Cost of Living Comparison Between Iasi and Botosani Cost of Living Comparison Between Iasi and Botosani

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,156 in Iasi versus $1,027 in Botosani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,753 in Iasi versus $1,552 in Botosani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,350 in Iasi versus $2,076 in Botosani.

Living in Iasi is roughly 13% more expensive than in Botosani, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Iasi 13% lower, Botosani 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.39 RON 47.70

$12.02 RON 55.2

-13.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 RON 237

$31.31 RON 144

64.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 RON 32.67

$7.91 RON 36.33

-9.99%

Cappuccino

$2.63 RON 12.09

$2.65 RON 12.17

-0.75%

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

$2.11 RON 9.67

$1.54 RON 7.09

37.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 RON 7.86

$1.35 RON 6.21

26.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 RON 11.35

$2.11 RON 9.69

17.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 RON 15.43

$2.54 RON 11.68

32.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 RON 6.55

$1.55 RON 7.10

-7.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 RON 5.59

$1.33 RON 6.11

-8.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 RON 8.66

$1.55 RON 7.13

21.94%

Eggs

$3.09 RON 14.16

$3.26 RON 14.95

-5.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 RON 37.29

$8.87 RON 40.73

-8.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.93 RON 31.79

$7.06 RON 32.42

-1.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.88 RON 49.95

$10.12 RON 46.48

7.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.66

$1.14 RON 5.24

7.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.14

$1.48 RON 6.79

4.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 RON 7.86

$1.41 RON 6.49

21.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.92 RON 8.80

$2.43 RON 11.16

-20.99%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.31

$1.00 RON 4.61

-6.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 RON 4.60

$1.03 RON 4.72

-2.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 RON 4.59

$0.72 RON 3.30

38.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 RON 3.94

$0.77 RON 3.55

11.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 RON 28.81

$5.59 RON 25.67

12.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.39 RON 29.32

$6.99 RON 32.09

-8.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 RON 5.04

$1.09 RON 4.98

0.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 RON 8.83

$1.73 RON 7.93

10.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 RON 3.65

$0.66 RON 3.05

19.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.96 RON 128

$28.82 RON 132

-2.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 RON 4.31

$0.66 RON 3.04

42.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 RON 3.26

$0.69 RON 3.19

2.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 RON 37.36

$6.84 RON 31.39

19.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 RON 7.71

$1.57 RON 7.20

7.01%

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

$28.5K RON 130.9K

$27.9K RON 128.2K

2.08%

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

$27.7K RON 127.2K

$27.6K RON 126.8K

0.37%

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

$157 RON 718

$166 RON 760

-5.45%

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

$8.51 RON 39.08

$7.91 RON 36.29

7.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.26 RON 47.09

$9.25 RON 42.46

10.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.27 RON 217

$33.93 RON 156

39.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.50 RON 84.9

$26.93 RON 124

-31.30%

Cinema Ticket

$8.00 RON 36.74

$5.69 RON 26.13

40.60%

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

$471 RON 2,160

$350 RON 1,605

34.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,866 RON 31.5K

$6,659 RON 30.6K

3.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 RON 280

$50.0 RON 230

21.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.56 RON 200

$34.11 RON 157

27.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 RON 398

$69.0 RON 317

25.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.5 RON 401

$74.3 RON 341

17.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$473 RON 2,172

$401 RON 1,843

17.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 RON 1,649

$290 RON 1,330

23.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 RON 3,405

$521 RON 2,393

42.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$533 RON 2,448

$422 RON 1,936

26.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,911 RON 13.4K

$1,387 RON 6,365

109.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,932 RON 8,869

$1,024 RON 4,703

88.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,182 RON 5,426

$979 RON 4,494

20.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.37

6.25

17.92%

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

Last update for Iasi: July 11, 2026

Last update for Botosani: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $473 in Iasi and $401 in Botosani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iasi pays 21% 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: $52.0 in Iasi vs $31.00 in Botosani. Groceries flip the comparison at $211 vs $213, with Iasi cheaper for home cooking.

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 Botosani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iasi and Botosani differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,156 vs $1,027 including rent). Botosani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 21% higher in Iasi, 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: $473 in Iasi versus $401 in Botosani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $471 in Iasi versus $350 in Botosani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Iasi pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,027 in Botosani versus $1,156 in Iasi, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Botosani but tight or insufficient in Iasi. The gap between the two cities makes Botosani the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Iasi and Botosani 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 Botosani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Iasi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.