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: $1,336 in Bucharest versus $987 in Roman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,162 in Bucharest versus $1,496 in Roman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,988 in Bucharest versus $2,004 in Roman.

Living in Bucharest is roughly 35% more expensive than Roman, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 0% above, Roman is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.58 RON 61.8

$12.23 RON 55.7

11.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 RON 310

$27.08 RON 123

151.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.05 RON 36.64

$7.97 RON 36.29

1.00%

Cappuccino

$3.40 RON 15.47

$3.36 RON 15.31

1.19%

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

$2.32 RON 10.57

$1.14 RON 5.19

103.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 RON 10.81

$2.09 RON 9.49

13.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.54 RON 16.10

$3.30 RON 15.01

7.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 RON 18.27

$2.37 RON 10.77

69.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 RON 7.94

$1.53 RON 6.98

13.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 RON 6.46

$0.88 RON 3.99

61.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 RON 8.79

$1.66 RON 7.55

16.27%

Eggs

$3.54 RON 16.10

$3.01 RON 13.72

17.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.27 RON 42.19

$8.62 RON 39.25

7.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.13 RON 32.44

$7.06 RON 32.14

0.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.28 RON 55.9

$11.64 RON 53.0

5.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.35 RON 6.16

$0.91 RON 4.14

48.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 RON 7.91

$1.47 RON 6.71

18.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 RON 8.03

$1.54 RON 6.99

14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 RON 10.91

$2.25 RON 10.23

6.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 RON 4.76

$0.84 RON 3.80

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 RON 4.38

$1.02 RON 4.66

-5.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 RON 4.18

$0.88 RON 4.03

4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 RON 4.12

$0.82 RON 3.74

10.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.38 RON 29.03

$6.00 RON 27.31

6.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.45 RON 29.37

$6.71 RON 30.53

-3.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 RON 5.55

$1.11 RON 5.03

9.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 RON 9.02

$1.70 RON 7.74

16.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 RON 5.30

$0.68 RON 3.07

70.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.48 RON 88.7

$20.08 RON 91.4

-2.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 RON 3.28

$0.72 RON 3.27

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 RON 2.81

$0.64 RON 2.93

-3.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.94 RON 31.57

$6.84 RON 31.15

1.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 RON 7.80

$1.66 RON 7.55

3.01%

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

$29.0K RON 131.9K

$28.4K RON 129.2K

2.13%

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

$30.3K RON 137.9K

$27.4K RON 124.6K

10.68%

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

$178 RON 809

$91.1 RON 415

95.02%

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

$9.16 RON 41.69

$3.48 RON 15.83

163.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.12 RON 50.6

$5.62 RON 25.56

97.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 RON 249

$40.73 RON 185

34.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.04 RON 132

$19.27 RON 87.7

50.70%

Cinema Ticket

$9.27 RON 42.22

$10.82 RON 49.25

-14.33%

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

$677 RON 3,082

$324 RON 1,474

109.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K RON 67.6K

$6,501 RON 29.6K

128.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.8 RON 363

$66.6 RON 303

19.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.29 RON 206

$17.36 RON 79.0

160.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 RON 406

$96.2 RON 438

-7.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 RON 497

$33.87 RON 154

222.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$662 RON 3,014

$385 RON 1,751

72.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$432 RON 1,967

$287 RON 1,305

50.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 RON 6,170

$592 RON 2,694

129.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$841 RON 3,828

$433 RON 1,969

94.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,857 RON 17.6K

$1,602 RON 7,291

140.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,305 RON 10.5K

$1,480 RON 6,737

55.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,463 RON 6,662

$865 RON 3,937

69.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.1

7.7

-7.79%

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

Last update for Bucharest: May 31, 2026

Last update for Roman: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $662 in Bucharest and $385 in Roman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 69% 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: $68.0 in Bucharest vs $27.00 in Roman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $210 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 35% in total monthly costs ($1,336 vs $987 including rent). Roman is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bucharest pays 69% more on average, 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: $662 in Bucharest versus $385 in Roman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,336 per month in Bucharest versus $987 in Roman – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Roman runs roughly 3% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $987 in Roman versus $1,336 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 35% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.