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

Name: Romania
Address: RO

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,642 in Spain versus $1,033 in Romania.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,392 in Spain versus $1,582 in Romania.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,142 in Spain versus $2,131 in Romania.

Living in Spain is roughly 59% more expensive than in Romania on average.

Spain (23% above) and Romania (22% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Spain: monthly costs span $1,122 to $3,254, compared to $806–$1,361 in Romania. City choice carries more weight in Spain.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.06 €14.00

$11.67 RON 53.3

37.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.9 €49.57

$45.89 RON 210

23.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.30 €8.98

$8.03 RON 36.67

28.27%

Cappuccino

$2.32 €2.02

$2.88 RON 13.17

-19.44%

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

$2.60 €2.27

$2.03 RON 9.27

28.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.80 RON 8.22

2.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.99

$2.83 RON 12.92

21.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 €3.46

$3.49 RON 15.96

13.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.61 RON 7.33

-26.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 €1.33

$1.27 RON 5.79

19.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 €1.46

$1.80 RON 8.21

-7.22%

Eggs

$2.98 €2.60

$3.39 RON 15.47

-12.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.42 €12.58

$8.66 RON 39.53

66.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.59 €7.49

$6.73 RON 30.73

27.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.95 €13.91

$11.20 RON 51.1

42.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 €2.19

$1.22 RON 5.55

105.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.69 RON 7.70

22.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 €1.78

$1.58 RON 7.22

29.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.30

$2.24 RON 10.25

17.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.98 RON 4.48

79.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.98 RON 4.45

102.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.17

$0.92 RON 4.18

46.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.65

$0.80 RON 3.66

-7.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.27 €5.46

$6.23 RON 28.46

0.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €5.01

$6.63 RON 30.28

-13.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.14

$1.17 RON 5.33

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.80

$1.80 RON 8.22

14.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.54

$0.85 RON 3.88

108.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.49 €30.07

$23.29 RON 106

48.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.49 €3.91

$0.88 RON 4.03

410.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 €1.15

$0.70 RON 3.21

88.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.12 €23.64

$7.77 RON 35.50

249.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.61 RON 7.34

11.80%

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

$38.2K €33.3K

$28.3K RON 129.2K

35.05%

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

$30.8K €26.9K

$27.5K RON 125.5K

12.07%

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

$149 €130

$162 RON 741

-8.35%

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

$20.14 €17.56

$8.31 RON 37.94

142.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.50 €29.21

$9.53 RON 43.52

251.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.30 €40.37

$43.91 RON 201

5.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.61 €13.61

$21.01 RON 96.0

-25.70%

Cinema Ticket

$9.40 €8.20

$7.93 RON 36.23

18.54%

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

$522 €455

$494 RON 2,254

5.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,880 €8,613

$10.1K RON 45.9K

-1.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 €76.8

$69.0 RON 315

27.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.98 €31.36

$41.48 RON 189

-13.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 €77.6

$82.7 RON 378

7.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €94.2

$94.5 RON 432

14.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 €906

$486 RON 2,221

113.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$820 €715

$355 RON 1,623

130.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 €1,472

$852 RON 3,890

98.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 €1,058

$604 RON 2,760

100.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,301 €3,750

$2,546 RON 11.6K

68.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,604 €2,270

$1,848 RON 8,440

40.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,982 €1,728

$1,032 RON 4,714

91.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.51

6.84

-48.68%

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

Last update for Spain: July 27, 2026

Last update for Romania: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $898 in Spain, $392 in Romania. Capital cities: $1,561 in Madrid vs $661 in Bucharest.

National salary averages: $1,989 in Spain, $881 in Romania. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 129% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 20% more in Spain.

Public transport is 57% more expensive in Spain.

Salaries are 126% higher in Spain, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Spain.

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

Spain vs Romania: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,084 per month in Romania and $2,188 in Spain, there's a 102% gap. 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 simply cheaper in Romania: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 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; Spain may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.