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Last update: Oct 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Romania
For one person, living is cheaper in India: $399 a month against $1,133 in Romania, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in India and in Romania actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $399 in India versus $1,133 in Romania.
India $399
Romania $1,133
Estimated couple costs with rent: $639 in India versus $1,691 in Romania.
India $639
Romania $1,691
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $879 in India versus $2,250 in Romania.
India $879
Romania $2,250
📏
India ($230–$813) and Romania ($742–$1,423) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.
🌍
Living in India costs about 65% less than in Romania on average.
📊
Both countries sit below the global median: India 71% lower, Romania 17% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
India
Romania
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.14₹203
$10.41RON 49.80
-79.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$10.46₹993
$41.28RON 198
-74.66%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.80₹361
$7.27RON 34.77
-47.73%
Cappuccino
$1.68₹159
$2.72RON 13.01
-38.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.38₹35.93
$2.02RON 9.65
-81.19%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.15₹14.58
$1.67RON 7.98
-91.02%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.87₹177
$2.25RON 10.76
-16.89%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18₹302
$3.21RON 15.35
-0.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
India
Romania
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.62₹59.1
$1.53RON 7.30
-59.48%
White Bread(500g)
$0.50₹47.68
$1.15RON 5.50
-56.52%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$0.63₹60.2
$1.59RON 7.59
-60.38%
Eggs
$0.96₹91.1
$3.23RON 15.47
-70.28%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$4.85₹460
$8.03RON 38.43
-39.60%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$2.84₹270
$6.39RON 30.56
-55.56%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
-
$10.22RON 48.91
-
Apples(1kg)
$2.00₹190
$1.21RON 5.81
65.29%
Banana(1kg)
$0.65₹61.3
$1.54RON 7.35
-57.79%
Oranges(1kg)
$0.97₹92.1
$1.54RON 7.39
-37.01%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.47₹44.22
$2.10RON 10.06
-77.62%
Potato(1kg)
$0.34₹31.82
$0.78RON 3.75
-56.41%
Onion(1kg)
$0.42₹39.66
$0.86RON 4.13
-51.16%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.47₹44.32
$0.84RON 4.03
-44.05%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.31₹29.62
$0.84RON 4.02
-63.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.08₹482
$6.05RON 28.94
-16.03%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.31₹694
$6.11RON 29.25
19.64%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.63₹154
$1.10RON 5.24
48.18%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76₹262
$1.57RON 7.51
75.80%
Buffalo Round(or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat)(1kg)
$5.11₹485
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
India
Romania
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.26₹24.81
$0.72RON 3.43
-63.89%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$8.58₹815
$23.15RON 111
-62.94%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.00₹94.5
$0.80RON 3.82
25.00%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.27₹25.69
$0.72RON 3.47
-62.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$1.54₹146
$7.00RON 33.50
-78.00%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.07₹102
$1.78RON 8.53
-39.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$11.2K₹1.1M
$28.7KRON 137.5K
-60.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.1K₹1.9M
$25.3KRON 121.3K
-20.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
India
Romania
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$37.08₹3,521
$160RON 763
-76.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$3.58₹340
$7.98RON 38.17
-55.14%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$7.15₹679
$8.83RON 42.27
-19.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
India
Romania
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$15.00₹1,424
$40.42RON 193
-62.89%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.17₹681
$18.47RON 88.4
-61.18%
Cinema Ticket
$3.20₹303
$7.35RON 35.17
-56.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
India
Romania
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$58.8₹5,583
$473RON 2,265
-87.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$1,667₹158.2K
$8,477RON 40.6K
-80.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
India
Romania
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$23.03₹2,187
$69.5RON 333
-66.88%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.17₹2,295
$37.71RON 180
-35.91%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$41.20₹3,911
$79.6RON 381
-48.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$29.62₹2,812
$84.3RON 403
-64.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
India
Romania
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$146₹13.9K
$503RON 2,408
-70.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$96.4₹9,149
$375RON 1,796
-74.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$343₹32.6K
$776RON 3,712
-55.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$234₹22.2K
$579RON 2,768
-59.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,177₹111.7K
$2,539RON 12.1K
-53.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$633₹60.1K
$1,819RON 8,701
-65.18%
💵 Salaries & Financials
India
Romania
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$409₹38.8K
$1,001RON 4,787
-59.14%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
8.93
6.98
27.94%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for India: October 25, 2026
Last update for Romania: October 24, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🛒Groceries & Markets
India
$102 25.6%
Romania
$203 17.9% ↑ 98.7%$101
🏠Accommodation & Living
India
$96 24.1%
Romania
$375 33.2% ↑ 290%$279
🍽Eating Out
India
$67 16.7%
Romania
$170 15% ↑ 156%$104
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
India
$53 13.3%
Romania
$122 10.8% ↑ 130%$69
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
India
$48 12%
Romania
$176 15.6% ↑ 269%$129
🎉Sport & Entertainment
India
$21 5.4%
Romania
$55 4.9% ↑ 158%$34
🚌Getting Around
India
$12 3%
Romania
$30 2.7% ↑ 154%$18
🛒Groceries & Markets
India
$220 25.1%
Romania
$476 21.2% ↑ 116%$256
🏠Accommodation & Living
India
$234 26.6%
Romania
$579 25.7% ↑ 148%$345
🍽Eating Out
India
$181 20.6%
Romania
$548 24.4% ↑ 203%$367
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
India
$118 13.4%
Romania
$271 12.1% ↑ 130%$153
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
India
$51 5.9%
Romania
$184 8.2% ↑ 259%$133
🎉Sport & Entertainment
India
$50 5.7%
Romania
$129 5.7% ↑ 158%$79
🚌Getting Around
India
$24 2.8%
Romania
$62 2.8% ↑ 155%$38
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $120 in India, $387 in Romania. Capital cities: $277 in Delhi vs $711 in Bucharest.
💰National salary averages: $412 in India, $857 in Romania. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 223% higher in Romania.
⭐Dining out costs 273% more in Romania.
⭐Public transport is 175% more expensive in Romania.
⭐Salaries are about 2.1 times higher in Romania, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.
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
India vs Romania: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between India and Romania?
At $399 per month in India and $1,133 in Romania, India comes out about 65% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in India: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $387 in Romania and $120 in India. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget in India or in Romania?
In India, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Romania it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to India or to Romania?
It depends on what you’re after: India wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.