Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iasi and Bacau

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacau: $916 a month against $1,256 in Iasi, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Iasi
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Iasi Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Bacau
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Bacau Living Index

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Iasi

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,256

/mo nomad

Bacau

🇷🇴 Romania

$916

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Iasi vs $916 in Bacau, rent included.

Iasi $1,256
Bacau $916

A couple spends around $1,841 per month in Iasi vs $1,552 in Bacau, rent included.

Iasi $1,841
Bacau $1,552

A family of three spends $2,425 per month in Iasi vs $2,189 in Bacau, rent included.

Iasi $2,425
Bacau $2,189

Iasi costs about 37% more than Bacau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Iasi and Bacau are more affordable than the global median – Iasi 8% lower, Bacau 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.50 RON 50.5

$14.19 RON 68.2

-26.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.22 RON 203

$84.6 RON 407

-50.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.18 RON 34.49

$7.24 RON 34.80

-0.83%

Cappuccino

$2.95 RON 14.19

$2.04 RON 9.81

44.61%

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

$2.28 RON 10.95

$2.01 RON 9.64

13.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 RON 8.54

$1.87 RON 8.98

-4.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 RON 15.37

$2.47 RON 11.88

29.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 RON 18.44

$3.34 RON 16.03

14.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 RON 7.45

$1.18 RON 5.68

31.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 RON 6.31

$0.70 RON 3.35

87.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 RON 9.49

$1.69 RON 8.12

16.57%

Eggs

$3.25 RON 15.64

$3.47 RON 16.67

-6.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.23 RON 39.57

$7.68 RON 36.91

7.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.59 RON 31.66

$5.33 RON 25.61

23.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.07 RON 48.38

$8.30 RON 39.88

21.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.31 RON 6.29

$1.10 RON 5.27

19.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.77

$1.48 RON 7.12

9.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 RON 8.05

$1.49 RON 7.14

12.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 RON 10.20

$1.83 RON 8.80

15.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 RON 4.12

$0.72 RON 3.48

19.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 RON 3.96

$0.68 RON 3.29

20.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 RON 5.30

$0.75 RON 3.58

46.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RON 4.51

$0.72 RON 3.45

30.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.11 RON 29.38

$5.35 RON 25.71

14.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.64 RON 31.92

$5.25 RON 25.24

26.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 RON 6.43

$1.02 RON 4.90

31.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 RON 10.17

$1.17 RON 5.64

81.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 RON 4.09

$0.70 RON 3.35

21.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.49 RON 132

$29.15 RON 140

-5.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 RON 3.85

$0.61 RON 2.94

31.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 RON 4.18

$0.65 RON 3.12

33.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 RON 39.10

$6.72 RON 32.31

21.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 RON 9.24

$1.78 RON 8.55

7.87%

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

$28.6K RON 137.4K

$28.9K RON 138.9K

-1.06%

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

$25.8K RON 124.2K

$24.8K RON 119.4K

4.04%

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

$181 RON 870

$106 RON 509

70.93%

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

$7.28 RON 35.01

$7.47 RON 35.90

-2.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.20 RON 39.41

$4.63 RON 22.25

77.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.94 RON 211

$25.29 RON 122

73.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.95 RON 76.7

$15.98 RON 76.8

-0.19%

Cinema Ticket

$8.58 RON 41.24

$6.09 RON 29.25

40.89%

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

$385 RON 1,853

$589 RON 2,830

-34.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,965 RON 33.5K

$4,986 RON 24.0K

39.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.6 RON 354

$85.0 RON 409

-13.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.25 RON 184

$31.98 RON 154

19.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 RON 442

$60.3 RON 290

52.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.0 RON 428

$83.2 RON 400

6.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 RON 2,607

$416 RON 1,999

30.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$435 RON 2,090

$236 RON 1,135

84.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 RON 4,020

$549 RON 2,636

52.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 RON 3,100

$405 RON 1,945

59.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,797 RON 13.4K

$1,805 RON 8,673

54.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,907 RON 9,166

$1,229 RON 5,905

55.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,130 RON 5,429

$936 RON 4,501

20.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.18

6.97

3.01%

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

Last update for Iasi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bacau: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iasi

$435 34.6%

Bacau

$236 25.8% 45.7% $199

Groceries & Markets

Iasi

$215 17.1%

Bacau

$177 19.3% 17.9% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iasi

$197 15.7%

Bacau

$118 12.9% 39.9% $79

Eating Out

Iasi

$181 14.4%

Bacau

$194 21.2% 7.4% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Iasi

$132 10.5%

Bacau

$117 12.8% 11.1% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Iasi

$61 4.9%

Bacau

$37 4.1% 38.7% $24

Getting Around

Iasi

$36 2.9%

Bacau

$36 3.9% 0.7% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $542 in Iasi 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.

Salaries run about 21% higher in Iasi, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42 in Iasi versus $85 in Bacau. Groceries tell a different story – $215 in Iasi vs $177 in Bacau – so Bacau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Iasi

🇷🇴 Bacau

🕒 Local time

18:53 6:53 PM

Same time as Iasi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

290,422

144,307

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.208 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 RON = 0.208 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Iasi Bacau 84 km

From you

Iasi
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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

Iasi vs Bacau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Iasi is pricier by about 37%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Iasi 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 $542 in Iasi.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42 in Iasi 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 $1,256 in Iasi and $916 in Bacau. That’s a gap of about 37%.

It depends on your priorities. Iasi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $916 in Bacau to $1,256 in Iasi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bacau. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Iasi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.