Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iasi and Bistrita

For one person, living is cheaper in Bistrita: $849 a month against $1,256 in Iasi, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Iasi
Learn more

Iasi Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Bistrita
Learn more

Bistrita Living Index

Jump to prices

Iasi

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,256

/mo nomad

Bistrita

🇷🇴 Romania

$849

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Iasi and in Bistrita

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

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Iasi vs $849 in Bistrita, rent included.

Iasi $1,256
Bistrita $849

A couple spends around $1,841 per month in Iasi vs $1,284 in Bistrita, rent included.

Iasi $1,841
Bistrita $1,284

A family of three spends $2,425 per month in Iasi vs $1,720 in Bistrita, rent included.

Iasi $2,425
Bistrita $1,720

Iasi costs about 48% more than Bistrita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Iasi and Bistrita are more affordable than the global median – Iasi 8% lower, Bistrita 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.50 RON 50.2

$6.29 RON 30.05

66.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.22 RON 202

$31.15 RON 149

35.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.18 RON 34.29

$6.30 RON 30.09

13.97%

Cappuccino

$2.95 RON 14.11

$2.22 RON 10.61

32.88%

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

$2.28 RON 10.89

$1.63 RON 7.79

39.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 RON 8.49

$1.35 RON 6.47

31.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 RON 15.28

$2.06 RON 9.83

55.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 RON 18.34

$3.17 RON 15.13

21.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 RON 7.40

$1.23 RON 5.86

26.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 RON 6.27

$1.05 RON 5.03

24.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 RON 9.44

$1.04 RON 4.97

89.42%

Eggs

$3.25 RON 15.55

$2.57 RON 12.30

26.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.23 RON 39.35

$6.21 RON 29.69

32.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.59 RON 31.48

$5.99 RON 28.64

10.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.07 RON 48.10

$11.03 RON 52.7

-8.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.31 RON 6.25

$0.87 RON 4.17

50.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.73

$1.44 RON 6.90

12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 RON 8.01

$1.55 RON 7.41

8.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 RON 10.14

$2.02 RON 9.66

4.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 RON 4.09

$0.76 RON 3.63

13.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 RON 3.94

$0.64 RON 3.07

28.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 RON 5.26

$1.03 RON 4.92

6.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RON 4.49

$0.63 RON 2.99

49.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.11 RON 29.21

$5.37 RON 25.64

13.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.64 RON 31.74

$5.38 RON 25.73

23.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 RON 6.39

$0.91 RON 4.34

47.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 RON 10.11

$1.07 RON 5.12

98.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 RON 4.07

$0.44 RON 2.09

93.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.49 RON 131

$21.03 RON 101

30.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 RON 3.83

$0.69 RON 3.32

15.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 RON 4.15

$0.74 RON 3.55

17.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 RON 38.88

$7.35 RON 35.13

10.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 RON 9.19

$1.54 RON 7.35

24.68%

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

$28.6K RON 136.6K

$27.3K RON 130.6K

4.62%

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

$25.8K RON 123.5K

$24.1K RON 115.2K

7.22%

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

$181 RON 866

$175 RON 835

3.62%

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

$7.28 RON 34.81

$5.75 RON 27.46

26.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.20 RON 39.18

$6.00 RON 28.67

36.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.94 RON 210

$39.70 RON 190

10.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.95 RON 76.2

$30.80 RON 147

-48.21%

Cinema Ticket

$8.58 RON 41.01

$6.19 RON 29.59

38.61%

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

$385 RON 1,842

$305 RON 1,457

26.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,965 RON 33.3K

$8,850 RON 42.3K

-21.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.6 RON 352

$37.24 RON 178

97.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.25 RON 183

$26.70 RON 128

43.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 RON 440

$63.0 RON 301

46.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.0 RON 425

$74.2 RON 354

20.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 RON 2,592

$217 RON 1,037

150.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$435 RON 2,078

$187 RON 894

132.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 RON 3,997

$393 RON 1,876

113.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 RON 3,082

$309 RON 1,478

108.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,797 RON 13.4K

$1,477 RON 7,060

89.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,907 RON 9,114

$1,155 RON 5,517

65.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,130 RON 5,398

$985 RON 4,709

14.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.18

6.73

6.69%

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

Last update for Iasi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bistrita: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iasi

$435 34.6%

Bistrita

$187 22% 57% $248

Groceries & Markets

Iasi

$215 17.1%

Bistrita

$181 21.3% 15.8% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iasi

$197 15.7%

Bistrita

$187 22% 5.1% $10

Eating Out

Iasi

$181 14.4%

Bistrita

$124 14.7% 31.2% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Iasi

$132 10.5%

Bistrita

$91 10.7% 31.3% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Iasi

$61 4.9%

Bistrita

$52 6.1% 14.7% $9

Getting Around

Iasi

$36 2.9%

Bistrita

$27 3.2% 24.6% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $542 in Iasi versus $217 in Bistrita. 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 15% 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 $31 in Bistrita. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $181 – making Bistrita the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Iasi

🇷🇴 Bistrita

🕒 Local time

15:12 3:12 PM

Same time as Iasi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

290,422

75,076

💱 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

Iasi Bistrita 230 km

From you

Iasi
Bistrita

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 Bistrita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iasi costs about 48% more than Bistrita, 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 $1,884 per month in Iasi and $1,273 in Bistrita. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bistrita, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $217 there versus $542 in Iasi.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Iasi, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42 in Iasi and $31 in Bistrita. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,256 in Iasi and $849 in Bistrita. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

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

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