Cost of Living Comparison Between Iasi and Medias Cost of Living Comparison Between Iasi and Medias

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,125 per month in Iasi vs $1,114 in Medias, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,700 per month in Iasi vs $1,702 in Medias, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,276 per month in Iasi vs $2,291 in Medias, rent included.

Iasi costs about 1% more than Medias, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Iasi and Medias are more affordable than the global median – Iasi 16% lower, Medias 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.23 RON 46.06

$12.09 RON 54.5

-15.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.83 RON 224

$49.92 RON 225

-0.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 RON 31.71

$7.92 RON 35.66

-11.11%

Cappuccino

$2.71 RON 12.18

$3.48 RON 15.67

-22.13%

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

$2.04 RON 9.17

$1.92 RON 8.66

6.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 RON 7.96

$2.09 RON 9.43

-15.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 RON 11.67

$3.30 RON 14.85

-21.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 RON 15.79

$3.52 RON 15.86

-0.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 RON 6.48

$1.35 RON 6.06

6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 RON 5.59

$1.33 RON 5.99

-6.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 RON 8.18

$1.83 RON 8.22

-0.55%

Eggs

$3.25 RON 14.63

$3.26 RON 14.69

-0.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 RON 36.26

$8.80 RON 39.64

-8.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.67 RON 30.02

$7.18 RON 32.32

-7.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.87 RON 48.96

$11.96 RON 53.9

-9.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 RON 5.34

$1.13 RON 5.10

5.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.02

$1.57 RON 7.07

-0.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 RON 8.05

$1.61 RON 7.27

11.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 RON 8.61

$2.48 RON 11.15

-22.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.37

$0.96 RON 4.34

1.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 RON 4.74

$1.08 RON 4.86

-2.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 RON 4.49

$0.87 RON 3.90

14.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 RON 3.69

$0.78 RON 3.53

5.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.08 RON 27.37

$5.91 RON 26.61

2.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 RON 29.64

$9.08 RON 40.91

-27.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 RON 4.87

$1.09 RON 4.90

-0.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 RON 8.94

$1.70 RON 7.67

17.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 RON 3.80

$0.66 RON 2.97

27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.69 RON 125

$19.70 RON 88.7

40.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 RON 4.21

$0.77 RON 3.49

22.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 RON 3.20

$0.80 RON 3.62

-11.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.95 RON 35.80

$7.08 RON 31.91

12.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 RON 7.60

$1.53 RON 6.89

10.46%

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

$28.0K RON 125.9K

$28.1K RON 126.7K

-0.63%

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

$27.6K RON 124.4K

$28.1K RON 126.7K

-1.85%

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

$158 RON 710

$165 RON 743

-4.37%

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

$8.50 RON 38.29

$7.92 RON 35.67

7.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.15 RON 45.70

$9.23 RON 41.57

9.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.14 RON 212

$40.78 RON 184

15.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.35 RON 82.7

$19.21 RON 86.5

-4.48%

Cinema Ticket

$8.04 RON 36.21

$7.00 RON 31.53

14.86%

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

$476 RON 2,144

$441 RON 1,984

8.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,066 RON 31.8K

$6,446 RON 29.0K

9.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 RON 275

$65.7 RON 296

-7.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.58 RON 196

$42.41 RON 191

2.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 RON 388

$97.2 RON 438

-11.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.0 RON 401

$99.9 RON 450

-10.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$470 RON 2,115

$384 RON 1,728

22.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 RON 1,578

$287 RON 1,290

22.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 RON 3,361

$581 RON 2,615

28.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$535 RON 2,409

$434 RON 1,956

23.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,064 RON 13.8K

$1,831 RON 8,244

67.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,997 RON 8,992

$1,364 RON 6,142

46.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,158 RON 5,215

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Medias: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $470 in Iasi versus $384 in Medias. 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 $50.0 in Iasi versus $50.0 in Medias. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $211 vs $224 – making Iasi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Medias: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,125 in Iasi, $1,114 in Medias – roughly 1% apart. Iasi costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,688 per month in Iasi and $1,671 in Medias. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medias, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 41% less in Medias. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Iasi and $441 in Medias. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medias, where all-in costs run around $1,114, than in Iasi at $1,125. In Medias it covers expenses comfortably, while in Iasi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Iasi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,114 in Medias to $1,125 in Iasi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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