Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Craiova and Bacau

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacau: $916 a month against $1,217 in Craiova, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Craiova
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Craiova Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Bacau
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Bacau Living Index

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Craiova

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,217

/mo nomad

Bacau

🇷🇴 Romania

$916

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Craiova and in Bacau

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

A single person spends $1,217 per month in Craiova vs $916 in Bacau, rent included.

Craiova $1,217
Bacau $916

A couple spends around $1,869 per month in Craiova vs $1,552 in Bacau, rent included.

Craiova $1,869
Bacau $1,552

A family of three spends $2,520 per month in Craiova vs $2,189 in Bacau, rent included.

Craiova $2,520
Bacau $2,189

Craiova costs about 33% more than Bacau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Craiova and Bacau are more affordable than the global median – Craiova 11% lower, Bacau 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.14 RON 34.11

$14.19 RON 67.8

-49.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.37 RON 198

$84.6 RON 404

-51.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.45 RON 35.60

$7.24 RON 34.60

2.90%

Cappuccino

$2.71 RON 12.96

$2.04 RON 9.76

32.84%

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

$2.23 RON 10.63

$2.01 RON 9.58

10.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 RON 8.45

$1.87 RON 8.93

-5.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 RON 10.70

$2.47 RON 11.81

-9.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 RON 16.78

$3.34 RON 15.94

5.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 RON 6.08

$1.18 RON 5.65

7.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 RON 3.92

$0.70 RON 3.33

17.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 RON 6.76

$1.69 RON 8.07

-15.98%

Eggs

$3.26 RON 15.56

$3.47 RON 16.57

-6.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.21 RON 34.47

$7.68 RON 36.70

-6.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.47 RON 30.92

$5.33 RON 25.47

21.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.49 RON 54.9

$8.30 RON 39.65

38.43%

Apples (1kg)

$0.95 RON 4.53

$1.10 RON 5.24

-13.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 RON 7.15

$1.48 RON 7.08

1.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 RON 6.93

$1.49 RON 7.10

-2.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 RON 8.61

$1.83 RON 8.75

-1.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 RON 3.65

$0.72 RON 3.46

5.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 RON 4.27

$0.68 RON 3.27

30.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 RON 3.50

$0.75 RON 3.56

-2.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.72 RON 3.43

6.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.59 RON 31.47

$5.35 RON 25.56

23.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.34 RON 30.29

$5.25 RON 25.10

20.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 RON 5.75

$1.02 RON 4.87

17.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 RON 6.99

$1.17 RON 5.61

24.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 RON 4.19

$0.70 RON 3.33

25.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.16 RON 120

$29.15 RON 139

-13.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 RON 2.93

$0.61 RON 2.92

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 RON 3.09

$0.65 RON 3.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.37 RON 30.46

$6.72 RON 32.13

-5.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 RON 9.10

$1.78 RON 8.50

6.74%

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

$28.9K RON 138.0K

$28.9K RON 138.1K

-0.08%

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

$25.8K RON 123.5K

$24.8K RON 118.7K

4.00%

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

$216 RON 1,034

$106 RON 506

104.28%

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

$9.24 RON 44.18

$7.47 RON 35.70

23.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.57 RON 55.3

$4.63 RON 22.12

149.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.59 RON 184

$25.29 RON 121

52.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.52 RON 103

$15.98 RON 76.4

34.67%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 RON 34.77

$6.09 RON 29.09

19.54%

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

$411 RON 1,962

$589 RON 2,814

-30.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,047 RON 38.5K

$4,986 RON 23.8K

61.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 RON 301

$85.0 RON 406

-25.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 RON 242

$31.98 RON 153

58.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 RON 396

$60.3 RON 288

37.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 RON 494

$83.2 RON 398

24.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$532 RON 2,541

$416 RON 1,988

27.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 RON 2,000

$236 RON 1,129

77.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 RON 4,346

$549 RON 2,621

65.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$829 RON 3,961

$405 RON 1,934

104.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,703 RON 12.9K

$1,805 RON 8,624

49.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,988 RON 9,498

$1,229 RON 5,872

61.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 RON 4,368

$936 RON 4,475

-2.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

6.97

-1.87%

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

Last update for Craiova: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bacau: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Craiova

$418 34.4%

Bacau

$236 25.8% 43.6% $182

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Craiova

$237 19.5%

Bacau

$118 12.9% 50.2% $119

Groceries & Markets

Craiova

$194 16%

Bacau

$177 19.3% 9.2% $18

Eating Out

Craiova

$146 12%

Bacau

$194 21.2% 32.9% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Craiova

$135 11.1%

Bacau

$117 12.8% 13.1% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Craiova

$53 4.4%

Bacau

$37 4.1% 29.5% $16

Getting Around

Craiova

$33 2.7%

Bacau

$36 3.9% 10.1% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $532 in Craiova versus $416 in Bacau. 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 $41 in Craiova versus $85 in Bacau. Groceries tell a different story – $194 in Craiova vs $177 in Bacau – so Bacau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Craiova

🇷🇴 Bacau

🕒 Local time

18:24 6:24 PM

Same time as Craiova

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

269,506

144,307

💱 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

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Craiova Bacau 350 km

From you

Craiova
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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

Craiova vs Bacau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Craiova is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,825 per month in Craiova and $1,373 in Bacau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $416 there versus $532 in Craiova.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41 in Craiova and $85 in Bacau. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,217 in Craiova and $916 in Bacau. That makes Bacau about 25% cheaper.

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