Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Satu Mare and Iasi

For one person, living is cheaper in Satu Mare: $930 a month against $1,242 in Iasi, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Satu Mare
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Satu Mare Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Iasi
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Iasi Living Index

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Satu Mare

🇷🇴 Romania

$930

/mo nomad

Iasi

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,242

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Satu Mare and in Iasi

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

A single person spends $930 per month in Satu Mare vs $1,242 in Iasi, rent included.

Satu Mare $930
Iasi $1,242

A couple spends around $1,406 per month in Satu Mare vs $1,848 in Iasi, rent included.

Satu Mare $1,406
Iasi $1,848

A family of three spends $1,883 per month in Satu Mare vs $2,453 in Iasi, rent included.

Satu Mare $1,883
Iasi $2,453

Satu Mare is about 25% cheaper than Iasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Satu Mare and Iasi are more affordable than the global median – Satu Mare 31% lower, Iasi 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.20 RON 38.81

$10.33 RON 48.87

-20.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.51 RON 154

$41.64 RON 197

-21.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.48 RON 30.67

$6.99 RON 33.07

-7.30%

Cappuccino

$2.50 RON 11.81

$2.94 RON 13.90

-14.97%

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

$1.49 RON 7.04

$2.18 RON 10.31

-31.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 RON 6.07

$1.79 RON 8.45

-28.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 RON 8.87

$3.08 RON 14.59

-39.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 RON 11.55

$3.84 RON 18.18

-36.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 RON 5.33

$1.56 RON 7.40

-27.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 RON 5.04

$1.39 RON 6.59

-23.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 RON 5.36

$1.98 RON 9.38

-42.93%

Eggs

$2.69 RON 12.71

$3.29 RON 15.59

-18.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.35 RON 34.79

$8.20 RON 38.81

-10.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.53 RON 35.63

$6.38 RON 30.17

18.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.83 RON 51.2

$9.72 RON 46.01

11.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.10 RON 5.19

$1.39 RON 6.57

-20.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 RON 6.15

$1.69 RON 7.99

-23.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 RON 6.04

$1.69 RON 7.98

-24.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 RON 6.75

$2.06 RON 9.73

-30.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 RON 5.61

$0.79 RON 3.72

50.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 RON 6.48

$0.90 RON 4.25

52.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 RON 4.14

$1.16 RON 5.47

-24.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 RON 3.34

$0.94 RON 4.46

-24.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 RON 26.38

$6.38 RON 30.18

-12.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.19 RON 29.29

$6.64 RON 31.40

-6.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$1.32 RON 6.23

-6.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 RON 8.06

$2.06 RON 9.75

-17.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 RON 2.56

$0.86 RON 4.07

-37.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.41 RON 111

$27.33 RON 129

-14.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 RON 3.79

$0.88 RON 4.15

-9.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 RON 4.03

$0.83 RON 3.92

2.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.10 RON 38.34

$8.54 RON 40.38

-5.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 RON 7.47

$1.84 RON 8.72

-14.13%

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

$22.8K RON 107.9K

$28.5K RON 134.7K

-19.95%

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

$25.3K RON 119.5K

$26.3K RON 124.6K

-4.12%

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

$126 RON 597

$183 RON 864

-30.96%

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

$7.14 RON 33.79

$7.45 RON 35.25

-4.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.25 RON 34.30

$8.65 RON 40.94

-16.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.55 RON 197

$44.33 RON 210

-6.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.68 RON 50.5

$15.90 RON 75.2

-32.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 RON 29.29

$8.47 RON 40.07

-26.92%

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

$155 RON 733

$420 RON 1,987

-63.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,829 RON 18.1K

$7,095 RON 33.6K

-46.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 RON 282

$71.7 RON 339

-16.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.51 RON 135

$38.30 RON 181

-25.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.6 RON 405

$92.1 RON 436

-7.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.2 RON 328

$90.2 RON 427

-23.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$322 RON 1,524

$544 RON 2,576

-40.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$260 RON 1,229

$423 RON 1,999

-38.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 RON 3,060

$886 RON 4,190

-26.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 RON 1,938

$681 RON 3,222

-39.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,007 RON 4,765

$2,923 RON 13.8K

-65.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,056 RON 4,995

$1,900 RON 8,988

-44.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 RON 3,075

$1,104 RON 5,222

-41.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.05

7.18

-1.81%

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

Last update for Satu Mare: October 18, 2026

Last update for Iasi: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Satu Mare

$260 27.9%

Iasi

$423 34% 62.7% $163

Groceries & Markets

Satu Mare

$195 21%

Iasi

$215 17.3% 9.9% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Satu Mare

$141 15.1%

Iasi

$199 16% 41.5% $58

Eating Out

Satu Mare

$140 15.1%

Iasi

$178 14.3% 26.7% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Satu Mare

$109 11.8%

Iasi

$132 10.6% 20.3% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Satu Mare

$54 5.8%

Iasi

$61 4.9% 13.6% $7.3

Getting Around

Satu Mare

$31 3.3%

Iasi

$36 2.9% 16.8% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $322 in Satu Mare versus $544 in Iasi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 70% higher in Iasi, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Satu Mare versus $42.00 in Iasi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $195 vs $215 – making Satu Mare the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Satu Mare

🇷🇴 Iasi

🕒 Local time

01:44 1:44 AM

Same time as Satu Mare

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

102,411

290,422

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Satu Mare Iasi 360 km

From you

Satu Mare
Iasi

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

Satu Mare vs Iasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $930 in Satu Mare, $1,242 in Iasi – roughly 34% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,394 per month in Satu Mare and $1,863 in Iasi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Satu Mare, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 17% less in Satu Mare. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $155 per month in Satu Mare and $420 in Iasi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Satu Mare, where all-in costs run around $930, than in Iasi at $1,242. In Satu Mare it covers expenses comfortably, while in Iasi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Iasi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $930 in Satu Mare to $1,242 in Iasi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Satu Mare. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Iasi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.