.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 RON 3.64

$0.86 RON 4.10

-11.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 RON 3.08

$0.82 RON 3.94

-21.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 RON 4.93

$1.10 RON 5.27

-6.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 RON 3.00

$0.94 RON 4.49

-32.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.37 RON 25.67

$6.11 RON 29.25

-12.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.38 RON 25.76

$6.64 RON 31.78

-18.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 RON 4.34

$1.34 RON 6.40

-32.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 RON 5.13

$2.12 RON 10.12

-49.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 RON 2.09

$0.85 RON 4.08

-48.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.03 RON 101

$27.49 RON 132

-23.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 RON 3.32

$0.80 RON 3.84

-13.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 RON 3.55

$0.87 RON 4.16

-14.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.35 RON 35.17

$8.14 RON 38.92

-9.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 RON 7.35

$1.92 RON 9.20

-19.79%

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

$27.3K RON 130.7K

$28.6K RON 136.8K

-4.42%

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

$24.1K RON 115.3K

$25.8K RON 123.6K

-6.74%

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

$175 RON 836

$181 RON 867

-3.49%

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

$5.75 RON 27.49

$7.28 RON 34.85

-21.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.00 RON 28.71

$8.20 RON 39.23

-26.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.70 RON 190

$43.94 RON 210

-9.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.80 RON 147

$15.95 RON 76.3

93.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 RON 29.63

$8.58 RON 41.06

-27.86%

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

$305 RON 1,459

$385 RON 1,844

-20.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,850 RON 42.3K

$6,965 RON 33.3K

27.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.24 RON 178

$73.6 RON 352

-49.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.70 RON 128

$38.25 RON 183

-30.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.0 RON 301

$92.0 RON 440

-31.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.2 RON 355

$89.0 RON 426

-16.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$217 RON 1,038

$542 RON 2,595

-60.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$187 RON 895

$435 RON 2,080

-56.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 RON 1,878

$836 RON 4,002

-53.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 RON 1,480

$645 RON 3,086

-52.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,477 RON 7,068

$2,797 RON 13.4K

-47.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,155 RON 5,524

$1,907 RON 9,125

-39.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$985 RON 4,715

$1,130 RON 5,405

-12.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.73

7.18

-6.27%

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

Last update for Bistrita: 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

Bistrita

$187 22%

Iasi

$435 34.6% 133% $248

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bistrita

$187 22%

Iasi

$197 15.7% 5.4% $10

Groceries & Markets

Bistrita

$181 21.3%

Iasi

$215 17.1% 18.8% $34

Eating Out

Bistrita

$124 14.7%

Iasi

$181 14.4% 45.4% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Bistrita

$91 10.7%

Iasi

$132 10.5% 45.6% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Bistrita

$52 6.1%

Iasi

$61 4.9% 17.3% $9

Getting Around

Bistrita

$27 3.2%

Iasi

$36 2.9% 32.6% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $217 in Bistrita 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 15% 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 $31 in Bistrita versus $42 in Iasi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $181 vs $215 – making Bistrita the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bistrita

🇷🇴 Iasi

🕒 Local time

09:02 9:02 AM

Same time as Bistrita

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,076

290,422

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bistrita Iasi 230 km

From you

Bistrita
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

Bistrita vs Iasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iasi costs about 48% more than Bistrita, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,273 per month in Bistrita 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 Bistrita, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $217 there versus $542 in Iasi.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Iasi, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31 in Bistrita and $42 in Iasi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $849 in Bistrita and $1,256 in Iasi. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Bistrita – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Bistrita. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Iasi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.