Cost of Living Comparison Between Iasi and Baia Mare Cost of Living Comparison Between Iasi and Baia Mare

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,123 in Iasi versus $887 in Baia Mare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,706 in Iasi versus $1,427 in Baia Mare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,288 in Iasi versus $1,967 in Baia Mare.

Living in Iasi is roughly 27% more expensive than Baia Mare, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Iasi 16% lower, Baia Mare 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.49 RON 47.43

$9.11 RON 41.20

15.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.4 RON 228

$36.19 RON 164

39.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.06 RON 31.91

$7.09 RON 32.09

-0.42%

Cappuccino

$2.61 RON 11.79

$2.21 RON 10.01

18.10%

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

$2.09 RON 9.45

$1.79 RON 8.09

16.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 RON 7.75

$1.34 RON 6.05

27.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 RON 11.58

$1.57 RON 7.09

63.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 RON 15.18

$2.23 RON 10.07

50.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 RON 6.25

$1.44 RON 6.51

-4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 RON 5.49

$1.23 RON 5.55

-1.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 RON 8.52

$1.54 RON 6.99

22.08%

Eggs

$3.26 RON 14.76

$3.25 RON 14.69

0.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.95 RON 35.97

$7.59 RON 34.33

4.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 RON 30.28

$6.15 RON 27.83

8.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.95 RON 49.51

$9.00 RON 40.73

21.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 RON 5.62

$1.18 RON 5.32

5.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.01

$1.52 RON 6.89

1.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 RON 8.12

$1.74 RON 7.87

3.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 RON 8.90

$2.21 RON 9.99

-10.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 RON 4.45

$0.76 RON 3.43

28.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 RON 4.77

$0.87 RON 3.94

20.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 RON 4.56

$1.01 RON 4.57

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 RON 3.63

$0.79 RON 3.56

1.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.07 RON 27.45

$5.43 RON 24.55

11.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.70 RON 30.32

$4.90 RON 22.15

36.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 RON 5.14

$1.03 RON 4.68

10.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 RON 8.93

$1.77 RON 8.02

11.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 RON 3.57

$0.67 RON 3.03

17.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.90 RON 126

$16.35 RON 73.9

70.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 RON 4.21

$0.76 RON 3.43

22.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 RON 3.41

$0.80 RON 3.64

-6.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.26 RON 37.38

$9.04 RON 40.89

-8.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 RON 7.58

$1.51 RON 6.83

11.26%

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

$28.3K RON 128.2K

$28.6K RON 129.2K

-0.81%

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

$27.6K RON 124.6K

$26.0K RON 117.5K

6.05%

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

$158 RON 717

$117 RON 530

35.26%

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

$8.26 RON 37.35

$8.37 RON 37.88

-1.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.26 RON 46.40

$11.17 RON 50.5

-8.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.57 RON 211

$51.3 RON 232

-9.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.66 RON 84.4

$20.91 RON 94.6

-10.76%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 RON 36.80

$6.71 RON 30.34

21.31%

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

$462 RON 2,090

$431 RON 1,952

7.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,957 RON 31.5K

$6,838 RON 30.9K

1.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.1 RON 285

$53.0 RON 240

19.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.17 RON 195

$38.92 RON 176

10.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 RON 384

$70.4 RON 318

20.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.8 RON 402

$93.2 RON 422

-4.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$480 RON 2,170

$287 RON 1,296

67.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 RON 1,639

$210 RON 951

72.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$744 RON 3,366

$536 RON 2,426

38.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 RON 2,486

$400 RON 1,809

37.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,956 RON 13.4K

$2,362 RON 10.7K

25.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,005 RON 9,071

$1,555 RON 7,033

28.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,181 RON 5,340

$871 RON 3,940

35.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.37

6.5

13.38%

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

Last update for Iasi: June 8, 2026

Last update for Baia Mare: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $480 in Iasi and $287 in Baia Mare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iasi pays 36% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $50.0 in Iasi vs $36.00 in Baia Mare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $211 vs $195 per month, with Baia Mare cheaper across the board.

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 Baia Mare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baia Mare is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Iasi pays 36% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $480 in Iasi versus $287 in Baia Mare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $462 in Iasi versus $431 in Baia Mare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Iasi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $887 in Baia Mare versus $1,123 in Iasi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Baia Mare but tight or insufficient in Iasi. The gap between the two cities makes Baia Mare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Baia Mare is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Iasi, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Iasi and Baia Mare are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Baia Mare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Iasi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.