Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iasi and Carei

For one person, living is cheaper in Carei: $979 a month against $1,256 in Iasi, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Iasi
Learn more

Iasi Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Carei
Learn more

Carei Living Index

Jump to prices

Iasi

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,256

/mo nomad

Carei

🇷🇴 Romania

$979

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Iasi and in Carei

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

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Iasi vs $979 in Carei, rent included.

Iasi $1,256
Carei $979

A couple spends around $1,841 per month in Iasi vs $1,490 in Carei, rent included.

Iasi $1,841
Carei $1,490

A family of three spends $2,425 per month in Iasi vs $2,001 in Carei, rent included.

Iasi $2,425
Carei $2,001

Iasi costs about 28% more than Carei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Iasi and Carei are more affordable than the global median – Iasi 8% lower, Carei 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.50 RON 50.4

$8.79 RON 42.15

19.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.22 RON 202

$41.52 RON 199

1.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.18 RON 34.41

$7.23 RON 34.67

-0.69%

Cappuccino

$2.95 RON 14.16

$2.34 RON 11.24

26.07%

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

$2.28 RON 10.93

$1.83 RON 8.79

24.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 RON 8.52

$1.53 RON 7.36

16.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 RON 15.34

$2.17 RON 10.40

47.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 RON 18.40

$2.60 RON 12.47

47.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 RON 7.43

$1.44 RON 6.93

7.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 RON 6.30

$1.10 RON 5.27

19.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 RON 9.47

$1.44 RON 6.90

36.81%

Eggs

$3.25 RON 15.60

$2.88 RON 13.80

12.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.23 RON 39.49

$8.00 RON 38.39

2.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.59 RON 31.59

$5.94 RON 28.50

10.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.07 RON 48.27

$10.02 RON 48.05

0.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.31 RON 6.27

$1.14 RON 5.46

14.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.76

$1.46 RON 7.01

10.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 RON 8.03

$1.44 RON 6.93

16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 RON 10.18

$1.90 RON 9.12

11.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 RON 4.11

$0.79 RON 3.80

8.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 RON 3.95

$0.79 RON 3.78

3.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 RON 5.28

$0.87 RON 4.17

26.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RON 4.50

$0.77 RON 3.69

22.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.11 RON 29.32

$5.77 RON 27.65

5.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.64 RON 31.85

$6.08 RON 29.15

9.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 RON 6.41

$1.06 RON 5.10

26.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 RON 10.15

$1.52 RON 7.29

39.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 RON 4.09

$0.77 RON 3.68

10.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.49 RON 132

$21.46 RON 103

28.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 RON 3.85

$0.73 RON 3.49

9.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 RON 4.17

$0.76 RON 3.63

14.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 RON 39.01

$7.15 RON 34.28

13.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 RON 9.22

$1.80 RON 8.66

6.67%

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

$28.6K RON 137.1K

$28.3K RON 135.6K

1.14%

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

$25.8K RON 123.9K

$25.2K RON 120.8K

2.57%

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

$181 RON 869

$136 RON 650

33.55%

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

$7.28 RON 34.93

$7.77 RON 37.25

-6.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.20 RON 39.32

$7.99 RON 38.32

2.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.94 RON 211

$38.09 RON 183

15.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.95 RON 76.5

$20.41 RON 97.9

-21.85%

Cinema Ticket

$8.58 RON 41.15

$6.91 RON 33.14

24.17%

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

$385 RON 1,849

$435 RON 2,085

-11.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,965 RON 33.4K

$6,871 RON 32.9K

1.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.6 RON 353

$58.7 RON 281

25.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.25 RON 183

$33.58 RON 161

13.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 RON 441

$75.8 RON 363

21.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.0 RON 427

$83.3 RON 400

6.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 RON 2,601

$383 RON 1,837

41.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$435 RON 2,085

$291 RON 1,394

49.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 RON 4,011

$602 RON 2,889

38.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 RON 3,093

$448 RON 2,147

44.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,797 RON 13.4K

$1,832 RON 8,784

52.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,907 RON 9,147

$1,366 RON 6,548

39.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,130 RON 5,417

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.18

6.97

3.01%

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

Last update for Iasi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Carei: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iasi

$435 34.6%

Carei

$291 29.7% 33.2% $144

Groceries & Markets

Iasi

$215 17.1%

Carei

$193 19.8% 10% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iasi

$197 15.7%

Carei

$151 15.5% 23% $45

Eating Out

Iasi

$181 14.4%

Carei

$150 15.3% 17.3% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Iasi

$132 10.5%

Carei

$113 11.6% 14.2% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Iasi

$61 4.9%

Carei

$52 5.3% 15% $9.2

Getting Around

Iasi

$36 2.9%

Carei

$29 3% 19.4% $7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $542 in Iasi versus $383 in Carei. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42 in Iasi versus $42 in Carei. Groceries tell a different story – $215 in Iasi vs $193 in Carei – so Carei wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Iasi

🇷🇴 Carei

🕒 Local time

09:11 9:11 AM

Same time as Iasi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

290,422

25,911

💱 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 Carei 390 km

From you

Iasi
Carei

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 Carei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iasi costs about 28% more than Carei, 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 $1,469 in Carei. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Carei, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $383 there versus $542 in Iasi.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,256 in Iasi and $979 in Carei. That makes Carei about 22% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $385 per month in Iasi and $435 in Carei. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,256 in Iasi and $979 in Carei. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Iasi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $979 in Carei to $1,256 in Iasi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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