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: $1,718 in Italy versus $1,036 in Romania.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,621 in Italy versus $1,581 in Romania.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,524 in Italy versus $2,125 in Romania.

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

Italy (29% above) and Romania (22% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,176 to $2,467, compared to $801–$1,410 in Romania. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.36

$11.43 RON 52.2

53.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.5 €72.0

$46.67 RON 213

76.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 €10.24

$8.29 RON 37.83

41.38%

Cappuccino

$1.92 €1.68

$2.95 RON 13.44

-34.92%

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

$2.99 €2.61

$2.04 RON 9.30

46.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.19

$1.86 RON 8.50

-26.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 €5.03

$2.79 RON 12.75

106.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 €4.56

$3.53 RON 16.14

47.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.48

$1.54 RON 7.02

9.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.04

$1.22 RON 5.58

90.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 €2.67

$1.74 RON 7.92

75.29%

Eggs

$3.99 €3.49

$3.24 RON 14.80

23.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.68 €14.57

$9.11 RON 41.61

83.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.57 €10.98

$6.90 RON 31.49

82.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.53 €17.94

$11.24 RON 51.3

82.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.23

$1.17 RON 5.36

118.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.93

$1.60 RON 7.30

37.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.34

$1.65 RON 7.51

62.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €2.95

$2.20 RON 10.04

53.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.78

$0.91 RON 4.17

124.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.01 RON 4.62

86.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.29

$0.90 RON 4.12

63.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.47

$0.88 RON 4.02

-38.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.00 €6.11

$6.19 RON 28.27

13.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.09 €6.19

$6.39 RON 29.16

10.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.11 RON 5.07

62.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.19

$1.75 RON 7.98

43.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.78 RON 3.57

151.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.58 €36.33

$22.82 RON 104

82.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.80 €5.07

$0.91 RON 4.15

537.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.39

$0.75 RON 3.41

113.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.07 €30.64

$7.96 RON 36.35

340.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.63 RON 7.45

30.67%

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

$32.6K €28.5K

$28.4K RON 129.6K

14.73%

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

$33.8K €29.5K

$27.4K RON 124.9K

23.48%

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

$225 €197

$165 RON 755

36.04%

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

$13.14 €11.48

$8.16 RON 37.26

61.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.19 €27.25

$9.67 RON 44.13

222.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.94

$44.62 RON 204

28.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.85 €22.58

$21.14 RON 96.5

22.28%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 €9.03

$8.15 RON 37.18

26.87%

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

$564 €493

$497 RON 2,268

13.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K €9,035

$10.2K RON 46.5K

1.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €80.3

$69.9 RON 319

31.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 €35.42

$41.79 RON 191

-2.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 €85.8

$83.8 RON 383

17.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €115

$92.7 RON 423

42.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$855 €747

$492 RON 2,247

73.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 €580

$356 RON 1,624

86.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 €1,330

$837 RON 3,819

81.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 €951

$604 RON 2,758

80.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,747 €3,274

$2,543 RON 11.6K

47.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,299 €2,009

$1,873 RON 8,549

22.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,897 €1,657

$1,017 RON 4,641

86.56%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Romania: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $742 in Italy, $392 in Romania. Capital cities: $1,328 in Rome vs $662 in Bucharest.

National salary averages: $1,912 in Italy, $879 in Romania. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 89% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 68% more in Italy.

Public transport is 110% 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 $1,822 per month in Italy and $1,106 in Romania, there's a 65% 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.