Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iasi and Satu Mare

For one person, living is cheaper in Satu Mare: $930 a month against $1,242 in Iasi, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Iasi
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Iasi Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Satu Mare
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Satu Mare Living Index

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Iasi

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,242

/mo nomad

Satu Mare

🇷🇴 Romania

$930

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Iasi and in Satu Mare

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

A single person spends $1,242 per month in Iasi vs $930 in Satu Mare, rent included.

Iasi $1,242
Satu Mare $930

A couple spends around $1,848 per month in Iasi vs $1,406 in Satu Mare, rent included.

Iasi $1,848
Satu Mare $1,406

A family of three spends $2,453 per month in Iasi vs $1,883 in Satu Mare, rent included.

Iasi $2,453
Satu Mare $1,883

Iasi costs about 34% more than Satu Mare, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Iasi and Satu Mare are more affordable than the global median – Iasi 8% lower, Satu Mare 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.33 RON 48.87

$8.20 RON 38.81

25.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.64 RON 197

$32.51 RON 154

28.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.99 RON 33.07

$6.48 RON 30.67

7.87%

Cappuccino

$2.94 RON 13.90

$2.50 RON 11.81

17.60%

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

$2.18 RON 10.31

$1.49 RON 7.04

46.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 RON 8.45

$1.28 RON 6.07

39.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.08 RON 14.59

$1.87 RON 8.87

64.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 RON 18.18

$2.44 RON 11.55

57.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 RON 7.40

$1.13 RON 5.33

38.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 RON 6.59

$1.06 RON 5.04

31.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 RON 9.38

$1.13 RON 5.36

75.22%

Eggs

$3.29 RON 15.59

$2.69 RON 12.71

22.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.20 RON 38.81

$7.35 RON 34.79

11.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.38 RON 30.17

$7.53 RON 35.63

-15.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.72 RON 46.01

$10.83 RON 51.2

-10.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 RON 6.57

$1.10 RON 5.19

26.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 RON 7.99

$1.30 RON 6.15

30.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 RON 7.98

$1.28 RON 6.04

32.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 RON 9.73

$1.43 RON 6.75

44.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.72

$1.19 RON 5.61

-33.61%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 RON 4.25

$1.37 RON 6.48

-34.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 RON 5.47

$0.88 RON 4.14

31.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RON 4.46

$0.71 RON 3.34

32.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.38 RON 30.18

$5.57 RON 26.38

14.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.64 RON 31.40

$6.19 RON 29.29

7.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 RON 6.23

$1.23 RON 5.80

7.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 RON 9.75

$1.70 RON 8.06

21.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.07

$0.54 RON 2.56

59.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.33 RON 129

$23.41 RON 111

16.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 RON 4.15

$0.80 RON 3.79

10.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 RON 3.92

$0.85 RON 4.03

-2.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.54 RON 40.38

$8.10 RON 38.34

5.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 RON 8.72

$1.58 RON 7.47

16.46%

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

$28.5K RON 134.7K

$22.8K RON 107.9K

24.92%

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

$26.3K RON 124.6K

$25.3K RON 119.5K

4.30%

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

$183 RON 864

$126 RON 597

44.83%

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

$7.45 RON 35.25

$7.14 RON 33.79

4.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.65 RON 40.94

$7.25 RON 34.30

19.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 RON 210

$41.55 RON 197

6.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.90 RON 75.2

$10.68 RON 50.5

48.88%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 RON 40.07

$6.19 RON 29.29

36.83%

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

$420 RON 1,987

$155 RON 733

171.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,095 RON 33.6K

$3,829 RON 18.1K

85.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.7 RON 339

$59.6 RON 282

20.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.30 RON 181

$28.51 RON 135

34.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 RON 436

$85.6 RON 405

7.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.2 RON 427

$69.2 RON 328

30.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$544 RON 2,576

$322 RON 1,524

69.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 RON 1,999

$260 RON 1,229

62.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$886 RON 4,190

$647 RON 3,060

36.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$681 RON 3,222

$410 RON 1,938

66.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,923 RON 13.8K

$1,007 RON 4,765

190.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,900 RON 8,988

$1,056 RON 4,995

79.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,104 RON 5,222

$650 RON 3,075

69.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.18

7.05

1.84%

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

Last update for Iasi: October 19, 2026

Last update for Satu Mare: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iasi

$423 34%

Satu Mare

$260 27.9% 38.6% $163

Groceries & Markets

Iasi

$215 17.3%

Satu Mare

$195 21% 9% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iasi

$199 16%

Satu Mare

$141 15.1% 29.3% $58

Eating Out

Iasi

$178 14.3%

Satu Mare

$140 15.1% 21.1% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Iasi

$132 10.6%

Satu Mare

$109 11.8% 16.9% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Iasi

$61 4.9%

Satu Mare

$54 5.8% 12% $7.3

Getting Around

Iasi

$36 2.9%

Satu Mare

$31 3.3% 14.4% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $544 in Iasi versus $322 in Satu Mare. 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 70% higher in Iasi, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Iasi versus $33.00 in Satu Mare. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $195 – making Satu Mare the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Iasi

🇷🇴 Satu Mare

🕒 Local time

02:27 2:27 AM

Same time as Iasi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

290,422

102,411

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Iasi Satu Mare 360 km

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Iasi
Satu Mare

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 Satu Mare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,242 in Iasi, $930 in Satu Mare – roughly 34% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,863 per month in Iasi and $1,394 in Satu Mare. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

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

Kindergarten costs $420 per month in Iasi and $155 in Satu Mare. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Satu Mare, where all-in costs run around $930, than in Iasi at $1,242. In Satu Mare 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 $930 in Satu Mare to $1,242 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 Satu Mare. 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.