Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carei and Iasi

For one person, living is cheaper in Carei: $979 a month against $1,256 in Iasi, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Carei
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Carei Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Iasi
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Iasi Living Index

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Carei

🇷🇴 Romania

$979

/mo nomad

Iasi

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,256

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $979 per month in Carei vs $1,256 in Iasi, rent included.

Carei $979
Iasi $1,256

A couple spends around $1,490 per month in Carei vs $1,841 in Iasi, rent included.

Carei $1,490
Iasi $1,841

A family of three spends $2,001 per month in Carei vs $2,425 in Iasi, rent included.

Carei $2,001
Iasi $2,425

Carei is about 22% cheaper than Iasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Carei and Iasi are more affordable than the global median – Carei 28% lower, Iasi 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.79 RON 42.15

$10.50 RON 50.4

-16.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.52 RON 199

$42.22 RON 202

-1.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 RON 34.67

$7.18 RON 34.41

0.70%

Cappuccino

$2.34 RON 11.24

$2.95 RON 14.16

-20.68%

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

$1.83 RON 8.79

$2.28 RON 10.93

-19.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 RON 7.36

$1.78 RON 8.52

-14.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 RON 10.40

$3.20 RON 15.34

-32.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 RON 12.47

$3.84 RON 18.40

-32.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 RON 6.93

$1.55 RON 7.43

-7.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 RON 5.27

$1.31 RON 6.30

-16.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 RON 6.90

$1.97 RON 9.47

-26.90%

Eggs

$2.88 RON 13.80

$3.25 RON 15.60

-11.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.00 RON 38.39

$8.23 RON 39.49

-2.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.94 RON 28.50

$6.59 RON 31.59

-9.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.02 RON 48.05

$10.07 RON 48.27

-0.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.14 RON 5.46

$1.31 RON 6.27

-12.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 RON 7.01

$1.62 RON 7.76

-9.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 RON 6.93

$1.68 RON 8.03

-14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 RON 9.12

$2.12 RON 10.18

-10.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.80

$0.86 RON 4.11

-8.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.78

$0.82 RON 3.95

-3.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.17

$1.10 RON 5.28

-20.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 RON 3.69

$0.94 RON 4.50

-18.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 RON 27.65

$6.11 RON 29.32

-5.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 RON 29.15

$6.64 RON 31.85

-8.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 RON 5.10

$1.34 RON 6.41

-20.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 RON 7.29

$2.12 RON 10.15

-28.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 RON 3.68

$0.85 RON 4.09

-9.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.46 RON 103

$27.49 RON 132

-21.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 RON 3.49

$0.80 RON 3.85

-8.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 RON 3.63

$0.87 RON 4.17

-12.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.15 RON 34.28

$8.14 RON 39.01

-12.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 RON 8.66

$1.92 RON 9.22

-6.25%

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

$28.3K RON 135.6K

$28.6K RON 137.1K

-1.12%

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

$25.2K RON 120.8K

$25.8K RON 123.9K

-2.50%

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

$136 RON 650

$181 RON 869

-25.12%

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

$7.77 RON 37.25

$7.28 RON 34.93

6.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.99 RON 38.32

$8.20 RON 39.32

-2.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.09 RON 183

$43.94 RON 211

-13.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.41 RON 97.9

$15.95 RON 76.5

27.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 RON 33.14

$8.58 RON 41.15

-19.46%

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

$435 RON 2,085

$385 RON 1,849

12.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,871 RON 32.9K

$6,965 RON 33.4K

-1.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 RON 281

$73.6 RON 353

-20.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.58 RON 161

$38.25 RON 183

-12.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 RON 363

$92.0 RON 441

-17.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 RON 400

$89.0 RON 427

-6.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$383 RON 1,837

$542 RON 2,601

-29.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$291 RON 1,394

$435 RON 2,085

-33.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$602 RON 2,889

$836 RON 4,011

-27.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,147

$645 RON 3,093

-30.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,832 RON 8,784

$2,797 RON 13.4K

-34.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,366 RON 6,548

$1,907 RON 9,147

-28.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,130 RON 5,417

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.97

7.18

-2.92%

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

Last update for Carei: October 27, 2026

Last update for Iasi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Carei

$291 29.7%

Iasi

$435 34.6% 49.6% $144

Groceries & Markets

Carei

$193 19.8%

Iasi

$215 17.1% 11.2% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carei

$151 15.5%

Iasi

$197 15.7% 29.9% $45

Eating Out

Carei

$150 15.3%

Iasi

$181 14.4% 20.9% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Carei

$113 11.6%

Iasi

$132 10.5% 16.5% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Carei

$52 5.3%

Iasi

$61 4.9% 17.7% $9.2

Getting Around

Carei

$29 3%

Iasi

$36 2.9% 24.1% $7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $383 in Carei 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42 in Carei versus $42 in Iasi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $215 – making Carei the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Carei

🇷🇴 Iasi

🕒 Local time

08:13 8:13 AM

Same time as Carei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,911

290,422

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Carei Iasi 390 km

From you

Carei
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

Carei vs Iasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iasi costs about 28% more than Carei, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,469 per month in Carei 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 Carei, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $383 there versus $542 in Iasi.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $979 in Carei and $1,256 in Iasi. That makes Carei about 22% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $435 per month in Carei and $385 in Iasi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $979 in Carei and $1,256 in Iasi. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Iasi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $979 in Carei to $1,256 in Iasi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.