Cost of Living Comparison Between Romania and Spain Cost of Living Comparison Between Romania and Spain

Name: Spain
Address: ES

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,035 in Romania versus $1,644 in Spain.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,583 in Romania versus $2,400 in Spain.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,131 in Romania versus $3,155 in Spain.

Living in Romania costs about 37% less than in Spain on average.

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

Internal cost variation is higher in Spain: monthly costs span $1,115 to $3,300, compared to $802–$1,375 in Romania. City choice carries more weight in Spain.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.53 RON 50.1

$16.01 €13.67

-27.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.88 RON 200

$59.0 €50.4

-22.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.15 RON 35.47

$10.26 €8.77

-20.57%

Cappuccino

$2.88 RON 12.52

$2.29 €1.95

25.76%

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

$2.04 RON 8.86

$2.59 €2.21

-21.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 RON 8.12

$1.81 €1.55

3.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.78 RON 12.11

$3.53 €3.01

-21.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 RON 15.19

$4.02 €3.44

-13.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 RON 6.72

$1.24 €1.06

24.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 RON 5.48

$1.52 €1.30

-17.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 RON 7.56

$1.60 €1.37

8.75%

Eggs

$3.30 RON 14.37

$2.98 €2.54

10.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.79 RON 38.25

$14.49 €12.38

-39.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.61 RON 28.75

$8.37 €7.14

-21.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.96 RON 47.68

$15.94 €13.62

-31.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 RON 5.28

$2.54 €2.17

-52.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 RON 7.22

$2.10 €1.79

-20.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 RON 6.98

$2.06 €1.76

-22.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 RON 9.40

$2.64 €2.25

-18.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 RON 4.18

$1.84 €1.58

-47.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 RON 4.26

$1.91 €1.63

-48.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 RON 4.28

$1.33 €1.14

-26.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 RON 3.53

$0.80 €0.68

1.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 RON 26.72

$6.43 €5.49

-4.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.10 RON 30.87

$5.82 €4.97

21.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 RON 5.02

$1.24 €1.06

-6.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 RON 7.86

$2.11 €1.80

-14.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 RON 3.66

$1.70 €1.45

-50.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.62 RON 98.4

$34.64 €29.58

-34.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 RON 3.85

$4.60 €3.93

-80.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 RON 3.06

$1.35 €1.15

-48.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.95 RON 34.57

$27.00 €23.06

-70.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 RON 6.93

$1.84 €1.57

-13.59%

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

$28.3K RON 123.2K

$38.3K €32.7K

-26.05%

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

$27.6K RON 119.9K

$31.2K €26.7K

-11.68%

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

$165 RON 716

$151 €129

8.91%

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

$8.34 RON 36.29

$20.30 €17.34

-58.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.05 RON 43.70

$33.21 €28.36

-69.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.04 RON 196

$47.38 €40.47

-4.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.01 RON 91.4

$15.74 €13.44

33.48%

Cinema Ticket

$8.22 RON 35.74

$9.06 €7.74

-9.27%

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

$497 RON 2,164

$523 €446

-4.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,905 RON 43.1K

$9,978 €8,521

-0.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 RON 305

$87.7 €74.9

-20.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.52 RON 176

$37.32 €31.87

8.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 RON 360

$88.7 €75.8

-6.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.9 RON 400

$106 €90.8

-13.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$496 RON 2,156

$1,052 €899

-52.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 RON 1,587

$809 €691

-54.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$844 RON 3,673

$1,674 €1,429

-49.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 RON 2,663

$1,213 €1,036

-49.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,641 RON 11.5K

$4,487 €3,832

-41.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,965 RON 8,546

$2,733 €2,334

-28.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,099 RON 4,780

$2,111 €1,803

-47.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

3.51

94.87%

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

Last update for Romania: April 25, 2026

Last update for Spain: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $391 in Romania, $899 in Spain. Capital cities: $643 in Bucharest vs $1,595 in Madrid.

National salary averages: $924 in Romania, $2,010 in Spain. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 130% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 20% more in Spain.

Public transport is 57% more expensive in Spain.

Salaries are 118% higher in Spain, giving Spain 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 Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,089 per month in Romania and $2,208 in Spain, there's a 103% 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 Spain 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 Spain, 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; Spain may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.