Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Romania

For one person, living is cheaper in Romania: $1,133 a month against $2,310 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Canada
Romania
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,310
/mo nomad
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,133
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Canada and in Romania

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Canada and in Romania actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,310 per month in Canada vs $1,133 in Romania, rent included.

  • Canada $2,310
  • Romania $1,133

A couple spends around $3,356 per month in Canada vs $1,691 in Romania, rent included.

  • Canada $3,356
  • Romania $1,691

A family of three spends $4,403 per month in Canada vs $2,250 in Romania, rent included.

  • Canada $4,403
  • Romania $2,250

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($889–$3,737) than in Romania ($742–$1,423), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Canada is about 104% higher than in Romania on average.

Canada sits 70% above the global median, while Romania is 17% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Canada
Romania
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.16 CA$25.38
$10.41 RON 49.74
74.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.2 CA$99.5
$41.28 RON 197
72.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.81 CA$15.11
$7.27 RON 34.73
48.69%
Cappuccino
$3.78 CA$5.28
$2.72 RON 13.00
38.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 CA$2.96
$2.02 RON 9.63
4.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 CA$2.32
$1.67 RON 7.97
-0.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.62 CA$7.85
$2.25 RON 10.75
149.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.72 CA$7.99
$3.21 RON 15.33
78.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Canada
Romania
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.17 CA$3.04
$1.53 RON 7.30
41.83%
White Bread (500g)
$2.60 CA$3.64
$1.15 RON 5.49
126.09%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.65 CA$5.11
$1.59 RON 7.59
129.56%
Eggs
$3.63 CA$5.07
$3.23 RON 15.45
12.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.76 CA$15.04
$8.03 RON 38.38
34.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.90 CA$16.62
$6.39 RON 30.52
86.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.42 CA$21.55
$10.22 RON 48.85
50.88%
Apples (1kg)
$4.03 CA$5.63
$1.21 RON 5.80
233.06%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 CA$1.94
$1.54 RON 7.34
-10.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.88 CA$5.41
$1.54 RON 7.38
151.95%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.08 CA$5.70
$2.10 RON 10.05
94.29%
Potato (1kg)
$2.57 CA$3.59
$0.78 RON 3.75
229.49%
Onion (1kg)
$2.48 CA$3.46
$0.86 RON 4.13
188.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.65 CA$3.70
$0.84 RON 4.03
215.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 CA$2.40
$0.84 RON 4.01
103.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.32 CA$20.01
$6.05 RON 28.91
136.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.49 CA$18.85
$6.11 RON 29.22
120.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.84 CA$3.97
$1.10 RON 5.23
158.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.30 CA$4.62
$1.57 RON 7.50
110.19%
🚌 Getting Around
Canada
Romania
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.55 CA$3.57
$0.72 RON 3.42
254.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$71.9 CA$101
$23.15 RON 111
210.71%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.18 CA$4.44
$0.80 RON 3.81
297.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.54 CA$2.15
$0.72 RON 3.46
113.89%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.69 CA$37.30
$7.00 RON 33.46
281.29%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.24 CA$1.74
$1.78 RON 8.52
-30.34%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K CA$39.0K
$28.7K RON 137.3K
-2.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.1K CA$29.4K
$25.3K RON 121.1K
-16.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canada
Romania
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$147 CA$206
$160 RON 762
-7.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$41.80 CA$58.4
$7.98 RON 38.12
423.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.2 CA$84.1
$8.83 RON 42.22
581.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Canada
Romania
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.01 CA$54.5
$40.42 RON 193
-3.49%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.06 CA$26.64
$18.47 RON 88.3
3.19%
Cinema Ticket
$11.21 CA$15.66
$7.35 RON 35.13
52.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Canada
Romania
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$721 CA$1,008
$473 RON 2,262
52.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K CA$20.7K
$8,477 RON 40.5K
75.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Canada
Romania
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.3 CA$77.2
$69.5 RON 332
-20.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.95 CA$54.4
$37.71 RON 180
3.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.4 CA$122
$79.6 RON 380
9.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 CA$142
$84.3 RON 403
20.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Canada
Romania
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,290 CA$1,803
$503 RON 2,405
156.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,130 CA$1,579
$375 RON 1,794
201.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,036 CA$2,845
$776 RON 3,708
162.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,731 CA$2,418
$579 RON 2,765
199.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,769 CA$6,664
$2,539 RON 12.1K
87.86%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,730 CA$5,211
$1,819 RON 8,691
105.08%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Canada
Romania
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,070 CA$4,289
$1,001 RON 4,782
206.77%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.87
6.98
-30.23%

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

Last update for Canada: October 26, 2026

Last update for Romania: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Canada
$1.1K
Romania
$375 66.8% $755
Groceries & Markets
Canada
$371
Romania
$203 45.2% $168
Eating Out
Canada
$278
Romania
$170 38.7% $108
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canada
$249
Romania
$176 29.3% $73
Clothing & Footwear
Canada
$127
Romania
$122 4.2% $5.3
Getting Around
Canada
$93
Romania
$30 67.3% $63
Sport & Entertainment
Canada
$61
Romania
$55 10.3% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,250 in Canada vs $387 in Romania. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,434 in Ottawa and $711 in Bucharest.

Average salary: $2,968 in Canada vs $857 in Romania. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 223% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 56% more in Canada.

Public transport is 200% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are about 3.5 times higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Canada
🇷🇴 Romania
🕒 Local time
06:36 6:36 AM
13:36 1:36 PM
7 h ahead of Canada
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
36,991,981
19,053,815
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 4.78 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Canada Romania 7,410 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Canada
  • Romania

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
Canada vs Romania: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Canada more expensive than Romania?
Romania is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 51% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,250 versus $387 in Romania.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Romania – part of why living there is about 51% cheaper overall.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget in Canada or in Romania?
$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Romania, but in Canada it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Canada or to Romania?
Romania is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Canada vs other spots: cost of living compared

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