Last update: Oct 2026 19.1M

Cost of Living in Romania

Name: Romania
Address: RO

Across Romania, living costs for one person average $1,116 a month, including rent and utilities, which take just under half of the total. Other living expenses average about $20 a day.

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🇷🇴 Romania

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Romania

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

Average monthly costs for a single person come to about $1,116 including rent across Romania.

$1,116 /mo

Estimated average monthly cost for a couple: $1,692 including rent across Romania.

$1,692 /mo

Average monthly costs for a family of three come to about $2,268 including rent across Romania.

$2,268 /mo

Living costs in Romania vary widely – from $743 in the most affordable city to $1,413 in the most expensive one, spanning a $670 range across 77 cities.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.52 RON 49.76

$6.31 RON 29.87

$21.02 RON 99.5

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.49 RON 201

$31.87 RON 151

$85.0 RON 402

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 RON 35.16

$6.37 RON 30.15

$8.49 RON 40.16

Cappuccino

$2.74 RON 12.96

$1.44 RON 6.81

$4.53 RON 21.44

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

$1.93 RON 9.11

$1.23 RON 5.80

$3.07 RON 14.54

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 RON 8.20

$1.06 RON 5.04

$2.95 RON 13.96

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 RON 10.92

$1.25 RON 5.93

$4.19 RON 19.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 RON 15.09

$2.13 RON 10.07

$5.10 RON 24.11

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 RON 7.22

$1.07 RON 5.05

$2.15 RON 10.15

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 RON 5.74

$0.76 RON 3.57

$1.93 RON 9.12

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.69

$1.08 RON 5.11

$2.17 RON 10.27

Eggs

$3.18 RON 15.04

$1.98 RON 9.35

$4.20 RON 19.89

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.52 RON 40.30

$5.41 RON 25.60

$12.99 RON 61.5

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.57 RON 31.10

$4.11 RON 19.44

$8.65 RON 40.92

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.18 RON 48.18

$6.19 RON 29.31

$14.86 RON 70.3

Apples (1kg)

$1.22 RON 5.76

$0.64 RON 3.05

$1.72 RON 8.13

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 RON 7.16

$1.25 RON 5.90

$2.09 RON 9.87

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.32

$1.07 RON 5.06

$2.58 RON 12.19

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 RON 10.56

$0.86 RON 4.07

$3.88 RON 18.36

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 RON 3.71

$0.40 RON 1.90

$1.20 RON 5.69

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 RON 4.05

$0.54 RON 2.56

$1.28 RON 6.07

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 RON 4.24

$0.43 RON 2.02

$1.28 RON 6.07

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.59 RON 2.80

$1.20 RON 5.69

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.97 RON 28.24

$5.14 RON 24.32

$6.59 RON 31.16

Wine (Bottle)

$6.21 RON 29.36

$4.13 RON 19.56

$9.30 RON 43.99

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 RON 5.22

$0.83 RON 3.92

$1.66 RON 7.83

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 RON 7.50

$1.03 RON 4.89

$2.49 RON 11.78

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 RON 3.44

$0.62 RON 2.93

$1.03 RON 4.88

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.25 RON 110

$16.91 RON 80.0

$38.05 RON 180

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 RON 3.62

$0.61 RON 2.89

$1.02 RON 4.82

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 RON 3.42

$0.61 RON 2.88

$1.01 RON 4.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.97 RON 32.97

$5.80 RON 27.43

$9.24 RON 43.73

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 RON 8.46

$1.44 RON 6.83

$2.07 RON 9.80

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

$28.7K RON 135.6K

$28.7K RON 135.7K

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

$25.3K RON 119.9K

$24.3K RON 115.1K

$26.1K RON 123.6K

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

$158 RON 747

$104 RON 493

$250 RON 1,183

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

$8.07 RON 38.19

$3.43 RON 16.21

$14.98 RON 70.9

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.03 RON 42.72

$6.49 RON 30.72

$14.28 RON 67.6

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.80 RON 193

$25.42 RON 120

$63.5 RON 301

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.79 RON 88.9

$10.54 RON 49.87

$29.51 RON 140

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 RON 35.74

$5.24 RON 24.80

$10.49 RON 49.65

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

$475 RON 2,246

$313 RON 1,481

$720 RON 3,408

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,756 RON 41.4K

$5,462 RON 25.8K

$15.0K RON 70.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 RON 325

$26.06 RON 123

$104 RON 493

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.35 RON 177

$16.59 RON 78.5

$55.3 RON 261

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 RON 376

$52.6 RON 249

$109 RON 517

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 RON 409

$63.7 RON 301

$127 RON 603

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 RON 2,251

$318 RON 1,504

$763 RON 3,611

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 RON 1,676

$214 RON 1,011

$569 RON 2,693

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$800 RON 3,785

$513 RON 2,429

$1,323 RON 6,259

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$579 RON 2,738

$359 RON 1,698

$1,052 RON 4,978

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,519 RON 11.9K

$1,610 RON 7,617

$4,743 RON 22.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,830 RON 8,659

