Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Roman and Berlin

For one person, living is cheaper in Roman: $840 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Roman
🇷🇴 Romania
$840
/mo nomad
Berlin
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,551
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Roman and in Berlin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Roman and in Berlin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $840 per month in Roman vs $2,551 in Berlin, rent included.

  • Roman $840
  • Berlin $2,551

A couple spends around $1,393 per month in Roman vs $3,845 in Berlin, rent included.

  • Roman $1,393
  • Berlin $3,845

A family of three spends $1,946 per month in Roman vs $5,139 in Berlin, rent included.

  • Roman $1,946
  • Berlin $5,139

Roman is about 67% cheaper than Berlin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Roman sits 38% below the global median, while Berlin is 89% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Roman
Berlin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.42 RON 49.30
$16.65 €14.81
-37.42%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$33.99 RON 161
$76.7 €68.2
-55.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.31 RON 34.59
$13.47 €11.98
-45.73%
Cappuccino
$2.43 RON 11.49
$4.37 €3.89
-44.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 RON 6.54
$3.48 €3.09
-60.34%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.06 RON 5.03
$3.12 €2.77
-66.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.05 RON 9.69
$5.34 €4.75
-61.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 RON 10.29
$4.39 €3.91
-50.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Roman
Berlin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.19 RON 5.61
$1.27 €1.13
-6.30%
White Bread (500g)
$0.66 RON 3.10
$2.33 €2.08
-71.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.43 RON 6.75
$3.40 €3.02
-57.94%
Eggs
$2.89 RON 13.65
$4.50 €4.00
-35.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.55 RON 35.72
$16.78 €14.93
-55.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.72 RON 27.05
$11.91 €10.59
-51.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.63 RON 40.85
$17.90 €15.92
-51.79%
Apples (1kg)
$1.07 RON 5.05
$3.46 €3.07
-69.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.51 RON 7.15
$1.95 €1.73
-22.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.42 RON 6.71
$3.26 €2.90
-56.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.75 RON 8.30
$3.71 €3.30
-52.83%
Potato (1kg)
$0.72 RON 3.39
$2.10 €1.87
-65.71%
Onion (1kg)
$0.88 RON 4.16
$2.09 €1.86
-57.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.88 RON 4.17
$1.42 €1.27
-38.03%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 RON 3.41
$0.95 €0.84
-24.21%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.62 RON 26.58
$10.44 €9.29
-46.17%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.34 RON 25.25
$6.58 €5.85
-18.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 RON 4.59
$1.27 €1.13
-23.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.19 RON 5.61
$2.08 €1.85
-42.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Roman
Berlin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.76 RON 3.62
$4.34 €3.86
-82.49%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.67 RON 103
$71.6 €63.7
-69.73%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.66 RON 3.13
$5.26 €4.68
-87.45%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 RON 3.04
$3.09 €2.75
-79.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.04 RON 33.30
$36.34 €32.32
-80.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.74 RON 8.22
$2.31 €2.05
-24.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.1K RON 133.1K
$32.4K €28.8K
-13.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.1K RON 118.6K
$38.6K €34.3K
-35.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Roman
Berlin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$146 RON 691
$382 €340
-61.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.96 RON 32.93
$18.83 €16.75
-63.04%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$7.80 RON 36.88
$48.57 €43.20
-83.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Roman
Berlin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.11 RON 176
$40.21 €35.76
-7.71%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.05 RON 94.9
$34.90 €31.04
-42.55%
Cinema Ticket
$6.42 RON 30.40
$15.73 €14.00
-59.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Roman
Berlin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$295 RON 1,397
$142 €126
108.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,901 RON 23.2K
$15.8K €14.0K
-68.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Roman
Berlin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$96.3 RON 456
$95.4 €84.8
1.01%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.51 RON 121
$46.32 €41.20
-44.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$61.4 RON 290
$104 €92.4
-40.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$58.0 RON 274
$143 €128
-59.56%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Roman
Berlin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$213 RON 1,008
$1,469 €1,306
-85.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$157 RON 745
$1,114 €991
-85.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$605 RON 2,863
$2,751 €2,447
-78.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$454 RON 2,146
$2,107 €1,875
-78.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,862 RON 8,812
$8,454 €7,520
-77.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,356 RON 6,413
$5,435 €4,834
-75.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Roman
Berlin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$820 RON 3,880
$3,543 €3,151
-76.86%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
3.8
89.47%

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

Last update for Roman: October 13, 2026

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Roman
$176
Berlin
$343 95.3% $167
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Roman
$161
Berlin
$449 179% $288
Eating Out
Roman
$159
Berlin
$288 81.3% $129
Accommodation & Living
Roman
$157
Berlin
$1.1K 608% $957
Clothing & Footwear
Roman
$109
Berlin
$175 61.3% $67
Sport & Entertainment
Roman
$50
Berlin
$72 43.5% $22
Getting Around
Roman
$29
Berlin
$110 283% $81

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $213 in Roman versus $1,469 in Berlin. 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 332% higher in Berlin, 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 $34.00 in Roman versus $77.0 in Berlin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $176 vs $343 – making Roman the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇷🇴 Roman
🇩🇪 Berlin
🕒 Local time
10:35 10:35 AM
09:35 9:35 AM
1 h behind Roman
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
80,328
3,769,962 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Roman Berlin 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Roman
  • Berlin

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
Roman vs Berlin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Berlin cheaper than Roman?
Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 204%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,259 per month in Roman and $3,826 in Berlin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Roman, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Roman and in Berlin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $840 in Roman and $2,551 in Berlin. That's a gap of about 204%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 230% less in Roman. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Roman or in Berlin?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Roman, where all-in costs run around $840, than in Berlin at $2,551. In Roman it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Roman or Berlin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Roman – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Roman or Berlin?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Roman. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Berlin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Roman vs other spots: cost of living compared

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