Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iasi and Zărnești

For one person, living is cheaper in Zărnești: $889 a month against $1,242 in Iasi, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Zărnești
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Zărnești Living Index

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Iasi

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,242

/mo nomad

Zărnești

🇷🇴 Romania

$889

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Iasi and in Zărnești

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

A single person spends $1,242 per month in Iasi vs $889 in Zărnești, rent included.

Iasi $1,242
Zărnești $889

A couple spends around $1,848 per month in Iasi vs $1,383 in Zărnești, rent included.

Iasi $1,848
Zărnești $1,383

A family of three spends $2,453 per month in Iasi vs $1,877 in Zărnești, rent included.

Iasi $2,453
Zărnești $1,877

Iasi costs about 40% more than Zărnești, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Iasi and Zărnești are more affordable than the global median – Iasi 8% lower, Zărnești 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.33 RON 48.87

$9.00 RON 42.60

14.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.64 RON 197

$42.40 RON 201

-1.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.99 RON 33.07

$8.36 RON 39.57

-16.39%

Cappuccino

$2.94 RON 13.90

$2.18 RON 10.34

34.86%

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

$2.18 RON 10.31

$1.46 RON 6.90

49.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 RON 8.45

$1.20 RON 5.66

49.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.08 RON 14.59

$1.90 RON 9.00

62.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 RON 18.18

$2.28 RON 10.79

68.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 RON 7.40

$1.27 RON 6.02

22.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 RON 6.59

$1.07 RON 5.06

29.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 RON 9.38

$1.44 RON 6.81

37.50%

Eggs

$3.29 RON 15.59

$2.79 RON 13.20

17.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.20 RON 38.81

$7.89 RON 37.33

3.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.38 RON 30.17

$4.74 RON 22.42

34.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.72 RON 46.01

$10.40 RON 49.21

-6.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 RON 6.57

$0.93 RON 4.41

49.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 RON 7.99

$1.33 RON 6.30

27.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 RON 7.98

$1.27 RON 6.02

33.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 RON 9.73

$1.28 RON 6.06

60.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.72

$0.78 RON 3.67

1.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 RON 4.25

$0.52 RON 2.45

73.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 RON 5.47

$0.80 RON 3.80

45.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RON 4.46

$0.77 RON 3.63

22.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.38 RON 30.18

$5.15 RON 24.37

23.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.64 RON 31.40

$7.42 RON 35.09

-10.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 RON 6.23

$1.07 RON 5.08

23.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 RON 9.75

$1.29 RON 6.12

59.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.07

$0.70 RON 3.32

22.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.33 RON 129

$21.32 RON 101

28.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 RON 4.15

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 RON 3.92

$0.86 RON 4.05

-3.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.54 RON 40.38

$7.45 RON 35.26

14.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 RON 8.72

$1.51 RON 7.16

21.85%

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

$28.5K RON 134.7K

$28.5K RON 134.9K

-0.12%

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

$26.3K RON 124.6K

$26.0K RON 122.9K

1.42%

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

$183 RON 864

$99.0 RON 468

84.62%

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

$7.45 RON 35.25

$9.28 RON 43.89

-19.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.65 RON 40.94

$8.00 RON 37.86

8.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 RON 210

$37.82 RON 179

17.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.90 RON 75.2

$19.41 RON 91.9

-18.08%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 RON 40.07

$6.24 RON 29.55

35.74%

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

$420 RON 1,987

$429 RON 2,031

-2.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,095 RON 33.6K

$7,733 RON 36.6K

-8.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.7 RON 339

$44.43 RON 210

61.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.30 RON 181

$27.26 RON 129

40.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 RON 436

$68.9 RON 326

33.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.2 RON 427

$76.8 RON 363

17.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$544 RON 2,576

$434 RON 2,054

25.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 RON 1,999

$266 RON 1,258

58.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$886 RON 4,190

$576 RON 2,727

53.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$681 RON 3,222

$424 RON 2,008

60.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,923 RON 13.8K

$1,751 RON 8,283

66.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,900 RON 8,988

$1,329 RON 6,288

42.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,104 RON 5,222

$510 RON 2,415

116.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.18

7.47

-3.88%

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

Last update for Iasi: October 19, 2026

Last update for Zărnești: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iasi

$423 34%

Zărnești

$266 29.9% 37.1% $157

Groceries & Markets

Iasi

$215 17.3%

Zărnești

$182 20.4% 15.3% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iasi

$199 16%

Zărnești

$116 13.1% 41.5% $83

Eating Out

Iasi

$178 14.3%

Zărnești

$148 16.7% 16.7% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Iasi

$132 10.6%

Zărnești

$98 11% 25.7% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Iasi

$61 4.9%

Zărnești

$50 5.7% 17.9% $11

Getting Around

Iasi

$36 2.9%

Zărnești

$29 3.3% 18.2% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $544 in Iasi versus $434 in Zărnești. 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 116% 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 $42.00 in Zărnești. Groceries tell a different story – $215 in Iasi vs $182 in Zărnești – so Zărnești wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Iasi

🇷🇴 Zărnești

🕒 Local time

02:25 2:25 AM

Same time as Iasi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

290,422

24,926

💱 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

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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 Zărnești: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,242 in Iasi, $889 in Zărnești – roughly 40% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,863 per month in Iasi and $1,334 in Zărnești. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 28% less in Zărnești. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $420 per month in Iasi and $429 in Zărnești. 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 Zărnești, where all-in costs run around $889, than in Iasi at $1,242. In Zărnești 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 $889 in Zărnești 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 Zărnești. 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.