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: $1,156 in Iasi versus $1,254 in Brasov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,753 in Iasi versus $1,956 in Brasov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,350 in Iasi versus $2,657 in Brasov.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Iasi 13% lower, Brasov 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.39 RON 47.70

$12.42 RON 57.0

-16.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 RON 237

$50.8 RON 233

1.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 RON 32.67

$8.07 RON 37.06

-11.77%

Cappuccino

$2.63 RON 12.09

$3.58 RON 16.42

-26.54%

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

$2.11 RON 9.67

$1.90 RON 8.74

11.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 RON 7.86

$2.01 RON 9.25

-14.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 RON 11.35

$3.25 RON 14.92

-24.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 RON 15.43

$3.42 RON 15.68

-1.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 RON 6.55

$1.54 RON 7.07

-7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 RON 5.59

$1.29 RON 5.93

-5.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 RON 8.66

$1.81 RON 8.32

4.42%

Eggs

$3.09 RON 14.16

$3.36 RON 15.43

-8.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 RON 37.29

$8.83 RON 40.51

-8.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.93 RON 31.79

$7.03 RON 32.27

-1.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.88 RON 49.95

$11.75 RON 54.0

-7.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.66

$1.14 RON 5.26

7.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.14

$1.66 RON 7.61

-6.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 RON 7.86

$1.55 RON 7.12

10.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.92 RON 8.80

$2.49 RON 11.41

-22.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.31

$0.94 RON 4.34

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 RON 4.60

$1.06 RON 4.89

-5.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 RON 4.59

$0.88 RON 4.02

13.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 RON 3.94

$0.79 RON 3.64

8.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 RON 28.81

$5.85 RON 26.85

7.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.39 RON 29.32

$7.84 RON 35.98

-18.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 RON 5.04

$1.11 RON 5.09

-0.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 RON 8.83

$1.71 RON 7.86

12.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 RON 3.65

$0.91 RON 4.16

-13.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.96 RON 128

$18.69 RON 85.8

49.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 RON 4.31

$0.77 RON 3.53

22.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 RON 3.26

$0.60 RON 2.76

18.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 RON 37.36

$6.78 RON 31.13

20.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 RON 7.71

$1.61 RON 7.37

4.35%

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

$28.5K RON 130.9K

$28.1K RON 129.0K

1.49%

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

$27.7K RON 127.2K

$27.5K RON 126.3K

0.73%

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

$157 RON 718

$165 RON 758

-5.23%

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

$8.51 RON 39.08

$8.19 RON 37.58

3.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.26 RON 47.09

$8.83 RON 40.53

16.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.27 RON 217

$60.0 RON 276

-21.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.50 RON 84.9

$15.81 RON 72.6

17.01%

Cinema Ticket

$8.00 RON 36.74

$10.79 RON 49.54

-25.86%

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

$471 RON 2,160

$447 RON 2,053

5.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,866 RON 31.5K

$6,652 RON 30.5K

3.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 RON 280

$68.0 RON 312

-10.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.56 RON 200

$42.68 RON 196

2.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 RON 398

$95.6 RON 439

-9.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.5 RON 401

$98.3 RON 451

-11.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$473 RON 2,172

$626 RON 2,873

-24.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 RON 1,649

$428 RON 1,964

-16.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 RON 3,405

$1,029 RON 4,725

-27.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$533 RON 2,448

$699 RON 3,208

-23.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,911 RON 13.4K

$3,177 RON 14.6K

-8.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,932 RON 8,869

$2,402 RON 11.0K

-19.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,182 RON 5,426

$1,127 RON 5,176

4.83%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Brasov: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $473 in Iasi and $626 in Brasov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iasi pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Iasi vs $51.0 in Brasov. Groceries flip the comparison at $211 vs $223, 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 8% in total monthly costs ($1,156 vs $1,254 including rent). Iasi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 5% 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 $626 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 $52.0 versus $51.0 in Brasov. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,156 per month in Iasi versus $1,254 in Brasov – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,156 in Iasi versus $1,254 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 8% less than in Brasov. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.