For one person, living is cheaper in Oradea: $985 a month against $1,247 in Iasi, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most 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 Oradea and in Iasi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $985 per month in Oradea vs $1,247 in Iasi, rent included.
Oradea $985
Iasi $1,247
A couple spends around $1,447 per month in Oradea vs $1,839 in Iasi, rent included.
Oradea $1,447
Iasi $1,839
A family of three spends $1,908 per month in Oradea vs $2,431 in Iasi, rent included.
Oradea $1,908
Iasi $2,431
🙂
Oradea is about 21% cheaper than Iasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.
📊
Both Oradea and Iasi are more affordable than the global median – Oradea27% lower, Iasi8% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Oradea
Iasi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.16RON 38.63
$10.43RON 49.33
-21.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$41.66RON 197
$41.89RON 198
-0.55%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$7.26RON 34.35
$6.81RON 32.22
6.61%
Cappuccino
$2.69RON 12.72
$2.86RON 13.55
-5.94%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86RON 8.80
$2.20RON 10.42
-15.45%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77RON 8.38
$1.83RON 8.68
-3.28%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.07RON 9.78
$3.18RON 15.06
-34.91%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.16RON 14.95
$3.78RON 17.88
-16.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Oradea
Iasi
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.47RON 6.97
$1.57RON 7.44
-6.37%
White Bread(500g)
$1.06RON 5.02
$1.34RON 6.34
-20.90%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.20RON 5.70
$2.00RON 9.47
-40.00%
Eggs
$2.81RON 13.28
$3.22RON 15.22
-12.73%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$8.42RON 39.83
$8.22RON 38.87
2.43%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$6.38RON 30.20
$6.42RON 30.38
-0.62%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$9.23RON 43.68
$10.12RON 47.89
-8.79%
Apples(1kg)
$1.12RON 5.28
$1.33RON 6.27
-15.79%
Banana(1kg)
$1.48RON 6.99
$1.65RON 7.82
-10.30%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.44RON 6.81
$1.60RON 7.58
-10.00%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.41RON 6.69
$2.06RON 9.73
-31.55%
Potato(1kg)
$0.86RON 4.08
$0.80RON 3.77
7.50%
Onion(1kg)
$0.89RON 4.20
$0.84RON 3.99
5.95%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.68RON 3.23
$1.11RON 5.26
-38.74%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.79RON 3.72
$0.99RON 4.69
-20.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.68RON 26.89
$6.26RON 29.61
-9.27%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.90RON 27.92
$6.60RON 31.23
-10.61%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.02RON 4.82
$1.28RON 6.07
-20.31%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.81RON 8.56
$2.05RON 9.68
-11.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Oradea
Iasi
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.71RON 3.35
$0.81RON 3.82
-12.35%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$19.14RON 90.6
$27.14RON 128
-29.48%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.71RON 3.38
$0.82RON 3.86
-13.41%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.76RON 3.59
$0.86RON 4.09
-11.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$7.39RON 34.96
$8.31RON 39.33
-11.07%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.85RON 8.74
$1.91RON 9.05
-3.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.6KRON 135.3K
$28.7KRON 135.8K
-0.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.1KRON 118.6K
$27.7KRON 131.3K
-9.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oradea
Iasi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$137RON 646
$179RON 847
-23.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.22RON 29.42
$7.29RON 34.47
-14.68%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$7.86RON 37.19
$8.28RON 39.19
-5.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Oradea
Iasi
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$45.73RON 216
$44.12RON 209
3.65%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.03RON 75.8
$15.93RON 75.4
0.63%
Cinema Ticket
$7.40RON 35.01
$8.49RON 40.15
-12.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Oradea
Iasi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$397RON 1,879
$413RON 1,956
-3.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$9,055RON 42.8K
$7,058RON 33.4K
28.29%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Oradea
Iasi
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$60.2RON 285
$73.4RON 347
-18.06%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.50RON 177
$37.95RON 180
-1.19%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$55.2RON 261
$94.0RON 445
-41.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$63.5RON 300
$90.7RON 429
-30.00%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Oradea
Iasi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$396RON 1,872
$541RON 2,561
-26.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$309RON 1,463
$431RON 2,037
-28.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$545RON 2,578
$879RON 4,159
-38.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$389RON 1,843
$660RON 3,121
-40.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,933RON 9,148
$2,924RON 13.8K
-33.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,910RON 9,035
$1,902RON 8,999
0.40%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Oradea
Iasi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$906RON 4,288
$1,126RON 5,325
-19.47%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.1
7.18
-1.11%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Oradea: October 12, 2026
Last update for Iasi: October 11, 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.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Oradea
$309 31.4%
Iasi
$431 34.5% ↑ 39.2%$121
🛒Groceries & Markets
Oradea
$191 19.3%
Iasi
$215 17.2% ↑ 12.6%$24
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oradea
$151 15.3%
Iasi
$195 15.6% ↑ 29.1%$44
🍽Eating Out
Oradea
$151 15.3%
Iasi
$178 14.3% ↑ 18.1%$27
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Oradea
$97 9.9%
Iasi
$133 10.7% ↑ 36.9%$36
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Oradea
$61 6.1%
Iasi
$61 4.9% ↑ 0.9%$0.6
🚌Getting Around
Oradea
$26 2.7%
Iasi
$36 2.9% ↑ 34.1%$9
🏠Accommodation & Living
Oradea
$389 20.4%
Iasi
$660 27.1% ↑ 69.4%$270
🛒Groceries & Markets
Oradea
$447 23.4%
Iasi
$498 20.5% ↑ 11.6%$52
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oradea
$157 8.2%
Iasi
$202 8.3% ↑ 28.7%$45
🍽Eating Out
Oradea
$507 26.6%
Iasi
$565 23.2% ↑ 11.4%$58
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Oradea
$216 11.3%
Iasi
$296 12.2% ↑ 36.9%$80
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Oradea
$137 7.2%
Iasi
$138 5.7% ↑ 0.7%$1
🚌Getting Around
Oradea
$54 2.9%
Iasi
$73 3% ↑ 33.6%$18
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $396 in Oradea versus $541 in Iasi. 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 24% 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 Oradea versus $42.00 in Iasi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $191 vs $215 – making Oradea the more affordable choice for daily food spending.
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
Oradea vs Iasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Oradea and in Iasi compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $985 in Oradea, $1,247 in Iasi – roughly 27% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Oradea compared to Iasi?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,478 per month in Oradea and $1,871 in Iasi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Oradea and Iasi?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Oradea, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Oradea and in Iasi?
Public transport costs about 42% less in Oradea. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Oradea and Iasi?
Kindergarten costs $397 per month in Oradea and $413 in Iasi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Oradea, where all-in costs run around $985, than in Iasi at $1,247. In Oradea it covers expenses comfortably, while in Iasi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Oradea and Iasi?
It depends on your priorities. Iasi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $985 in Oradea to $1,247 in Iasi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Oradea or Iasi safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Oradea and Iasi?
If budget matters most, go with Oradea. 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.