Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Romania Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Romania

Name: Romania
Address: RO

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,717 in Italy versus $1,037 in Romania.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,624 in Italy versus $1,584 in Romania.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,530 in Italy versus $2,130 in Romania.

Living in Italy is roughly 66% more expensive than Romania on average.

Italy (28% above) and Romania (23% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,170 to $2,508, compared to $800–$1,387 in Romania. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.44 €15.00

$11.40 RON 51.5

52.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 €68.4

$46.01 RON 208

72.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 €10.11

$8.24 RON 37.24

42.72%

Cappuccino

$2.00 €1.72

$2.87 RON 12.98

-30.31%

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

$3.00 €2.58

$2.04 RON 9.21

47.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.88 RON 8.48

-28.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 €5.11

$2.77 RON 12.53

114.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 €4.61

$3.39 RON 15.34

58.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.61 RON 7.30

1.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.07

$1.23 RON 5.54

95.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.58

$1.78 RON 8.04

67.98%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.41

$3.38 RON 15.28

17.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.84 €14.49

$8.94 RON 40.42

88.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.43 €10.69

$6.87 RON 31.06

80.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.29 €17.46

$10.94 RON 49.44

85.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.21 RON 5.48

104.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.66 RON 7.50

29.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$1.59 RON 7.20

66.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.92

$2.28 RON 10.30

49.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.98 RON 4.45

95.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.97 RON 4.41

86.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.99 RON 4.47

56.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.46

$0.87 RON 3.92

-37.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.84

$6.09 RON 27.53

11.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 €6.18

$6.66 RON 30.12

7.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.12 RON 5.05

60.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.08

$1.79 RON 8.10

35.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.85 RON 3.84

135.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.35 €36.43

$22.77 RON 103

85.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 €5.11

$0.95 RON 4.30

525.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.76 RON 3.43

98.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.04 €29.28

$7.82 RON 35.36

335.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.67 RON 7.54

22.75%

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

$32.8K €28.2K

$27.9K RON 126.0K

17.83%

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

$33.7K €29.0K

$27.4K RON 123.9K

22.92%

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

$225 €194

$165 RON 746

36.50%

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

$13.25 €11.40

$8.41 RON 38.00

57.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.95 €26.62

$10.03 RON 45.36

208.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 €47.95

$44.18 RON 200

26.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.15 €21.63

$20.75 RON 93.8

21.20%

Cinema Ticket

$10.25 €8.82

$7.94 RON 35.88

29.09%

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

$576 €495

$491 RON 2,218

17.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €8,998

$10.2K RON 46.0K

2.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.8 €79.0

$70.0 RON 317

31.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.72 €35.03

$40.99 RON 185

-0.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 €84.3

$82.5 RON 373

18.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €112

$92.0 RON 416

42.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 €740

$498 RON 2,253

72.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 €573

$356 RON 1,610

87.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 €1,269

$842 RON 3,808

75.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 €935

$592 RON 2,676

83.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,850 €3,312

$2,661 RON 12.0K

44.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,359 €2,029

$1,945 RON 8,790

21.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,933 €1,663

$1,049 RON 4,742

84.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.41

6.84

-35.53%

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

Last update for Italy: May 31, 2026

Last update for Romania: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $743 in Italy, $391 in Romania. Capital cities: $1,325 in Rome vs $662 in Bucharest.

National salary averages: $1,949 in Italy, $897 in Romania. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 90% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 68% more in Italy.

Public transport is 110% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 117% higher in Italy, giving Italy stronger purchasing power.

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

Italy vs Romania: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,839 per month in Italy and $1,094 in Romania, there's a 68% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Romania is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Italy beats Romania across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Romania, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Italy, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Romania wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.