Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Romania and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Romania: $1,116 a month against $2,539 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Romania
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Romania Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index

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🇷🇴 Romania

$1,116

/mo nomad

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,539

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Romania and in Australia

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

A single person spends $1,116 per month in Romania vs $2,539 in Australia, rent included.

Romania $1,116
Australia $2,539

A couple spends around $1,692 per month in Romania vs $3,716 in Australia, rent included.

Romania $1,692
Australia $3,716

A family of three spends $2,268 per month in Romania vs $4,892 in Australia, rent included.

Romania $2,268
Australia $4,892

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,635–$3,245) than in Romania ($743–$1,413), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Romania is roughly 56% lower than in Australia on average.

Romania sits 18% below the global median, while Australia is 87% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.52 RON 49.76

$17.35 A$24.97

-39.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.49 RON 201

$84.5 A$122

-49.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 RON 35.16

$10.98 A$15.79

-32.33%

Cappuccino

$2.74 RON 12.96

$3.84 A$5.53

-28.65%

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

$1.93 RON 9.11

$2.89 A$4.16

-33.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 RON 8.20

$2.29 A$3.29

-24.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 RON 10.92

$7.79 A$11.21

-70.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 RON 15.09

$8.42 A$12.12

-62.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 RON 7.22

$1.75 A$2.52

-13.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 RON 5.74

$2.78 A$4.00

-56.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.69

$2.31 A$3.33

-29.87%

Eggs

$3.18 RON 15.04

$4.89 A$7.04

-34.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.52 RON 40.30

$9.95 A$14.32

-14.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.57 RON 31.10

$9.06 A$13.03

-27.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.18 RON 48.18

$14.92 A$21.46

-31.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.22 RON 5.76

$3.65 A$5.25

-66.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 RON 7.16

$3.03 A$4.36

-50.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.32

$3.24 A$4.66

-52.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 RON 10.56

$4.69 A$6.76

-52.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 RON 3.71

$2.85 A$4.11

-72.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 RON 4.05

$2.32 A$3.34

-62.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 RON 4.24

$2.43 A$3.50

-62.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$1.66 A$2.39

-52.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.97 RON 28.24

$38.47 A$55.4

-84.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.21 RON 29.36

$13.84 A$19.92

-55.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 RON 5.22

$4.87 A$7.01

-77.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 RON 7.50

$5.28 A$7.59

-70.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 RON 3.44

$2.71 A$3.90

-73.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.25 RON 110

$94.0 A$135

-75.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 RON 3.62

$3.57 A$5.14

-78.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 RON 3.42

$1.63 A$2.35

-55.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.97 RON 32.97

$40.04 A$57.6

-82.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 RON 8.46

$1.33 A$1.91

34.59%

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

$28.7K RON 135.6K

$29.1K A$41.9K

-1.63%

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

$25.3K RON 119.9K

$25.7K A$37.0K

-1.46%

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

$158 RON 747

$205 A$296

-23.09%

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

$8.07 RON 38.19

$28.24 A$40.63

-71.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.03 RON 42.72

$57.0 A$82.0

-84.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.80 RON 193

$55.4 A$79.7

-26.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.79 RON 88.9

$19.46 A$28.01

-3.44%

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 RON 35.74

$15.06 A$21.66

-49.87%

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

$475 RON 2,246

$2,097 A$3,017

-77.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,756 RON 41.4K

$18.0K A$26.0K

-51.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 RON 325

$78.0 A$112

-11.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.35 RON 177

$55.3 A$79.6

-32.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 RON 376

$112 A$161

-29.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 RON 409

$122 A$175

-29.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 RON 2,251

$1,559 A$2,244

-69.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 RON 1,676

$1,215 A$1,748

-70.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$800 RON 3,785

$2,435 A$3,504

-67.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$579 RON 2,738

$1,924 A$2,769

-69.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,519 RON 11.9K

$8,175 A$11.8K

-69.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,830 RON 8,659

$6,060 A$8,721

-69.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$965 RON 4,564

$4,038 A$5,811

-76.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.98

5.94

17.51%

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

Last update for Romania: October 19, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Romania

$354 31.7%

Australia

$1.2K 47.8% 243% $860

Groceries & Markets

Romania

$206 18.5%

Australia

$372 14.7% 80.4% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Romania

$175 15.7%

Australia

$291 11.4% 66% $116

Eating Out

Romania

$172 15.4%

Australia

$294 11.6% 71.3% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Romania

$122 11%

Australia

$165 6.5% 35% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Romania

$56 5%

Australia

$85 3.4% 52.9% $30

Getting Around

Romania

$31 2.7%

Australia

$117 4.6% 282% $86

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $370 in Romania vs $1,364 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $695 in Bucharest and $1,719 in Canberra.

Average salary: $857 in Romania vs $3,853 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 269% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 100% more in Australia.

Public transport is 275% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 350% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Romania

🇦🇺 Australia

🕒 Local time

16:19 4:19 PM

00:19 12:19 AM

8 h ahead of Romania

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,053,815

26,473,055

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

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).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Romania Australia 15,150 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Romania
Australia

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

Romania vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Romania is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 127% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,364 versus $370 in Romania.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Romania, adding to the overall 127% price gap.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Romania, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Romania is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.