Cost of Living in Romania - Updated Prices & Insights

Name: Romania
Address: RO

Monthly Cost of Living

Average monthly costs for a single person come to about $1,035 including rent across Romania.

Estimated average monthly cost for a couple: $1,581 including rent across Romania.

Average monthly costs for a family of three come to about $2,127 including rent across Romania.

Living costs in Romania vary widely – from $816 in more affordable cities to $1,400 in major hubs, spanning a $584 range across 77 cities.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.39 RON 50.6

$6.84 RON 30.36

$18.23 RON 80.9

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.39 RON 206

$34.80 RON 155

$92.8 RON 412

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.27 RON 36.72

$7.09 RON 31.48

$9.45 RON 41.95

Cappuccino

$2.88 RON 12.78

$1.60 RON 7.09

$4.57 RON 20.31

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

$2.05 RON 9.12

$1.18 RON 5.25

$3.54 RON 15.74

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 RON 8.25

$1.16 RON 5.16

$2.79 RON 12.38

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.78 RON 12.35

$1.39 RON 6.18

$4.17 RON 18.53

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 RON 15.57

$2.34 RON 10.38

$4.68 RON 20.80

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 RON 6.94

$1.14 RON 5.05

$2.27 RON 10.10

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 RON 5.46

$0.80 RON 3.54

$2.04 RON 9.04

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 RON 7.98

$1.17 RON 5.21

$2.58 RON 11.47

Eggs

$3.39 RON 15.04

$2.18 RON 9.69

$4.55 RON 20.20

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.78 RON 38.99

$5.69 RON 25.26

$13.65 RON 60.6

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 RON 30.49

$4.42 RON 19.64

$8.14 RON 36.14

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 RON 49.66

$6.98 RON 30.97

$17.43 RON 77.4

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 RON 5.28

$0.68 RON 3.03

$1.82 RON 8.09

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 RON 7.39

$1.40 RON 6.22

$2.33 RON 10.36

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 RON 7.16

$1.14 RON 5.05

$2.50 RON 11.11

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 RON 9.71

$1.13 RON 5.03

$3.40 RON 15.08

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 RON 4.28

$0.59 RON 2.64

$1.42 RON 6.28

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 RON 4.49

$0.70 RON 3.10

$1.40 RON 6.20

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 RON 4.42

$0.61 RON 2.70

$1.45 RON 6.42

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 RON 3.84

$0.60 RON 2.65

$1.31 RON 5.80

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.16 RON 27.34

$5.70 RON 25.32

$6.84 RON 30.38

Wine (Bottle)

$6.59 RON 29.28

$4.40 RON 19.52

$10.99 RON 48.80

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 RON 4.93

$0.79 RON 3.50

$1.79 RON 7.96

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 RON 8.05

$1.17 RON 5.20

$2.81 RON 12.49

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 RON 3.53

$0.68 RON 3.00

$1.13 RON 5.01

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.16 RON 103

$18.53 RON 82.3

$34.74 RON 154

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 RON 3.99

$0.67 RON 2.99

$1.12 RON 4.98

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 RON 3.35

$0.64 RON 2.84

$1.07 RON 4.77

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 RON 34.20

$5.71 RON 25.36

$11.35 RON 50.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.34

$1.53 RON 6.80

$1.84 RON 8.16

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

$27.8K RON 123.3K

$27.4K RON 121.5K

$28.5K RON 126.4K

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

$26.9K RON 119.4K

$25.9K RON 115.0K

$30.5K RON 135.4K

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

$164 RON 729

$116 RON 516

$264 RON 1,173

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

$8.42 RON 37.40

$4.63 RON 20.55

$13.88 RON 61.6

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.50 RON 42.18

$6.71 RON 29.77

$16.76 RON 74.4

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.62 RON 198

$27.69 RON 123

$69.2 RON 307

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.87 RON 92.7

$11.52 RON 51.2

$34.58 RON 154

Cinema Ticket

$7.99 RON 35.48

$5.71 RON 25.35

$11.41 RON 50.7

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

$497 RON 2,208

$344 RON 1,529

$804 RON 3,568

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K RON 45.3K

$6,995 RON 31.1K

$19.4K RON 85.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 RON 303

$29.35 RON 130

$120 RON 531

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.21 RON 183

$23.06 RON 102

$69.2 RON 307

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 RON 366

$57.2 RON 254

$114 RON 507

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.4 RON 410

$68.8 RON 305

$138 RON 611

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$491 RON 2,181

$345 RON 1,533

$805 RON 3,576

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 RON 1,589

$230 RON 1,020

$574 RON 2,550

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$847 RON 3,761

$536 RON 2,382

$1,423 RON 6,316

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$591 RON 2,625

$398 RON 1,769

$1,019 RON 4,524

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,519 RON 11.2K

$1,638 RON 7,273

$4,550 RON 20.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,926 RON 8,550

$1,347 RON 5,979

$3,298 RON 14.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,071 RON 4,755

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

5.59

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

Last update: May 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the city center: $391 across Romania. For reference, capital rent is $647 in Bucharest, and $208 in Miercurea Ciuc.

National average salary: $908. With average costs at $1,035, the gap is significant. Expats and remote workers with foreign income benefit most.

Expect to spend about $205 monthly on groceries. Dining out at a mid-range restaurant averages $44.00 for two.

In Bucharest (capital), expect about $1,356 per month, while Miercurea Ciuc offers the lowest costs at $816 – which city you pick has a tangible effect on the budget.

