The cost of living in Romania is one of the critical concerns of every individual who is going to work or study in this country. It’s been more than 10 years that Romania has been a member of the European Union and simultaneously there has been significant growth in every fields. For instance, over the recent five years, the minimum wages have at least doubled, and even new jobs and businesses have been developed throughout the country. This has caused the official unemployment rate to never increase more than 5 or 6 percent. Such a relief!
If you are also searching for the answer to this question, “how much does it cost to live in Romania?”, because you enthusiastically want to study or live in Romania? Check out this blog for all up to date cost of living and prices in Romania!
How is Expat Living Conditions and Cost of Living in Romania?
The population of Romania is approximately 20.1 million people, of which only 84% of the population are ethnic Romanians, and the rest of the population are minorities, which include: Hungarians, Germans, Ukrainians, and Russians. Romania has everything from being extremely safe for students to offer heaps of activities to keep you busy. Romanian people treat foreigners very kindly and sincerely, and this has made foreigners feel very relieved while living in this country, and many other foreigners also show great interest for living in this country. In any case, considering all the cost of living in Romania, this country is still a great destination for living, offering a high quality of life and affordable costs.
In terms of cost of living in Romania, I should say that the prices in Romania is higher than ever and important utilities such as electricity and natural gas have spiked in prices. Despite all of this, Romania is still considered one of the most affordable destinations among other European countries for studying and living. If you are a student and plan to study in Romania, then add the costs of studying in Romania to your list of expenses.
Now, let’s check out on the estimated cost of living in Romania.
The cost of food in restaurants in Romania
Definitely dining out in restaurants is one of the things that needs to be included in the cost of living in Romania. If you are looking for a reasonably priced meal, you can find good quality food in small, local restaurants in your neighborhood. Conversely, taxes on imported alcohol and international food have certainly made these kinds of food more expensive than local meals.
In general, locally sourced food and vegetables are much more affordable than branded western goods, which you can’t find in supermarkets.
| Meals at restaurant | Price range |
| Meal at inexpensive restaurants | 21.00 – 60.00 lei |
| Three-course meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant | 100.00 – 300.00 lei |
| McMeal at McDonalds | 21.00 – 30.00 lei |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter) | 5.00 – 12.00 lei |
| Imported Beer (0.33-liter bottle) | 7.00 – 15.00 lei |
| Cappuccino | 4.93 – 15 lei |
| Pepsi (0.33-liter bottle) | 4.00 – 10.00 lei |
| Water (0.33-liter bottle) | 4.00 – 9.00 lei |
Shopping in the markets and supermarkets of Romania
When you move to a new country like Romania, where food and culture are different from in your home country, it is essential to follow the lifestyle of its residents. In this way, you would be able to adjust to the surroundings and not spend a fortune on non-essential items. Therefore, it is better to buy your food from local markets at affordable prices. In this way, you could easily reach standard of living in Romania.
| Food stuff | Price range |
| Milk (1 liter) | 4.00 – 9.00 lei |
| Loaf of white bread (500 g) | 2.00 – 8.00 lei |
| White rice (1 kg) | 4.00 – 10.00 lei |
| 12 eggs | 6.00 – 15.60 lei |
| Local cheese | 20.00 – 50.00 lei |
| Chicken Fillets (1kg) | 14.00 – 32.00 lei |
| Beef round (1 kg) | 24.00 – 60.00 lei |
| Bread for two people (for 1 day) | 3.90 – 5.70 lei |
| Apples (1 kg) | 3.00 – 6.00 lei |
| Banana (1 kg) | 4.50 – 8.20 lei |
| Oranges (1 kg) | 4.00 – 10.00 lei |
| Tomato (1kg) | 4.00 – 15.00 lei |
| Potato (1kg) | 1.50 – 5.00 lei |
| Onion (1kg) | 2.00 – 5.00 lei |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 2.00 – 5.00 lei |
| Water (1.5-liter bottle) | 2.00 – 4.00 lei |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 15.00 – 40.00 lei |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 21.00 – 25.00 lei |
Cost of transportation in Romania
In terms of transportation, public transport is inexpensive and affordable, and you have many different options to choose. From trains to buses! On the other hand, if you choose to live in a rural area in Romania and commute to town to save on accommodation costs, that’s not a really practical way. As you will find that the transport costs of such a choice can be higher than anticipated. as you know, transportation costs make up an important part of the cost of living in Romania.
