Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Roman Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Roman

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,397 in Bucharest versus $947 in Roman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,105 in Bucharest versus $1,553 in Roman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,814 in Bucharest versus $2,158 in Roman.

Living in Bucharest is roughly 47% more expensive than in Roman, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 2% above, Roman is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.50 RON 71.0

$12.12 RON 55.5

27.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.9 RON 274

$35.46 RON 162

68.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 RON 34.53

$7.93 RON 36.30

-4.92%

Cappuccino

$3.72 RON 17.05

$2.85 RON 13.05

30.53%

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

$2.36 RON 10.81

$1.48 RON 6.78

59.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.53

$1.13 RON 5.19

103.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 RON 18.23

$3.30 RON 15.10

20.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 RON 20.67

$2.38 RON 10.92

89.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 RON 8.32

$1.59 RON 7.26

14.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 RON 6.61

$0.92 RON 4.21

56.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 RON 8.34

$1.50 RON 6.87

21.33%

Eggs

$3.94 RON 18.05

$2.93 RON 13.42

34.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.47 RON 43.37

$9.26 RON 42.44

2.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.05 RON 32.31

$6.76 RON 30.97

4.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 RON 55.7

$9.76 RON 44.71

24.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 RON 6.10

$1.09 RON 5.00

22.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 RON 7.67

$1.59 RON 7.26

5.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 RON 7.49

$1.49 RON 6.83

10.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 RON 12.81

$2.26 RON 10.34

23.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 RON 3.85

$0.78 RON 3.56

7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.61

$0.86 RON 3.95

-8.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 RON 4.16

$0.91 RON 4.17

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 RON 4.59

$0.84 RON 3.86

19.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.00 RON 32.07

$5.65 RON 25.90

23.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.44 RON 29.50

$6.74 RON 30.90

-4.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 RON 5.69

$1.19 RON 5.46

4.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 RON 7.97

$1.72 RON 7.90

1.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 3.93

$0.80 RON 3.69

7.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.97 RON 101

$23.11 RON 106

-4.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 RON 2.91

$0.63 RON 2.88

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 RON 3.16

$0.69 RON 3.17

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.68 RON 30.61

$6.94 RON 31.79

-3.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 RON 9.03

$1.85 RON 8.45

6.49%

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

$29.3K RON 134.4K

$30.2K RON 138.2K

-2.80%

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

$28.4K RON 130.2K

$27.5K RON 126.0K

3.32%

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

$192 RON 878

$186 RON 851

3.17%

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

$8.51 RON 38.97

$7.27 RON 33.30

17.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.09 RON 46.20

$8.83 RON 40.44

14.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.1 RON 243

$39.94 RON 183

32.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.78 RON 118

$21.48 RON 98.4

20.02%

Cinema Ticket

$8.57 RON 39.24

$9.77 RON 44.77

-12.28%

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

$664 RON 3,043

$309 RON 1,416

114.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K RON 69.2K

$7,275 RON 33.3K

107.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.5 RON 433

$55.5 RON 254

70.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.90 RON 187

$27.21 RON 125

50.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.4 RON 378

$79.4 RON 364

3.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.2 RON 455

$61.3 RON 281

61.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 RON 3,278

$225 RON 1,032

217.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 RON 2,154

$168 RON 772

179.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 RON 5,265

$642 RON 2,941

79.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 RON 3,384

$462 RON 2,116

59.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,881 RON 17.8K

$1,940 RON 8,889

100.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,277 RON 10.4K

$1,381 RON 6,327

64.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,484 RON 6,798

$866 RON 3,967

71.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.76

7.2

-6.11%

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

Last update for Bucharest: September 15, 2026

Last update for Roman: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Bucharest and $225 in Roman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 71% 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: $60.0 in Bucharest vs $35.00 in Roman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $207 per month, with Roman cheaper across the board.

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

Bucharest vs Roman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Roman differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($1,397 vs $947 including rent). Roman is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 71% higher in Bucharest, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Bucharest versus $225 in Roman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,397 per month in Bucharest versus $947 in Roman – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Roman runs roughly 5% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $947 in Roman versus $1,397 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Roman but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Roman the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Roman gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.