Cost Highlights

Overall living costs ($1,035) is 23% below the global median of $1,350.

Average rent ($391) is 38% below the global median of $630.

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

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	48	$599	$948	$1,407	$1,945	60.71	231.2
2	Alexandria	45434	43	$511	$865	$1,138	$1,938	94.28	259.74
3	Arad	159074	44	$590	$856	$1,169	$1,912	299.13	302.01
4	Bacau	144307	45	$602	$903	$1,484	$2,049	32.5	295.75
5	Baia Mare	123738	44	$523	$870	$1,359	$1,945	109.19	249.47
6	Baia Sprie	11735	49	$544	$981	$1,375	$1,941	204.68	275.33
7	Barlad	77518	52	$526	$1,048	$1,545	$2,147	25.01	253.78
8	Bistrita	75076	45	$533	$902	$1,673	$1,926	234.54	300.31
9	Bolintin-Vale	12000	57	$628	$1,130	$1,582	$2,350	236.49	164.89
10	Botosani	106847	52	$604	$1,032	$1,381	$2,037	210.36	270.56
11	Bragadiru	15000	57	$601	$1,129	$2,026	$2,441	105.92	294.77
12	Braila	180302	55	$649	$1,080	$1,743	$2,229	344.89	269.04
13	Brasov	253200	64	$596	$1,282	$1,555	$2,659	22.03	275.92
14	Bucharest	1883425	67	$749	$1,356	$2,128	$2,928	77.6	320.25
15	Buzau	115494	55	$536	$1,114	$1,470	$2,049	124.83	239.01
16	Buzias	7000	56	$607	$1,111	$1,788	$2,362	70.59	205.05
17	Calafat	18500	52	$584	$1,033	$1,574	$2,050	217.87	109.49
18	Calarasi	65181	50	$596	$993	$1,491	$1,959	51.9	251.11
19	Campina	41554	53	$589	$1,059	$1,708	$2,150	51.32	293.02
20	Carei	25911	52	$548	$1,049	$1,432	$2,102	241.26	244.17
21	Chitila	10866	58	$740	$1,169	$1,618	$2,462	30.63	274.79
22	Cluj-Napoca	324576	70	$610	$1,400	$1,983	$2,853	63.39	331.04
23	Constanta	283872	66	$607	$1,315	$1,759	$2,913	284.14	264.33
24	Craiova	269506	56	$667	$1,113	$1,370	$2,182	68.5	262.58
25	Cugir	28780	48	$584	$969	$1,279	$1,895	59.03	262.61
26	Dealu	3800	56	$567	$1,106	$1,937	$2,366	36.06	118.26
27	Deva	61123	44	$462	$868	$1,442	$1,759	153.45	284.13
28	Dorohoi	32778	51	$583	$1,005	$1,353	$2,038	126.42	214.37
29	Drobeta-Turnu Severin	92617	54	$723	$1,095	$1,898	$2,472	30.47	241.37
30	Focsani	97186	48	$570	$963	$1,442	$2,000	117.07	252.78
31	Galati	249432	56	$654	$1,122	$1,521	$2,311	101.93	255.36
32	Giurgiu	61353	56	$759	$1,113	$1,575	$2,314	187.8	250.46
33	Hunedoara	78675	42	$428	$858	$1,362	$1,674	60.11	259.68
34	Iasi	290422	57	$595	$1,131	$1,787	$2,293	71.48	333.42
35	Iernut	9000	51	$533	$1,005	$1,509	$2,063	15.75	253.99
36	Lehliu Gara	6000	53	$645	$1,052	$1,746	$2,196	199.85	194.52
37	Lugoj	49742	42	$479	$828	$1,031	$1,724	124.21	188.29
38	Mamaia	441	52	$605	$1,043	$1,524	$2,076	257.36	255.76
39	Mangalia	36364	52	$689	$1,048	$1,626	$2,081	36.22	275.97
40	Medias	53564	56	$613	$1,097	$1,727	$2,311	102.78	283.08
41	Miercurea Ciuc	38966	40	$518	$816	$1,337	$1,725	212.29	212.32
42	Miroslava	11000	54	$624	$1,081	$1,647	$2,243	122.24	333.84
43	Odorheiu Secuiesc	34275	53	$654	$1,071	$1,337	$2,144	64.12	203.18
44	Onesti	57333	49	$515	$978	$1,388	$1,948	32.11	204.21
45	Oradea	196367	54	$517	$1,068	$1,384	$2,153	254.76	300.54
46	Pascani	35897	56	$735	$1,139	$1,560	$2,349	154.85	233.39
47	Petrosani	51476	57	$574	$1,161	$1,861	$2,308	96.51	282.58
48	Piatra Neamt	85055	47	$647	$951	$1,387	$1,999	313.07	324.88
49	Pitesti	155383	53	$704	$1,052	$1,477	$2,099	144.93	269.77
50	Ploiesti	224406	55	$554	$1,091	$1,342	$2,168	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 $816 in budget-friendly smaller cities to $1,400 in the priciest areas. The gap is big enough to meaningfully affect lifestyle for anyone on a fixed income.

By international standards, Romania is moderately priced. Smaller cities offer better deals, while capitals run higher. Most visitors and residents find costs manageable without extreme budgeting.

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 supports a modest but comfortable life in Romania's smaller cities, but feels tight in Bucharest. Rent is the deciding factor – keep housing costs low and the rest of the budget opens up.

Living costs in Romania are average by world standards. Regional cities offer better value than Bucharest, and most residents with steady jobs or remote income find things manageable.