Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calarasi, Romania and Iasi

For one person, living is cheaper in Calarasi: $884 a month against $1,256 in Iasi, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Calarasi
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Calarasi Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Iasi
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Iasi Living Index

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Calarasi

🇷🇴 Romania

$884

/mo nomad

Iasi

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,256

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $884 per month in Calarasi vs $1,256 in Iasi, rent included.

Calarasi $884
Iasi $1,256

A couple spends around $1,366 per month in Calarasi vs $1,841 in Iasi, rent included.

Calarasi $1,366
Iasi $1,841

A family of three spends $1,848 per month in Calarasi vs $2,425 in Iasi, rent included.

Calarasi $1,848
Iasi $2,425

Calarasi is about 30% cheaper than Iasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Calarasi and Iasi are more affordable than the global median – Calarasi 35% lower, Iasi 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.87 RON 42.27

$10.50 RON 50.1

-15.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.46 RON 160

$42.22 RON 201

-20.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 RON 35.94

$7.18 RON 34.21

5.01%

Cappuccino

$2.08 RON 9.89

$2.95 RON 14.07

-29.49%

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

$1.83 RON 8.73

$2.28 RON 10.86

-19.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 RON 8.18

$1.78 RON 8.47

-3.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 RON 7.30

$3.20 RON 15.24

-52.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 RON 6.89

$3.84 RON 18.29

-62.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 RON 6.90

$1.55 RON 7.39

-6.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 RON 4.39

$1.31 RON 6.26

-29.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 RON 7.08

$1.97 RON 9.41

-24.37%

Eggs

$2.71 RON 12.92

$3.25 RON 15.51

-16.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.58 RON 36.15

$8.23 RON 39.25

-7.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.30 RON 20.50

$6.59 RON 31.40

-34.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.38 RON 39.94

$10.07 RON 47.98

-16.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.09 RON 5.18

$1.31 RON 6.24

-16.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 RON 6.60

$1.62 RON 7.71

-14.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.88

$1.68 RON 7.99

-26.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 RON 6.91

$2.12 RON 10.12

-31.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.44 RON 2.07

$0.86 RON 4.08

-48.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 RON 2.95

$0.82 RON 3.93

-24.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 RON 2.09

$1.10 RON 5.25

-60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 RON 3.86

$0.94 RON 4.47

-13.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.19 RON 29.50

$6.11 RON 29.14

1.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.23 RON 20.18

$6.64 RON 31.66

-36.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 RON 4.67

$1.34 RON 6.37

-26.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 RON 6.56

$2.12 RON 10.09

-34.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 RON 1.93

$0.85 RON 4.06

-51.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.30 RON 58.6

$27.49 RON 131

-55.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.87

$0.80 RON 3.82

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.89

$0.87 RON 4.14

-29.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 RON 30.20

$8.14 RON 38.78

-22.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 RON 7.74

$1.92 RON 9.17

-15.62%

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

$28.3K RON 135.1K

$28.6K RON 136.3K

-0.84%

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

$25.1K RON 119.6K

$25.8K RON 123.2K

-2.91%

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

$163 RON 777

$181 RON 863

-9.97%

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

$6.16 RON 29.35

$7.28 RON 34.72

-15.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.51 RON 31.05

$8.20 RON 39.09

-20.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.78 RON 228

$43.94 RON 209

8.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$51.6 RON 246

$15.95 RON 76.0

223.76%

Cinema Ticket

$8.22 RON 39.17

$8.58 RON 40.91

-4.20%

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

$375 RON 1,786

$385 RON 1,838

-2.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,713 RON 27.2K

$6,965 RON 33.2K

-17.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.5 RON 350

$73.6 RON 351

-0.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.65 RON 98.4

$38.25 RON 182

-46.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 RON 428

$92.0 RON 439

-2.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.9 RON 457

$89.0 RON 424

7.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$313 RON 1,493

$542 RON 2,586

-42.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 RON 912

$435 RON 2,073

-56.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$413 RON 1,968

$836 RON 3,987

-50.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$327 RON 1,558

$645 RON 3,074

-49.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,190 RON 5,671

$2,797 RON 13.3K

-57.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$965 RON 4,600

$1,907 RON 9,092

-49.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$728 RON 3,472

$1,130 RON 5,385

-35.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.85

7.18

9.33%

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

Last update for Calarasi: 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

Calarasi

$191 21.6%

Iasi

$435 34.6% 127% $244

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calarasi

$176 19.9%

Iasi

$197 15.7% 11.9% $21

Groceries & Markets

Calarasi

$166 18.8%

Iasi

$215 17.1% 29.6% $49

Eating Out

Calarasi

$143 16.2%

Iasi

$181 14.4% 26.3% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Calarasi

$126 14.3%

Iasi

$132 10.5% 4.7% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

Calarasi

$64 7.3%

Iasi

$61 4.9% 4.8% $3.1

Getting Around

Calarasi

$18 2%

Iasi

$36 2.9% 105% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $313 in Calarasi 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 55% higher in Iasi. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Calarasi versus $42 in Iasi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $166 vs $215 – making Calarasi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Calarasi

🇷🇴 Iasi

🕒 Local time

07:27 7:27 AM

Same time as Calarasi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

65,181

290,422

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Calarasi Iasi 330 km

From you

Calarasi
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

Calarasi vs Iasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $884 in Calarasi, $1,256 in Iasi – Calarasi comes out roughly 30% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,326 per month in Calarasi 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 Calarasi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $313 there versus $542 in Iasi.

Kindergarten costs $375 per month in Calarasi and $385 in Iasi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Iasi, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Calarasi, where all-in costs run around $884, than in Iasi at $1,256. In Calarasi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Iasi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Calarasi – 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 Calarasi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Iasi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.