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: $1,355 in Bucharest versus $996 in Roman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Bucharest versus $1,492 in Roman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,918 in Bucharest versus $1,987 in Roman.

Living in Bucharest is roughly 36% more expensive than Roman, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% above, Roman is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.58 RON 58.9

$12.01 RON 52.1

13.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 RON 301

$27.97 RON 121

148.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.03 RON 34.84

$7.95 RON 34.52

1.01%

Cappuccino

$3.42 RON 14.86

$3.44 RON 14.92

-0.58%

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

$2.33 RON 10.13

$1.17 RON 5.06

99.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 RON 10.09

$2.01 RON 8.74

15.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 RON 15.21

$3.26 RON 14.13

7.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 RON 16.60

$2.32 RON 10.06

64.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 RON 7.41

$1.53 RON 6.62

11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 RON 6.13

$0.90 RON 3.89

56.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 RON 7.95

$1.65 RON 7.15

10.91%

Eggs

$3.52 RON 15.29

$3.12 RON 13.56

12.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.42 RON 40.90

$8.92 RON 38.71

5.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.09 RON 30.77

$7.13 RON 30.96

-0.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.28 RON 53.3

$11.58 RON 50.3

6.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 RON 5.82

$0.95 RON 4.13

41.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 RON 7.47

$1.53 RON 6.63

12.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 RON 7.67

$1.52 RON 6.62

16.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.39 RON 10.37

$2.24 RON 9.71

6.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 RON 4.52

$0.78 RON 3.41

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 RON 4.25

$1.01 RON 4.38

-2.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 RON 4.04

$0.87 RON 3.80

6.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 RON 4.18

$0.79 RON 3.41

21.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 RON 27.26

$6.01 RON 26.07

4.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.24 RON 31.42

$6.72 RON 29.18

7.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 RON 5.37

$1.13 RON 4.91

9.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 RON 8.76

$1.65 RON 7.18

22.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 RON 5.11

$0.72 RON 3.13

63.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.62 RON 85.2

$20.10 RON 87.3

-2.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 RON 2.88

$0.67 RON 2.89

-1.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.62

$0.64 RON 2.78

-6.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.08 RON 30.74

$6.77 RON 29.38

4.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.23

$1.59 RON 6.91

5.03%

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

$28.4K RON 123.3K

$27.9K RON 121.1K

1.82%

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

$30.5K RON 132.2K

$27.5K RON 119.4K

10.66%

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

$182 RON 791

$92.9 RON 403

96.18%

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

$8.93 RON 38.74

$3.48 RON 15.11

156.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.15 RON 48.37

$5.62 RON 24.41

98.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 RON 235

$41.77 RON 181

29.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.96 RON 126

$19.26 RON 83.6

50.36%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 RON 39.89

$10.76 RON 46.69

-14.59%

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

$662 RON 2,873

$317 RON 1,377

108.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 62.7K

$6,640 RON 28.8K

117.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.5 RON 345

$66.5 RON 289

19.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.22 RON 196

$17.07 RON 74.1

164.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 RON 395

$95.1 RON 413

-4.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 RON 477

$35.00 RON 152

214.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$661 RON 2,869

$391 RON 1,696

69.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 RON 1,863

$292 RON 1,266

47.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,352 RON 5,869

$582 RON 2,525

132.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$851 RON 3,691

$442 RON 1,917

92.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,026 RON 17.5K

$1,691 RON 7,339

138.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 RON 9,911

$1,271 RON 5,515

79.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,522 RON 6,605

$882 RON 3,828

72.52%

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: April 22, 2026

Last update for Roman: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $661 in Bucharest and $391 in Roman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 73% 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: $69 in Bucharest vs $28 in Roman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $211 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 36% in total monthly costs ($1,355 vs $996 including rent). Roman is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bucharest pays 73% 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: $661 in Bucharest versus $391 in Roman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,355 per month in Bucharest versus $996 in Roman – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Roman runs roughly 2% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $996 in Roman versus $1,355 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 36% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.