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: $1,796 in Italy versus $1,044 in Romania.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,739 in Italy versus $1,604 in Romania.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,682 in Italy versus $2,164 in Romania.

Living in Italy is roughly 72% more expensive than in Romania on average.

Italy (30% above) and Romania (24% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,152 to $2,626, compared to $767–$1,488 in Romania. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.24 €18.31

$10.90 RON 49.37

94.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 €69.7

$43.67 RON 198

85.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 €9.84

$7.82 RON 35.43

45.91%

Cappuccino

$2.08 €1.79

$2.94 RON 13.31

-29.25%

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

$3.05 €2.63

$2.00 RON 9.04

52.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.79 RON 8.12

-22.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.79 €4.99

$2.51 RON 11.35

130.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 €4.96

$3.38 RON 15.29

70.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.58 RON 7.15

7.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.08

$1.30 RON 5.87

85.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 €2.59

$1.61 RON 7.27

86.96%

Eggs

$4.32 €3.72

$3.50 RON 15.83

23.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.93 €15.45

$8.61 RON 38.99

108.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.67 €10.92

$6.71 RON 30.40

88.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.57 €17.73

$10.92 RON 49.43

88.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.26

$1.21 RON 5.48

116.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.65 RON 7.46

30.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 €2.41

$1.61 RON 7.31

73.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 €2.87

$2.23 RON 10.11

48.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$0.88 RON 3.97

138.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 €1.63

$0.87 RON 3.92

117.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.94 RON 4.26

64.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.48

$0.91 RON 4.13

-38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.16 €6.17

$6.36 RON 28.83

12.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.35 €6.33

$6.56 RON 29.70

12.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.15 RON 5.19

56.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.07

$1.72 RON 7.78

40.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.78 RON 3.56

147.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.24 €39.00

$24.22 RON 110

86.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 €4.95

$0.81 RON 3.69

608.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 €1.47

$0.80 RON 3.61

112.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.25 €30.38

$7.44 RON 33.67

373.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.76

$1.80 RON 8.15

13.33%

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

$37.5K €32.3K

$29.4K RON 133.0K

27.73%

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

$37.1K €31.9K

$26.3K RON 119.0K

41.07%

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

$231 €199

$168 RON 762

37.26%

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

$12.34 €10.64

$8.35 RON 37.83

47.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.17 €26.87

$9.30 RON 42.13

235.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 €47.62

$43.25 RON 196

27.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.91 €21.47

$19.54 RON 88.5

27.48%

Cinema Ticket

$11.13 €9.59

$7.89 RON 35.72

41.06%

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

$568 €490

$509 RON 2,307

11.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €10.8K

$8,958 RON 40.6K

39.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.0 €80.1

$72.4 RON 328

28.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 €34.32

$39.86 RON 181

-0.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.8

$84.0 RON 380

24.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €116

$89.4 RON 405

50.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 €734

$502 RON 2,273

69.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 €556

$370 RON 1,675

74.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 €1,249

$831 RON 3,763

74.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 €935

$604 RON 2,736

79.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,813 €3,287

$2,634 RON 11.9K

44.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,357 €2,032

$1,906 RON 8,632

23.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,933 €1,666

$1,010 RON 4,573

91.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.57

-49.00%

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

Last update for Italy: September 5, 2026

Last update for Romania: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $755 in Italy, $390 in Romania. Capital cities: $1,247 in Rome vs $702 in Bucharest.

National salary averages: $1,964 in Italy, $900 in Romania. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 94% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 73% more in Italy.

Public transport is 95% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 118% higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.

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 $1,889 per month in Italy and $1,128 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.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Romania: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 stretches only to regional areas and 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.