Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iasi and Berlin

For one person, living is cheaper in Iasi: $1,251 a month against $2,545 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Iasi
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Iasi Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index

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Iasi

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,251

/mo nomad

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,545

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Iasi and in Berlin

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 Berlin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,251 per month in Iasi vs $2,545 in Berlin, rent included.

Iasi $1,251
Berlin $2,545

A couple spends around $1,834 per month in Iasi vs $3,901 in Berlin, rent included.

Iasi $1,834
Berlin $3,901

A family of three spends $2,417 per month in Iasi vs $5,257 in Berlin, rent included.

Iasi $2,417
Berlin $5,257

Iasi is about 51% cheaper than Berlin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Iasi sits 7% below the global median, while Berlin is 90% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.54 RON 50.2

$16.81 €14.99

-37.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.58 RON 198

$79.6 €71.0

-47.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.96 RON 33.17

$13.38 €11.93

-47.98%

Cappuccino

$2.95 RON 14.07

$4.27 €3.81

-30.91%

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

$2.29 RON 10.89

$3.40 €3.03

-32.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 RON 8.46

$3.12 €2.78

-42.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 RON 14.58

$5.48 €4.88

-44.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 RON 17.59

$4.56 €4.06

-19.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 RON 7.14

$1.27 €1.13

18.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 RON 6.34

$2.45 €2.18

-45.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 RON 9.44

$3.30 €2.94

-40.00%

Eggs

$3.35 RON 15.95

$4.45 €3.97

-24.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 RON 39.11

$17.10 €15.25

-51.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.61 RON 31.52

$12.19 €10.87

-45.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.76 RON 46.50

$18.30 €16.32

-46.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.37 RON 6.53

$3.58 €3.19

-61.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.74

$1.98 €1.76

-18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 RON 7.92

$3.27 €2.91

-49.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 RON 10.28

$3.81 €3.40

-43.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 RON 4.02

$2.13 €1.90

-60.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.95

$2.21 €1.97

-62.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 RON 5.30

$1.49 €1.33

-25.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RON 4.46

$1.01 €0.90

-6.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.26 RON 29.82

$10.49 €9.36

-40.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.87 RON 32.76

$6.76 €6.03

1.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 RON 6.22

$1.34 €1.20

-2.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 RON 9.84

$2.10 €1.87

-1.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$4.37 €3.90

-80.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 RON 133

$71.0 €63.3

-60.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 RON 4.12

$5.29 €4.72

-83.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 RON 4.05

$3.05 €2.72

-72.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.30 RON 39.57

$36.30 €32.36

-77.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 RON 9.08

$2.28 €2.03

-16.67%

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

$28.5K RON 135.7K

$33.2K €29.6K

-14.34%

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

$27.3K RON 130.2K

$39.1K €34.8K

-30.06%

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

$183 RON 870

$379 €338

-51.88%

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

$7.40 RON 35.28

$19.31 €17.22

-61.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.66 RON 41.28

$48.41 €43.17

-82.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.73 RON 213

$40.31 €35.94

10.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.73 RON 75.0

$35.51 €31.66

-55.70%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.86

$15.53 €13.85

-47.52%

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

$412 RON 1,962

$144 €128

186.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,959 RON 33.2K

$15.8K €14.0K

-55.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.9 RON 352

$94.6 €84.4

-21.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.35 RON 188

$46.33 €41.31

-15.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 RON 453

$103 €92.1

-7.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.0 RON 438

$141 €126

-34.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$539 RON 2,567

$1,488 €1,327

-63.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$427 RON 2,036

$1,098 €979

-61.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$874 RON 4,163

$2,665 €2,376

-67.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 RON 3,185

$2,080 €1,855

-67.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,932 RON 14.0K

$8,578 €7,648

-65.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 RON 9,103

$5,438 €4,849

-64.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,117 RON 5,324

$3,487 €3,109

-67.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.18

3.8

88.95%

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

Last update for Iasi: October 4, 2026

Last update for Berlin: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iasi

$427 34.1%

Berlin

$1.1K 43.3% 157% $671

Groceries & Markets

Iasi

$215 17.2%

Berlin

$351 13.8% 63.1% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iasi

$199 15.9%

Berlin

$447 17.6% 125% $248

Eating Out

Iasi

$180 14.3%

Berlin

$289 11.4% 60.7% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Iasi

$135 10.8%

Berlin

$174 6.8% 28.4% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Iasi

$61 4.9%

Berlin

$71 2.8% 16.9% $10

Getting Around

Iasi

$36 2.9%

Berlin

$109 4.3% 200% $73

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $539 in Iasi versus $1,488 in Berlin. 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 212% higher in Berlin, 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 $42.00 in Iasi versus $80.0 in Berlin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $351 – making Iasi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Iasi

🇩🇪 Berlin

🕒 Local time

04:53 4:53 AM

03:53 3:53 AM

1 h behind Iasi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

290,422

3,769,962 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.77 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Iasi Berlin 1,180 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Iasi
Berlin

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 Berlin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 103%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,876 per month in Iasi and $3,818 in Berlin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iasi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,251 in Iasi and $2,545 in Berlin. That's a gap of about 103%.

Public transport costs about 155% less in Iasi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Iasi, where all-in costs run around $1,251, than in Berlin at $2,545. In Iasi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Iasi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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