Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Romania and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Romania: $1,133 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $19,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Romania
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Romania Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇷🇴 Romania

$1,133

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Romania and in the United States

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 the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,133 in Romania versus $2,734 in the United States.

Romania $1,133
United States $2,734

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,691 in Romania versus $3,985 in the United States.

Romania $1,691
United States $3,985

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,250 in Romania versus $5,235 in the United States.

Romania $2,250
United States $5,235

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $979 to $5,160, compared to $742–$1,423 in Romania. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in Romania costs about 59% less than in the United States on average.

Romania (17% below) and the United States (101% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.41 RON 49.74

$20.03 $20.03

-48.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.28 RON 197

$80.0 $80.0

-48.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 RON 34.73

$11.80 $11.80

-38.39%

Cappuccino

$2.72 RON 13.00

$5.55 $5.55

-50.99%

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

$2.02 RON 9.63

$2.66 $2.66

-24.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 RON 7.97

$2.17 $2.17

-23.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 RON 10.75

$6.12 $6.12

-63.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 RON 15.33

$7.94 $7.94

-59.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 RON 7.30

$1.04 $1.04

47.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 RON 5.49

$3.59 $3.59

-67.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 RON 7.59

$4.52 $4.52

-64.82%

Eggs

$3.23 RON 15.45

$4.28 $4.28

-24.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.03 RON 38.38

$13.22 $13.22

-39.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 RON 30.52

$12.60 $12.60

-49.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.22 RON 48.85

$17.60 $17.60

-41.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 RON 5.80

$5.30 $5.30

-77.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.34

$1.69 $1.69

-8.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.38

$4.44 $4.44

-65.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 RON 10.05

$4.77 $4.77

-55.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 RON 3.75

$2.97 $2.97

-73.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 RON 4.13

$3.15 $3.15

-72.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 4.03

$2.20 $2.20

-61.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 RON 4.01

$2.35 $2.35

-64.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.05 RON 28.91

$10.98 $10.98

-44.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.11 RON 29.22

$15.05 $15.05

-59.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 RON 5.23

$2.06 $2.06

-46.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.50

$3.79 $3.79

-58.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 RON 3.42

$1.94 $1.94

-62.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.15 RON 111

$59.4 $59.4

-61.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 RON 3.81

$3.58 $3.58

-77.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 RON 3.46

$1.88 $1.88

-61.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.00 RON 33.46

$29.84 $29.84

-76.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 RON 8.52

$1.02 $1.02

74.51%

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

$28.7K RON 137.3K

$28.8K $28.8K

-0.07%

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

$25.3K RON 121.1K

$26.2K $26.2K

-3.27%

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

$160 RON 762

$218 $218

-26.81%

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

$7.98 RON 38.12

$62.5 $62.5

-87.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.83 RON 42.22

$74.5 $74.5

-88.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.42 RON 193

$41.86 $41.86

-3.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 RON 88.3

$22.81 $22.81

-19.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.35 RON 35.13

$14.70 $14.70

-50.00%

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

$473 RON 2,262

$1,489 $1,489

-68.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,477 RON 40.5K

$25.3K $25.3K

-66.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 RON 332

$54.3 $54.3

27.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.71 RON 180

$42.71 $42.71

-11.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.6 RON 380

$94.1 $94.1

-15.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 RON 403

$114 $114

-25.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 RON 2,405

$1,659 $1,659

-69.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 RON 1,794

$1,348 $1,348

-72.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$776 RON 3,708

$2,682 $2,682

-71.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$579 RON 2,765

$2,169 $2,169

-73.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,539 RON 12.1K

$3,283 $3,283

-22.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,819 RON 8,691

$2,482 $2,482

-26.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,001 RON 4,782

$4,296 $4,296

-76.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.98

6.55

6.56%

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

Last update for Romania: October 24, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Romania

$375 33.2%

United States

$1.3K 49.3% 259% $972

Groceries & Markets

Romania

$203 17.9%

United States

$415 15.2% 105% $212

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Romania

$176 15.6%

United States

$355 13% 101% $179

Eating Out

Romania

$170 15%

United States

$328 12% 92.8% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Romania

$122 10.8%

United States

$137 5% 12.4% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Romania

$55 4.9%

United States

$71 2.6% 29.3% $16

Getting Around

Romania

$30 2.7%

United States

$80 2.9% 163% $50

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $387 in Romania, $1,620 in the United States. Capital cities: $711 in Bucharest vs $2,768 in Washington, DC.

National salary averages: $857 in Romania, $4,549 in the United States. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 319% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 83% more in the United States.

Public transport is 186% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 5.3 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Romania

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

18:09 6:09 PM

11:09 11:09 AM

7 h behind Romania

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,053,815

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 4.78 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Romania United States 8,860 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Romania
United States

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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,133 per month in Romania and $2,734 in the United States, Romania comes out about 59% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in Romania: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 in the United States and $387 in Romania. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Romania, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in the United States it stretches only to regional areas and 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, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.