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: $1,287 in Iasi versus $1,403 in Brasov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,944 in Iasi versus $2,267 in Brasov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,601 in Iasi versus $3,132 in Brasov.

Living in Iasi costs roughly 8% less than in Brasov, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Iasi is 7% below, Brasov is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.18 RON 50.6

$12.40 RON 56.2

-9.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.31 RON 201

$54.9 RON 249

-19.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.84 RON 35.52

$7.69 RON 34.83

1.95%

Cappuccino

$2.97 RON 13.45

$3.88 RON 17.59

-23.45%

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

$2.21 RON 10.02

$2.50 RON 11.32

-11.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 RON 8.66

$2.25 RON 10.21

-15.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 RON 15.30

$3.41 RON 15.46

-0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 RON 17.65

$3.60 RON 16.28

8.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.55

$1.60 RON 7.25

4.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 RON 6.26

$1.47 RON 6.65

-6.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 RON 9.29

$1.87 RON 8.48

9.63%

Eggs

$3.52 RON 15.94

$3.62 RON 16.38

-2.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.36 RON 37.88

$9.25 RON 41.91

-9.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.64 RON 30.08

$7.15 RON 32.37

-7.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.43 RON 47.22

$13.19 RON 59.7

-20.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.45 RON 6.58

$1.61 RON 7.29

-9.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 RON 7.72

$1.64 RON 7.44

4.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.06

$1.68 RON 7.63

5.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 RON 10.25

$2.73 RON 12.37

-17.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 RON 4.00

$0.82 RON 3.71

7.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 RON 4.07

$0.96 RON 4.35

-6.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 RON 5.51

$0.95 RON 4.29

28.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 RON 4.58

$0.85 RON 3.84

18.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 RON 30.90

$6.34 RON 28.73

7.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.51 RON 29.47

$7.52 RON 34.06

-13.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 RON 6.33

$1.31 RON 5.93

6.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RON 10.05

$1.97 RON 8.93

12.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 RON 3.84

$1.09 RON 4.96

-22.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.56 RON 129

$24.53 RON 111

16.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 RON 4.20

$0.71 RON 3.21

30.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 RON 4.14

$0.72 RON 3.28

27.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 RON 39.44

$6.83 RON 30.95

27.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 RON 8.35

$1.91 RON 8.67

-3.66%

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

$30.0K RON 135.7K

$29.7K RON 134.5K

0.86%

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

$28.6K RON 129.6K

$27.9K RON 126.3K

2.60%

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

$191 RON 865

$185 RON 838

3.19%

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

$7.82 RON 35.41

$8.33 RON 37.73

-6.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.07 RON 41.07

$9.78 RON 44.30

-7.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.91 RON 212

$61.6 RON 279

-23.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.58 RON 75.1

$14.53 RON 65.8

14.11%

Cinema Ticket

$8.78 RON 39.77

$9.93 RON 44.98

-11.58%

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

$414 RON 1,874

$466 RON 2,110

-11.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,254 RON 32.8K

$7,297 RON 33.0K

-0.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.3 RON 337

$55.7 RON 252

33.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.27 RON 182

$37.78 RON 171

6.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.5 RON 428

$79.9 RON 362

18.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.1 RON 435

$93.9 RON 425

2.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$558 RON 2,525

$711 RON 3,219

-21.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,031

$490 RON 2,220

-8.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 RON 4,222

$1,343 RON 6,084

-30.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$692 RON 3,135

$1,081 RON 4,896

-35.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,998 RON 13.6K

$3,192 RON 14.5K

-6.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,996 RON 9,041

$2,504 RON 11.3K

-20.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 RON 5,450

$1,130 RON 5,119

6.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.18

7.2

-0.28%

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

Last update for Iasi: September 5, 2026

Last update for Brasov: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $558 in Iasi and $711 in Brasov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iasi pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44.00 in Iasi vs $55.0 in Brasov for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $224 vs $238 per month, with Iasi 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 Brasov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iasi and Brasov differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $1,403 including rent). Iasi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 6% 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: $558 in Iasi versus $711 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 $44.00 versus $55.0 in Brasov. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Iasi versus $1,403 in Brasov – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,287 in Iasi versus $1,403 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 9% less than in Brasov. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.