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: $972 in Roman versus $1,361 in Bucharest.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,490 in Roman versus $2,177 in Bucharest.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,008 in Roman versus $2,994 in Bucharest.

Living in Roman costs roughly 29% less than in Bucharest, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Roman is 27% below, Bucharest is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 RON 56.4

$13.58 RON 62.3

-9.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.10 RON 124

$69.3 RON 318

-60.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.03 RON 36.86

$8.20 RON 37.63

-2.07%

Cappuccino

$3.39 RON 15.57

$3.27 RON 15.01

3.67%

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

$1.13 RON 5.17

$2.31 RON 10.59

-51.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 RON 9.16

$2.33 RON 10.69

-14.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 RON 14.94

$3.36 RON 15.42

-2.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 RON 10.78

$3.84 RON 17.63

-38.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 RON 7.02

$1.78 RON 8.15

-14.04%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 RON 4.39

$1.36 RON 6.26

-29.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 RON 7.57

$1.93 RON 8.87

-14.51%

Eggs

$3.02 RON 13.85

$3.62 RON 16.62

-16.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.91 RON 40.89

$9.49 RON 43.52

-6.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.12 RON 32.65

$6.86 RON 31.46

3.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 RON 52.0

$12.27 RON 56.3

-7.66%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 RON 4.40

$1.39 RON 6.39

-30.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 RON 6.72

$1.70 RON 7.81

-13.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 RON 7.00

$1.76 RON 8.05

-13.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 RON 10.25

$2.52 RON 11.54

-11.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 RON 3.89

$1.04 RON 4.77

-18.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 RON 4.90

$1.01 RON 4.64

5.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 RON 4.02

$1.00 RON 4.57

-12.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 RON 3.88

$0.95 RON 4.38

-10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 RON 26.80

$6.32 RON 28.97

-7.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.37 RON 29.21

$6.35 RON 29.15

0.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 RON 5.23

$1.28 RON 5.86

-10.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 RON 7.53

$2.00 RON 9.17

-18.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.25

$1.12 RON 5.12

-36.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.00 RON 91.8

$19.43 RON 89.1

2.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 RON 3.12

$0.66 RON 3.03

3.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.81

$0.60 RON 2.77

1.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.83 RON 31.34

$6.81 RON 31.22

0.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 RON 7.55

$1.72 RON 7.90

-4.65%

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

$27.5K RON 126.1K

$29.0K RON 133.3K

-5.38%

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

$27.3K RON 125.3K

$29.9K RON 137.2K

-8.70%

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

$93.1 RON 427

$179 RON 819

-47.89%

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

$3.50 RON 16.08

$8.77 RON 40.22

-60.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.70 RON 26.13

$11.15 RON 51.1

-48.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.82 RON 192

$54.8 RON 251

-23.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.16 RON 87.9

$29.28 RON 134

-34.56%

Cinema Ticket

$10.91 RON 50.1

$9.41 RON 43.19

15.94%

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

$321 RON 1,472

$668 RON 3,063

-51.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,502 RON 29.8K

$14.4K RON 66.1K

-54.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.8 RON 302

$80.6 RON 370

-18.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.44 RON 80.0

$44.84 RON 206

-61.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.6 RON 448

$89.4 RON 410

9.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.28 RON 157

$109 RON 501

-68.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 RON 1,804

$657 RON 3,016

-40.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 RON 1,341

$432 RON 1,984

-32.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$594 RON 2,725

$1,334 RON 6,121

-55.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$439 RON 2,016

$857 RON 3,932

-48.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,727 RON 7,921

$3,890 RON 17.8K

-55.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 RON 6,453

$2,171 RON 9,958

-35.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$843 RON 3,867

$1,436 RON 6,587

-41.29%

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: July 19, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $393 in Roman and $657 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 70% 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: $27.00 in Roman vs $69.0 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 40% in total monthly costs ($972 vs $1,361 including rent). Roman is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 70% lower in Bucharest. 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: $393 in Roman versus $657 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $972 per month in Roman versus $1,361 in Bucharest – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Roman runs roughly 3% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $972 in Roman versus $1,361 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 40% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.