Cost of Living Comparison Between Romania and Australia Cost of Living Comparison Between Romania and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,033 per month in Romania vs $2,181 in Australia, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,582 per month in Romania vs $3,218 in Australia, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,131 per month in Romania vs $4,254 in Australia, rent included.

The cost of living in Romania is roughly 53% lower than in Australia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Romania sits 22% below the global median, while Australia is 64% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,595–$2,799) than in Romania ($806–$1,361), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 RON 53.3

$15.97 A$22.93

-26.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.89 RON 210

$79.0 A$113

-41.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.03 RON 36.67

$9.68 A$13.91

-17.05%

Cappuccino

$2.88 RON 13.17

$3.58 A$5.15

-19.55%

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

$2.03 RON 9.27

$2.56 A$3.68

-20.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 RON 8.22

$2.22 A$3.19

-18.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.83 RON 12.92

$6.34 A$9.10

-55.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 RON 15.96

$6.95 A$9.98

-49.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 RON 7.33

$1.56 A$2.25

3.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 RON 5.79

$2.53 A$3.63

-49.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 RON 8.21

$2.00 A$2.87

-10.00%

Eggs

$3.39 RON 15.47

$4.26 A$6.12

-20.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.66 RON 39.53

$8.75 A$12.57

-1.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.73 RON 30.73

$8.23 A$11.83

-18.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.20 RON 51.1

$14.15 A$20.33

-20.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.22 RON 5.55

$3.26 A$4.69

-62.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 RON 7.70

$2.81 A$4.04

-39.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 RON 7.22

$3.00 A$4.31

-47.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 RON 10.25

$4.31 A$6.19

-48.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 RON 4.48

$2.55 A$3.67

-61.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 RON 4.45

$2.16 A$3.10

-54.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 RON 4.18

$2.22 A$3.19

-58.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 RON 3.66

$1.53 A$2.20

-47.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.23 RON 28.46

$31.28 A$44.93

-80.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.63 RON 30.28

$14.09 A$20.24

-52.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.33

$4.44 A$6.38

-73.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 RON 8.22

$4.90 A$7.05

-63.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 RON 3.88

$2.95 A$4.24

-71.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.29 RON 106

$95.9 A$138

-75.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 RON 4.03

$3.49 A$5.01

-74.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 RON 3.21

$1.84 A$2.64

-61.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 RON 35.50

$37.26 A$53.5

-79.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 RON 7.34

$1.17 A$1.68

37.61%

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

$28.3K RON 129.2K

$28.7K A$41.3K

-1.51%

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

$27.5K RON 125.5K

$22.5K A$32.3K

22.36%

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

$162 RON 741

$173 A$249

-6.34%

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

$8.31 RON 37.94

$26.62 A$38.23

-68.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.53 RON 43.52

$53.1 A$76.2

-82.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.91 RON 201

$46.82 A$67.3

-6.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.01 RON 96.0

$16.38 A$23.53

28.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.93 RON 36.23

$13.56 A$19.48

-41.52%

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

$494 RON 2,254

$1,571 A$2,256

-68.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K RON 45.9K

$12.6K A$18.1K

-20.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.0 RON 315

$72.1 A$104

-4.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.48 RON 189

$51.6 A$74.1

-19.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 RON 378

$101 A$145

-18.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.5 RON 432

$108 A$155

-12.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$486 RON 2,221

$1,398 A$2,008

-65.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 RON 1,623

$1,086 A$1,560

-67.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 RON 3,890

$2,272 A$3,263

-62.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 RON 2,760

$1,751 A$2,515

-65.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,546 RON 11.6K

$7,955 A$11.4K

-67.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,848 RON 8,440

$5,978 A$8,587

-69.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,032 RON 4,714

$4,053 A$5,822

-74.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

6.35

7.72%

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

Last update for Romania: July 26, 2026

Last update for Australia: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $392 in Romania vs $1,230 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $661 in Bucharest and $1,557 in Canberra.

Average salary: $881 in Romania vs $3,808 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 214% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 75% more in Australia.

Public transport is 219% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 332% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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 103% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Romania, contributing to the overall 103% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$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.