$1,269 RON 6,005

$3,420 RON 16.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$965 RON 4,564

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.98

5.9

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

Last update: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Romania $1,116

Accommodation & Living

$354 31.7%

Groceries & Markets

$206 18.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

$175 15.7%

Eating Out

$172 15.4%

Clothing & Footwear

$122 11%

Sport & Entertainment

$56 5%

Getting Around

$31 2.7%

Cost Breakdown

Average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the city center: $370 in Romania. For reference, capital rent is $695 in Bucharest, and $187 in Miercurea Ciuc.

National average salary: $857. With average costs at $1,116, the gap is significant. Expats and remote workers with foreign income benefit most.

Expect to spend about $193 monthly on groceries. Dining out at a mid-range restaurant averages $41.00 for two.

In Bucharest (capital), expect about $1,337 per month, while Miercurea Ciuc offers the lowest costs at $743 – which city you pick has a tangible effect on the budget.

Cost Highlights

Overall cost of living ($1,116) is 18% below the global median of $1,355.

Average rent ($370) is 44% below the global median of $663.

Dinner for two at a restaurant ($41.00) is 15% below the global median of $48.00.

Public transport ($20.00) is 39% below the global median of $33.00.

Good to know

🕒 Local time

08:57 8:57 AM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,053,815

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

By City in Romania

Lowest

Highest

Rank	City	Population	Living Index	Solo costs (no rent) / month	Solo costs (with rent) / month	Family of 3 costs (no rent) / month	Family of 3 costs (with rent) / month	Mobile download speed (Mbps)	Internet download speed (Mbps)
1	Alba Iulia	63536	44	$495	$907	$1,257	$1,859	60.71	231.2
2	Alexandria	45434	42	$512	$874	$1,262	$1,792	94.28	259.74
3	Arad	159074	43	$532	$882	$1,334	$1,874	299.13	302.01
4	Bacau	144307	45	$578	$922	$1,680	$2,192	32.5	295.75
5	Baia Mare	123738	43	$579	$888	$1,428	$1,906	109.19	249.47
6	Baia Sprie	11735	44	$520	$945	$1,307	$1,891	204.68	275.33
7	Barlad	77518	47	$548	$975	$1,404	$2,066	25.01	253.78
8	Bistrita	75076	41	$491	$851	$1,248	$1,735	234.54	300.31
9	Bolintin-Vale	12000	55	$674	$1,137	$1,738	$2,359	236.49	164.89
10	Botosani	106847	43	$519	$900	$1,280	$1,767	210.36	270.56
11	Bragadiru	15000	53	$641	$1,097	$1,697	$2,314	105.92	294.77
12	Braila	180302	56	$704	$1,152	$1,735	$2,318	344.89	269.04
13	Brasov	253200	63	$663	$1,308	$1,704	$2,937	22.03	275.92
14	Bucharest	1883425	65	$696	$1,337	$1,814	$2,721	77.6	320.25
15	Buzau	115494	48	$573	$983	$1,389	$1,928	124.83	239.01
16	Buzias	7000	48	$595	$976	$1,499	$2,077	70.59	205.05
17	Calafat	18500	49	$506	$1,006	$1,298	$1,958	217.87	109.49
18	Calarasi	65181	43	$534	$884	$1,373	$1,858	51.9	251.11
19	Campina	41554	45	$627	$919	$1,567	$1,979	51.32	293.02
20	Carei	25911	47	$546	$1,002	$1,396	$2,008	241.26	244.17
21	Chitila	10866	52	$627	$1,081	$1,658	$2,272	30.63	274.79
22	Cluj-Napoca	324576	68	$728	$1,413	$1,854	$2,831	63.39	331.04
23	Constanta	283872	62	$631	$1,281	$1,683	$2,605	284.14	264.33
24	Craiova	269506	58	$594	$1,198	$1,506	$2,325	68.5	262.58
25	Cugir	28780	43	$469	$899	$1,137	$1,705	59.03	262.61
26	Dealu	3800	51	$656	$1,063	$1,868	$2,384	36.06	118.26
27	Deva	61123	42	$545	$862	$1,327	$1,814	153.45	284.13
28	Dorohoi	32778	43	$497	$902	$1,252	$1,818	126.42	214.37
29	Drobeta-Turnu Severin	92617	42	$588	$873	$1,482	$2,045	30.47	241.37
30	Focsani	97186	50	$565	$1,027	$1,473	$2,304	117.07	252.78
31	Galati	249432	50	$575	$1,041	$1,482	$2,193	101.93	255.36
32	Giurgiu	61353	53	$643	$1,106	$1,663	$2,315	187.8	250.46
33	Hunedoara	78675	36	$457	$756	$1,176	$1,573	60.11	259.68
34	Iasi	290422	61	$637	$1,242	$1,589	$2,453	71.48	333.42
35	Iernut	9000	45	$543	$935	$1,403	$1,979	15.75	253.99
36	Lehliu Gara	6000	49	$574	$1,043	$1,473	$2,106	199.85	194.52
37	Lugoj	49742	38	$513	$777	$1,287	$1,656	124.21	188.29
38	Mamaia	441	50	$594	$1,027	$1,527	$2,111	257.36	255.76
39	Mangalia	36364	52	$621	$1,062	$1,595	$2,225	36.22	275.97
40	Medias	53564	53	$628	$1,096	$1,637	$2,258	102.78	283.08
41	Miercurea Ciuc	38966	36	$468	$743	$1,128	$1,616	212.29	212.32
42	Miroslava	11000	52	$606	$1,063	$1,538	$2,157	122.24	333.84
43	Odorheiu Secuiesc	34275	53	$658	$1,079	$1,648	$2,183	64.12	203.18
44	Onesti	57333	52	$597	$1,077	$1,507	$2,079	32.11	204.21
45	Oradea	196367	48	$536	$989	$1,377	$1,915	254.76	300.54
46	Pascani	35897	45	$535	$882	$1,381	$1,944	154.85	233.39
47	Petrosani	51476	36	$555	$750	$1,375	$1,570	96.51	282.58
48	Piatra Neamt	85055	38	$493	$785	$1,240	$1,611	313.07	324.88
49	Pitesti	155383	62	$763	$1,284	$1,995	$2,632	144.93	269.77
50	Ploiesti	224406	52	$631	$1,088	$1,612	$2,238	46.37	290.84

