Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yekaterinburg and Iasi

For one person, living is cheaper in Iasi: $1,247 a month against $1,369 in Yekaterinburg, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Yekaterinburg despite lower rent and utilities.

66

Cost of Living Index in Yekaterinburg
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Yekaterinburg Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Iasi
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Iasi Living Index

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Yekaterinburg

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,369

/mo nomad

Iasi

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,247

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Yekaterinburg 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 Yekaterinburg and in Iasi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,369 per month in Yekaterinburg vs $1,247 in Iasi, rent included.

Yekaterinburg $1,369
Iasi $1,247

A couple spends around $2,228 per month in Yekaterinburg vs $1,839 in Iasi, rent included.

Yekaterinburg $2,228
Iasi $1,839

A family of three spends $3,088 per month in Yekaterinburg vs $2,431 in Iasi, rent included.

Yekaterinburg $3,088
Iasi $2,431

Yekaterinburg costs about 10% more than Iasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Yekaterinburg sits 1% above the global median, while Iasi is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.53 ₽1,046

$10.43 RON 49.33

20.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 ₽4,498

$41.89 RON 198

28.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.82 ₽486

$6.81 RON 32.22

-14.54%

Cappuccino

$2.33 ₽195

$2.86 RON 13.55

-18.53%

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

$1.24 ₽104

$2.20 RON 10.42

-43.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ₽31.27

$1.83 RON 8.68

-79.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 ₽191

$3.18 RON 15.06

-27.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ₽256

$3.78 RON 17.88

-19.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 ₽94.9

$1.57 RON 7.44

-27.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 ₽59.3

$1.34 RON 6.34

-47.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ₽99.0

$2.00 RON 9.47

-40.50%

Eggs

$1.69 ₽141

$3.22 RON 15.22

-47.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.11 ₽928

$8.22 RON 38.87

35.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.18 ₽432

$6.42 RON 30.38

-19.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.43 ₽1,121

$10.12 RON 47.89

32.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 ₽171

$1.33 RON 6.27

54.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 ₽145

$1.65 RON 7.82

5.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ₽122

$1.60 RON 7.58

-8.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 ₽222

$2.06 RON 9.73

29.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₽55.8

$0.80 RON 3.77

-16.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ₽48.80

$0.84 RON 3.99

-30.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 ₽124

$1.11 RON 5.26

34.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₽76.1

$0.99 RON 4.69

-8.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ₽285

$6.26 RON 29.61

-45.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.29 ₽609

$6.60 RON 31.23

10.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 ₽119

$1.28 RON 6.07

11.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 ₽209

$2.05 RON 9.68

22.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 ₽43.02

$0.81 RON 3.82

-35.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.69 ₽1,477

$27.14 RON 128

-34.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.15 ₽346

$0.82 RON 3.86

406.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.19 ₽15.64

$0.86 RON 4.09

-77.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.21 ₽351

$8.31 RON 39.33

-49.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 ₽71.9

$1.91 RON 9.05

-54.97%

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

$36.1K ₽3.0M

$28.7K RON 135.8K

25.72%

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

$28.5K ₽2.4M

$27.7K RON 131.3K

2.77%

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

$120 ₽10.0K

$179 RON 847

-32.98%

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

$5.81 ₽485

$7.29 RON 34.47

-20.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.93 ₽996

$8.28 RON 39.19

44.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.24 ₽3,609

$44.12 RON 209

-1.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.43 ₽3,040

$15.93 RON 75.4

128.69%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₽603

$8.49 RON 40.15

-14.96%

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

$350 ₽29.2K

$413 RON 1,956

-15.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,645 ₽304.2K

$7,058 RON 33.4K

-48.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 ₽11.1K

$73.4 RON 347

81.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$105 ₽8,738

$37.95 RON 180

175.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$237 ₽19.8K

$94.0 RON 445

152.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 ₽14.2K

$90.7 RON 429

87.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$767 ₽64.0K

$541 RON 2,561

41.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 ₽39.4K

$431 RON 2,037

9.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,263 ₽105.4K

$879 RON 4,159

43.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$976 ₽81.5K

$660 RON 3,121

47.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,455 ₽204.9K

$2,924 RON 13.8K

-16.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,672 ₽139.6K

$1,902 RON 8,999

-12.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$980 ₽81.8K

$1,126 RON 5,325

-12.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.22

7.18

209.47%

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

Last update for Yekaterinburg: October 12, 2026

Last update for Iasi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Yekaterinburg

$472 34.5%

Iasi

$431 34.5% 8.9% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Yekaterinburg

$290 21.2%

Iasi

$133 10.7% 54.1% $157

Groceries & Markets

Yekaterinburg

$216 15.8%

Iasi

$215 17.2% 0.7% $1.6

Eating Out

Yekaterinburg

$170 12.4%

Iasi

$178 14.3% 4.7% $8.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yekaterinburg

$138 10.1%

Iasi

$195 15.6% 41.3% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Yekaterinburg

$58 4.2%

Iasi

$61 4.9% 5.9% $3.4

Getting Around

Yekaterinburg

$25 1.8%

Iasi

$36 2.9% 43% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $767 in Yekaterinburg versus $541 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 15% higher in Iasi, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Yekaterinburg versus $42.00 in Iasi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $215 – making Iasi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Yekaterinburg

🇷🇴 Iasi

🕒 Local time

11:10 11:10 AM

09:10 9:10 AM

2 h behind Yekaterinburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,495,066

290,422

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Yekaterinburg Iasi 2,470 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Yekaterinburg
Iasi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Yekaterinburg vs Iasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,369 in Yekaterinburg, $1,247 in Iasi – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,053 per month in Yekaterinburg and $1,871 in Iasi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 53% less in Iasi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $350 per month in Yekaterinburg and $413 in Iasi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Iasi, where all-in costs run around $1,247, than in Yekaterinburg at $1,369. In Iasi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Yekaterinburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Yekaterinburg has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,247 in Iasi to $1,369 in Yekaterinburg. 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 Iasi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Yekaterinburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.