Cost of Living Comparison Between Iasi and Brasov Cost of Living Comparison Between Iasi and Brasov

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,137 in Iasi versus $1,265 in Brasov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,720 in Iasi versus $1,970 in Brasov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,303 in Iasi versus $2,675 in Brasov.

Living in Iasi costs roughly 10% less than in Brasov, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Iasi 15% lower, Brasov 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.52 RON 47.54

$12.18 RON 55.1

-13.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.4 RON 232

$49.75 RON 225

3.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.73 RON 30.43

$8.19 RON 37.02

-17.83%

Cappuccino

$2.68 RON 12.12

$3.47 RON 15.69

-22.77%

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

$2.08 RON 9.38

$1.95 RON 8.81

6.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 RON 7.87

$2.10 RON 9.48

-17.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.46 RON 11.11

$3.25 RON 14.67

-24.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 RON 15.45

$3.50 RON 15.80

-2.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 RON 6.33

$1.49 RON 6.72

-6.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 RON 5.51

$1.33 RON 6.02

-8.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 RON 8.44

$1.75 RON 7.89

6.86%

Eggs

$3.21 RON 14.49

$3.39 RON 15.32

-5.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.95 RON 35.94

$8.49 RON 38.38

-6.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.70 RON 30.28

$6.96 RON 31.46

-3.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 RON 49.66

$11.91 RON 53.8

-7.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 RON 5.60

$1.19 RON 5.39

4.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.32

$1.64 RON 7.39

-1.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 RON 7.83

$1.60 RON 7.24

8.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 RON 8.89

$2.53 RON 11.43

-22.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 RON 4.47

$0.95 RON 4.30

4.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 RON 4.73

$1.07 RON 4.82

-1.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 RON 4.68

$0.88 RON 3.99

18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 RON 3.89

$0.85 RON 3.83

1.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.37 RON 28.81

$5.82 RON 26.30

9.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.61 RON 29.88

$9.03 RON 40.82

-26.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 RON 4.95

$1.14 RON 5.14

-4.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 RON 8.95

$1.66 RON 7.50

19.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 RON 3.83

$0.91 RON 4.11

-6.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.13 RON 123

$19.00 RON 85.9

42.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 RON 4.03

$0.77 RON 3.47

15.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 RON 3.16

$0.60 RON 2.73

16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 RON 35.44

$6.88 RON 31.10

13.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 RON 7.51

$1.59 RON 7.20

4.40%

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

$28.5K RON 129.0K

$27.7K RON 125.4K

2.88%

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

$27.3K RON 123.6K

$27.4K RON 123.9K

-0.26%

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

$156 RON 707

$167 RON 754

-6.33%

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

$8.47 RON 38.31

$7.88 RON 35.63

7.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.21 RON 46.17

$9.28 RON 41.94

10.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.10 RON 213

$59.8 RON 270

-21.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.25 RON 82.5

$15.86 RON 71.7

15.07%

Cinema Ticket

$8.17 RON 36.95

$10.84 RON 48.99

-24.63%

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

$463 RON 2,093

$441 RON 1,995

4.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,028 RON 31.8K

$6,608 RON 29.9K

6.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 RON 282

$65.8 RON 297

-5.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.79 RON 193

$42.49 RON 192

0.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 RON 390

$95.8 RON 433

-9.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 RON 393

$97.2 RON 440

-10.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 RON 2,144

$621 RON 2,808

-23.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 RON 1,634

$419 RON 1,892

-13.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 RON 3,391

$1,051 RON 4,751

-28.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 RON 2,488

$701 RON 3,171

-21.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,076 RON 13.9K

$3,190 RON 14.4K

-3.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,997 RON 9,025

$2,490 RON 11.3K

-19.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,191 RON 5,383

$1,082 RON 4,892

10.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.37

7.7

-4.29%

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

Last update for Iasi: May 31, 2026

Last update for Brasov: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $474 in Iasi and $621 in Brasov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iasi pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $51.0 in Iasi vs $50.0 in Brasov. Groceries flip the comparison at $212 vs $225, 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 Brasov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iasi and Brasov differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,137 vs $1,265 including rent). Iasi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Iasi pays 10% 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: $474 in Iasi versus $621 in Brasov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Iasi – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $50.0 in Brasov. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,137 per month in Iasi versus $1,265 in Brasov – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,137 in Iasi versus $1,265 in Brasov, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Iasi but tight or insufficient in Brasov. The gap between the two cities makes Iasi 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 Brasov 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 Iasi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Brasov. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.