Romania Median Internet Speeds (Updated April 2026)

Mobile

Mbps

Fixed Broadband

Mbps

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

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cost of Living in Romania - Frequently Asked Questions

Romania offers a mix of affordable basics and comfortable lifestyle options for travelers, expats, and digital nomads. The Cost of Living in Romania tends to be lower than in many Western cities, with price variation by city and neighborhood. Expect cheaper meals, transit, and local services outside the capital, while central hubs can feel pricier but still reasonable by global standards. Housing runs from modern serviced apartments to older, character-rich options, and long-term leases are common in major towns. Seasonal tourism and a growing coworking scene support flexible work and daily life. Tip: map out neighborhoods by vibe and amenities before choosing a base.

Daily life in Romania blends affordability with a rich local scene, especially around markets, cafes, and parks. Housing search typically centers on neighborhoods with good transit access; you’ll find a mix of newer rentals and charming, older buildings near universities or city centers. Food options range from inexpensive street meals to diverse grocery stores and farmers markets, making it easy to cook at home. Public transport is reliable in most cities, with occasional peak congestion seasonally around holidays. Co-working spaces and cafes support remote work. Romania living cost varies by city, so test a few spaces before committing. Tip: trial weekend errands to gauge neighborhood rhythms.

Quality of life in Romania can feel high when you tailor your budget to neighborhoods and seasonality. Consider a simple framework: secure a comfortable base housing while allocating allowance for groceries, utilities, and transport, with a flexible portion for activities and meals out. Off-season travel and local festivals can affect crowds and prices, so plan ahead for peak times in mountain towns or tourist spots. Neighborhood fit matters: look for near tram lines or bike-friendly streets, with easy access to supermarkets and coworking if you work remotely. Tip: join local expat groups to learn monthly rhythms and save by buying in bulk.

Romania covers a wide cost spectrum. As of 2026, monthly expenses run from about $743 in budget-friendly smaller cities to $1,413 in the priciest areas. The gap is big enough to meaningfully affect lifestyle for anyone on a fixed income.

As a lower-cost destination, Romania attracts expats, retirees, and long-term visitors on fixed budgets. Smaller cities are especially wallet-friendly, while bigger centers charge more but remain competitive globally.

Outside the capital and tourist areas, costs in Romania drop fast. Miercurea Ciuc is one of the best budget options – lower costs without giving up access to essential services and everyday amenities.

$1,200 a month goes far in Romania, especially outside the big cities. It's a realistic single-person budget that covers housing, food, transport, and leisure comfortably.

Living in Romania is cheap by global standards. Regional cities offer the best value, with the capital Bucharest sitting higher. Low living costs are one of the country's main draws for expats, retirees, and anyone stretching a budget.