Cost of Living Comparison Between Romania and Italy Cost of Living Comparison Between Romania and Italy

Name: Italy
Address: IT

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,037 in Romania versus $1,717 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,584 in Romania versus $2,624 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,130 in Romania versus $3,530 in Italy.

Living in Romania costs about 40% less than in Italy on average.

Romania (23% below) and Italy (28% above) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,170 to $2,508, compared to $800–$1,387 in Romania. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.40 RON 51.5

$17.44 €15.00

-34.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.01 RON 208

$79.5 €68.4

-42.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.24 RON 37.24

$11.76 €10.11

-29.93%

Cappuccino

$2.87 RON 12.98

$2.00 €1.72

43.50%

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

$2.04 RON 9.21

$3.00 €2.58

-32.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 RON 8.48

$1.35 €1.16

39.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 RON 12.53

$5.94 €5.11

-53.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 RON 15.34

$5.36 €4.61

-36.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 RON 7.30

$1.64 €1.41

-1.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 RON 5.54

$2.41 €2.07

-48.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.04

$2.99 €2.58

-40.47%

Eggs

$3.38 RON 15.28

$3.96 €3.41

-14.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.94 RON 40.42

$16.84 €14.49

-46.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 RON 31.06

$12.43 €10.69

-44.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 RON 49.44

$20.29 €17.46

-46.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 RON 5.48

$2.47 €2.13

-51.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 RON 7.50

$2.15 €1.85

-22.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 RON 7.20

$2.65 €2.28

-40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.28 RON 10.30

$3.40 €2.92

-32.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 RON 4.45

$1.92 €1.65

-48.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.41

$1.81 €1.56

-46.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 RON 4.47

$1.55 €1.33

-36.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 RON 3.92

$0.54 €0.46

61.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.09 RON 27.53

$6.79 €5.84

-10.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.66 RON 30.12

$7.18 €6.18

-7.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 RON 5.05

$1.80 €1.55

-37.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 RON 8.10

$2.42 €2.08

-26.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 RON 3.84

$2.00 €1.72

-57.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.77 RON 103

$42.35 €36.43

-46.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 RON 4.30

$5.94 €5.11

-84.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 RON 3.43

$1.51 €1.30

-49.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.82 RON 35.36

$34.04 €29.28

-77.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.54

$2.05 €1.76

-18.54%

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

$27.9K RON 126.0K

$32.8K €28.2K

-15.13%

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

$27.4K RON 123.9K

$33.7K €29.0K

-18.64%

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

$165 RON 746

$225 €194

-26.74%

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

$8.41 RON 38.00

$13.25 €11.40

-36.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.03 RON 45.36

$30.95 €26.62

-67.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.18 RON 200

$55.7 €47.95

-20.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.75 RON 93.8

$25.15 €21.63

-17.50%

Cinema Ticket

$7.94 RON 35.88

$10.25 €8.82

-22.54%

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

$491 RON 2,218

$576 €495

-14.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K RON 46.0K

$10.5K €8,998

-2.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 RON 317

$91.8 €79.0

-23.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.99 RON 185

$40.72 €35.03

0.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 RON 373

$98.0 €84.3

-15.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.0 RON 416

$131 €112

-29.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 RON 2,253

$860 €740

-42.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 RON 1,610

$667 €573

-46.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$842 RON 3,808

$1,475 €1,269

-42.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$592 RON 2,676

$1,087 €935

-45.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,661 RON 12.0K

$3,850 €3,312

-30.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,945 RON 8,790

$2,359 €2,029

-17.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,049 RON 4,742

$1,933 €1,663

-45.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

4.41

55.10%

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

Last update for Romania: May 31, 2026

Last update for Italy: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $391 in Romania, $743 in Italy. Capital cities: $662 in Bucharest vs $1,325 in Rome.

National salary averages: $897 in Romania, $1,949 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 90% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 68% more in Italy.

Public transport is 110% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 117% higher in Italy, giving Italy stronger purchasing power.

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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,839 per month in Italy and $1,094 in Romania, there's a 68% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Romania is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Italy beats Romania across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Romania, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Italy, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Romania wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.