Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iasi and Mangalia

For one person, living is cheaper in Mangalia: $1,107 a month against $1,263 in Iasi, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Iasi
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Iasi Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Mangalia
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Mangalia Living Index

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Iasi

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,263

/mo nomad

Mangalia

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Iasi and in Mangalia

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

A single person spends $1,263 per month in Iasi vs $1,107 in Mangalia, rent included.

Iasi $1,263
Mangalia $1,107

A couple spends around $1,842 per month in Iasi vs $1,678 in Mangalia, rent included.

Iasi $1,842
Mangalia $1,678

A family of three spends $2,420 per month in Iasi vs $2,250 in Mangalia, rent included.

Iasi $2,420
Mangalia $2,250

Iasi costs about 14% more than Mangalia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Iasi and Mangalia are more affordable than the global median – Iasi 7% lower, Mangalia 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.47 RON 49.78

$11.44 RON 54.4

-8.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 RON 200

$46.28 RON 220

-9.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.95 RON 33.05

$7.78 RON 37.03

-10.67%

Cappuccino

$2.85 RON 13.55

$2.90 RON 13.78

-1.72%

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

$2.15 RON 10.24

$2.04 RON 9.72

5.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 RON 8.67

$2.10 RON 9.99

-13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 RON 15.21

$2.48 RON 11.81

29.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 RON 17.53

$3.40 RON 16.16

8.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 RON 7.31

$1.61 RON 7.64

-4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.51

$1.13 RON 5.36

21.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 RON 9.63

$1.55 RON 7.36

30.32%

Eggs

$3.32 RON 15.79

$3.08 RON 14.64

7.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.45 RON 40.19

$7.85 RON 37.33

7.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 RON 31.61

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.72 RON 46.22

$9.63 RON 45.80

0.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.37 RON 6.53

$1.29 RON 6.14

6.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 RON 7.86

$1.66 RON 7.91

-0.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 RON 7.67

$1.38 RON 6.55

16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 RON 10.08

$2.02 RON 9.62

4.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.78

$0.74 RON 3.50

6.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 RON 4.27

$0.76 RON 3.61

18.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 RON 5.23

$0.67 RON 3.19

64.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 RON 4.55

$0.77 RON 3.66

24.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.24 RON 29.67

$6.22 RON 29.61

0.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.93 RON 32.95

$6.74 RON 32.07

2.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 RON 6.21

$0.97 RON 4.61

35.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 RON 9.72

$1.43 RON 6.82

42.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 RON 3.81

$0.82 RON 3.89

-2.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.14 RON 129

$22.40 RON 107

21.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 RON 3.83

$0.90 RON 4.26

-10.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 RON 3.85

$0.87 RON 4.14

-6.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 RON 39.01

$8.92 RON 42.42

-8.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 RON 8.87

$1.86 RON 8.85

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

$28.2K RON 133.9K

$28.6K RON 136.0K

-1.50%

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

$26.0K RON 123.8K

$25.2K RON 119.7K

3.51%

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

$181 RON 859

$164 RON 779

10.34%

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

$7.23 RON 34.38

$5.92 RON 28.17

22.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.61 RON 40.96

$8.48 RON 40.32

1.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.50 RON 207

$37.18 RON 177

17.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.04 RON 76.3

$19.75 RON 94.0

-18.78%

Cinema Ticket

$8.57 RON 40.78

$8.60 RON 40.90

-0.35%

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

$399 RON 1,900

$377 RON 1,792

6.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,646 RON 36.4K

$5,802 RON 27.6K

31.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.6 RON 350

$72.1 RON 343

2.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.27 RON 187

$42.48 RON 202

-7.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.7 RON 446

$91.2 RON 434

2.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 RON 425

$95.3 RON 453

-6.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$544 RON 2,585

$377 RON 1,793

44.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$444 RON 2,110

$322 RON 1,533

37.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 RON 3,879

$683 RON 3,247

19.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 RON 3,060

$499 RON 2,372

29.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,831 RON 13.5K

$1,715 RON 8,158

65.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,851 RON 8,805

$1,472 RON 7,000

25.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,142 RON 5,431

$721 RON 3,432

58.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.18

7.85

-8.54%

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

Last update for Iasi: November 1, 2026

Last update for Mangalia: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iasi

$444 35.1%

Mangalia

$322 29.1% 27.3% $121

Groceries & Markets

Iasi

$217 17.1%

Mangalia

$200 18.1% 7.4% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iasi

$196 15.6%

Mangalia

$178 16.1% 9.4% $18

Eating Out

Iasi

$178 14.1%

Mangalia

$185 16.8% 4.2% $7.4

Clothing & Footwear

Iasi

$133 10.5%

Mangalia

$135 12.2% 1.8% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Iasi

$61 4.8%

Mangalia

$54 4.9% 10.3% $6.3

Getting Around

Iasi

$35 2.8%

Mangalia

$31 2.8% 12.2% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $544 in Iasi versus $377 in Mangalia. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 58% higher in Iasi. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42 in Iasi versus $46 in Mangalia. Groceries tell a different story – $217 in Iasi vs $200 in Mangalia – so Mangalia wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Iasi

🇷🇴 Mangalia

🕒 Local time

23:20 11:20 PM

Same time as Iasi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

290,422

36,364

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Iasi Mangalia 380 km

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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 Mangalia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,263 in Iasi, $1,107 in Mangalia – Mangalia comes out roughly 12% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,895 per month in Iasi and $1,660 in Mangalia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mangalia, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $377 there versus $544 in Iasi.

Public transport costs about 17% less in Mangalia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $399 per month in Iasi and $377 in Mangalia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,263 in Iasi and $1,107 in Mangalia, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Mangalia – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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

If budget matters most, go with Mangalia. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Iasi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.