Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Braila and Iasi

For one person, living is cheaper in Braila: $1,143 a month against $1,256 in Iasi, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Iasi outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

55

Cost of Living Index in Braila
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Braila Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Iasi
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Iasi Living Index

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Braila

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,143

/mo nomad

Iasi

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,256

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,143 in Braila versus $1,256 in Iasi.

Braila $1,143
Iasi $1,256

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,725 in Braila versus $1,841 in Iasi.

Braila $1,725
Iasi $1,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,308 in Braila versus $2,425 in Iasi.

Braila $2,308
Iasi $2,425

Living in Braila costs roughly 9% less than in Iasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Braila 16% lower, Iasi 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.68 RON 89.4

$10.50 RON 50.3

77.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.07 RON 187

$42.22 RON 202

-7.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.78 RON 41.98

$7.18 RON 34.33

22.28%

Cappuccino

$2.63 RON 12.58

$2.95 RON 14.12

-10.85%

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

$2.06 RON 9.85

$2.28 RON 10.90

-9.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 RON 8.14

$1.78 RON 8.50

-4.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.63 RON 7.79

$3.20 RON 15.30

-49.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 RON 9.94

$3.84 RON 18.36

-45.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 RON 8.70

$1.55 RON 7.41

17.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 RON 6.80

$1.31 RON 6.28

8.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 RON 7.05

$1.97 RON 9.45

-25.38%

Eggs

$3.36 RON 16.09

$3.25 RON 15.57

3.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.71 RON 41.67

$8.23 RON 39.40

5.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.65 RON 36.58

$6.59 RON 31.51

16.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.51 RON 45.50

$10.07 RON 48.16

-5.56%

Apples (1kg)

$0.95 RON 4.53

$1.31 RON 6.26

-27.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 RON 6.96

$1.62 RON 7.74

-9.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 RON 6.23

$1.68 RON 8.02

-22.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 RON 5.50

$2.12 RON 10.16

-45.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 RON 4.04

$0.86 RON 4.10

-2.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 RON 3.46

$0.82 RON 3.94

-12.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 RON 3.25

$1.10 RON 5.27

-38.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 RON 3.76

$0.94 RON 4.49

-15.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.16 RON 29.46

$6.11 RON 29.25

0.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.19 RON 29.64

$6.64 RON 31.78

-6.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 RON 4.87

$1.34 RON 6.40

-23.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 RON 7.45

$2.12 RON 10.12

-26.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 RON 2.91

$0.85 RON 4.08

-28.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.47 RON 74.0

$27.49 RON 132

-43.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 RON 4.94

$0.80 RON 3.84

28.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 RON 3.46

$0.87 RON 4.16

-17.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.77 RON 32.38

$8.14 RON 38.92

-16.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 RON 7.58

$1.92 RON 9.20

-17.71%

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

$26.8K RON 128.1K

$28.6K RON 136.8K

-6.37%

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

$29.7K RON 142.0K

$25.8K RON 123.6K

14.86%

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

$138 RON 661

$181 RON 867

-23.69%

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

$8.19 RON 39.16

$7.28 RON 34.85

12.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.91 RON 61.8

$8.20 RON 39.23

57.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.14 RON 154

$43.94 RON 210

-26.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.83 RON 70.9

$15.95 RON 76.3

-7.02%

Cinema Ticket

$7.27 RON 34.80

$8.58 RON 41.06

-15.27%

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

$366 RON 1,751

$385 RON 1,844

-5.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,266 RON 39.5K

$6,965 RON 33.3K

18.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 RON 479

$73.6 RON 352

35.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.5 RON 289

$38.25 RON 183

58.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 RON 437

$92.0 RON 440

-0.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 RON 589

$89.0 RON 426

38.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$376 RON 1,800

$542 RON 2,595

-30.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 RON 1,460

$435 RON 2,080

-29.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$536 RON 2,565

$836 RON 4,002

-35.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 RON 2,135

$645 RON 3,086

-30.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,880 RON 8,994

$2,797 RON 13.4K

-32.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,304 RON 6,238

$1,907 RON 9,125

-31.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$851 RON 4,070

$1,130 RON 5,405

-24.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.3

7.18

15.60%

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

Last update for Braila: 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

Braila

$305 26.7%

Iasi

$435 34.6% 42.5% $130

Eating Out

Braila

$235 20.5%

Iasi

$181 14.4% 22.9% $54

Groceries & Markets

Braila

$206 18%

Iasi

$215 17.1% 4.5% $9.2

Clothing & Footwear

Braila

$169 14.8%

Iasi

$132 10.5% 21.9% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Braila

$159 13.9%

Iasi

$197 15.7% 23.4% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Braila

$47 4.1%

Iasi

$61 4.9% 30.9% $14

Getting Around

Braila

$23 2%

Iasi

$36 2.9% 59.9% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $376 in Braila and $542 in Iasi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iasi pays 33% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $39 in Braila vs $42 in Iasi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $215 per month, with Braila cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Braila

🇷🇴 Iasi

🕒 Local time

10:03 10:03 AM

Same time as Braila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

180,302

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

Braila Iasi 210 km

From you

Braila
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

Braila vs Iasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Braila wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Iasi. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Braila the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Braila. 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: $376 in Braila versus $542 in Iasi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Braila runs roughly 44% less than in Iasi. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $366 in Braila versus $385 in Iasi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Braila is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Braila gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Iasi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.