Cost of Living Comparison Between Roman and Bucharest Cost of Living Comparison Between Roman and Bucharest

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Roman versus $1,355 in Bucharest.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,492 in Roman versus $2,137 in Bucharest.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,987 in Roman versus $2,918 in Bucharest.

Living in Roman costs roughly 26% less than in Bucharest, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Roman is 26% below, Bucharest is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 RON 52.1

$13.58 RON 58.9

-11.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.97 RON 121

$69.5 RON 301

-59.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 RON 34.52

$8.03 RON 34.84

-1.00%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 14.92

$3.42 RON 14.86

0.58%

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

$1.17 RON 5.06

$2.33 RON 10.13

-49.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 RON 8.74

$2.32 RON 10.09

-13.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 RON 14.13

$3.51 RON 15.21

-7.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 RON 10.06

$3.82 RON 16.60

-39.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 RON 6.62

$1.71 RON 7.41

-10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 RON 3.89

$1.41 RON 6.13

-36.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 RON 7.15

$1.83 RON 7.95

-9.84%

Eggs

$3.12 RON 13.56

$3.52 RON 15.29

-11.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 RON 38.71

$9.42 RON 40.90

-5.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.13 RON 30.96

$7.09 RON 30.77

0.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.58 RON 50.3

$12.28 RON 53.3

-5.70%

Apples (1kg)

$0.95 RON 4.13

$1.34 RON 5.82

-29.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 RON 6.63

$1.72 RON 7.47

-11.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 RON 6.62

$1.77 RON 7.67

-14.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 RON 9.71

$2.39 RON 10.37

-6.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 RON 3.41

$1.04 RON 4.52

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 RON 4.38

$0.98 RON 4.25

3.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 3.80

$0.93 RON 4.04

-6.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 RON 3.41

$0.96 RON 4.18

-17.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.01 RON 26.07

$6.28 RON 27.26

-4.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.72 RON 29.18

$7.24 RON 31.42

-7.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 RON 4.91

$1.24 RON 5.37

-8.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 RON 7.18

$2.02 RON 8.76

-18.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 RON 3.13

$1.18 RON 5.11

-38.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.10 RON 87.3

$19.62 RON 85.2

2.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.67 RON 2.89

$0.66 RON 2.88

1.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 RON 2.78

$0.60 RON 2.62

6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.77 RON 29.38

$7.08 RON 30.74

-4.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 RON 6.91

$1.67 RON 7.23

-4.79%

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

$27.9K RON 121.1K

$28.4K RON 123.3K

-1.79%

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

$27.5K RON 119.4K

$30.5K RON 132.2K

-9.63%

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

$92.9 RON 403

$182 RON 791

-49.03%

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

$3.48 RON 15.11

$8.93 RON 38.74

-61.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.62 RON 24.41

$11.15 RON 48.37

-49.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.77 RON 181

$54.3 RON 235

-23.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 RON 83.6

$28.96 RON 126

-33.49%

Cinema Ticket

$10.76 RON 46.69

$9.19 RON 39.89

17.08%

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

$317 RON 1,377

$662 RON 2,873

-52.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,640 RON 28.8K

$14.4K RON 62.7K

-54.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.5 RON 289

$79.5 RON 345

-16.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.07 RON 74.1

$45.22 RON 196

-62.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 RON 413

$91.1 RON 395

4.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.00 RON 152

$110 RON 477

-68.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 RON 1,696

$661 RON 2,869

-40.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 RON 1,266

$429 RON 1,863

-32.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 RON 2,525

$1,352 RON 5,869

-56.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$442 RON 1,917

$851 RON 3,691

-48.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,691 RON 7,339

$4,026 RON 17.5K

-57.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,271 RON 5,515

$2,284 RON 9,911

-44.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$882 RON 3,828

$1,522 RON 6,605

-42.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.7

7.1

8.45%

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

Last update for Roman: April 21, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $391 in Roman and $661 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 73% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $28 in Roman vs $69 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $211 vs $234 per month, with Roman cheaper across the board.

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 Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roman and Bucharest differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($996 vs $1,355 including rent). Roman is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Bucharest earns 73% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $391 in Roman versus $661 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $996 per month in Roman versus $1,355 in Bucharest – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Roman runs roughly 2% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $996 in Roman versus $1,355 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Roman but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Roman the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Roman gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.