| Transportation | Price range |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.00 – 4.00 lei |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 60.00 – 130.43 |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 2.30 – 4.00 lei |
| Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff) | 2.20 – 3.80 lei |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 20.00 – 36.00 lei |
| Gasoline (1 liter) | 7.00 – 8.83 lei |
Average price of utilities in Romania
The cost of utilities is usually not included in monthly rent in Romania. Therefore, you will have to pay extra. Consider this expense in your monthly cost of living. The good news is that these costs are generally low during the summer and still during the winter it is still low, as the states covers some of the expenses. By the way, don’t forget about buying SIM card and mobile phone when you settled down in Romania. Be sure to buy a SIM card from reputable centers at reasonable costs. You can save a lot of money just by considering this thing.
| Utilities (Monthly) | Average price |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 85m2 Apartment | 377.78 – 1,000.00 lei |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | 0.10 – 0.44 lei |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 30.00 – 61.00 lei |
| 40” flat screen TV | 1,500.00 – 1,700.00 lei |
Sports and leisure activities in Romania
You can easily find different types of entertainment in Romania for every taste. If you are interested in sports, you do not need to worry about the costs of your sports club. Because all sports clubs in Romania offer their services to sports fans at a reasonable price.
| Sports | Price range |
| Monthly Fee for 1 Adult for fitness Club | 100.00 – 275.00 lei |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 40.00 – 100.00 lei |
| 1 seat in cinema | 23.00 – 40.00 lei |
| 2 tickets to the theater | 130.00 – 140.00 lei |
| Cocktail drink in downtown club | 25.00 – 37.00 lei |
Price of clothing in Romania
The prices of all kinds of clothes in Romania are very reasonable and affordable, and you can easily find expensive and stylish clothes or local clothes at a reasonable price in shops and stores. Here is a list. Check it out. Buying clothes and shopping is considered a small part of your cost of living in Romania.
| Clothes | Price range |
| 1 pair of jeans | 110.00 – 500.00 lei |
| 1 summer dress | 80.00 – 280.00 lei |
| 1 pair of running shoes | 210.00 – 450.00 lei |
How much is the monthly rent in Romania?
Alongside all of these costs, you will need to include rent in your monthly cost of living in Romania. You should bear in mind that the cost of accommodation and monthly rent in Romania is not as low as many expats may expect. However, on average, rent in Romania is much more affordable than other European countries. The monthly rent only accounts for 19.5 percent of your monthly income.
| monthly rent | Price (range) |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 1,089.11 – 2,500.00 lei |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 800.00 – 1,881.19 lei |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 1,800.00 – 5,000.00 lei |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 1,485.15 – 3,100.00 lei |
How much is the cost of buying an apartment in Romania?
As an expat, this question may pop up in your mind that “as a foreigner, can you buy a house in Romania?” well the answer to this question is a tad bid complicated. Yes and no! if you are a citizen from European Union, you have the same rights as a Romanian citizen. However, if you are a citizen from outside the European Union, it’s totally different. In order to buy a house in Romania or invest, you must have a residence permit or a business visa.
Property prices in Romania vary depending on the location, type of property and size. The prices also vary according to the city which the building is situated. Here is a tiny hint to house purchase prices in Romania.
| Apartment price | Price (range) |
| Price per Square Meter in City Centre | 5,000.00 – 15,000.00 lei |
| Price per Square Meter outside of City Centre | 4,222.00 – 10,721.00 lei |
How about average salary and minimum wage in Romania?
According to official data from the Romanian National Institute of Statistics, the average wage in Romania for a single person is about 1,220 euros (6,031 lei) per month. This means that for living a relatively decent life in Romania, you need to earn at least 6,031 lei monthly. A single person estimated monthly costs are about 537.3$ (2,452.9lei) without rent. With a little math, you will find that you won’t face much difficulties with this amount of income. Remember that everything depends on your life style!
However, with rising rent prices and increasing food costs, it would be a bless to have company and share these important costs with. The amount of monthly salary is determined according to your major and work experience. In general, the highest monthly salaries are recorded in computer programming, consulting and related activities (including information services) which is about 8,107 lei/1,645 euros, and the lowest salary is recorded in the accommodation and food sector which is also about 1,732 lei/350 euros.
Here is another important issue. Health care and medicine in Romania!
How much does health care cost in Romania?
Health care in Romania, like any other European countries, is based on the centralized social medical insurance and services are fully covered by up to 85% of the population in Romania. The good news is that public sources account for more than 80% of the total financing of health care and you can easily use these services in time of need. Romania has one of the lowest medical among all other EU member states. The list mentioned below also includes the cost of personal care.
| Personal care | Price (range) |
| Cold medicine for 6 days (tylenol, frenadol, coldrex, or equivalent brands) | 25 – 30 lei |
| 1 box of antibiotics (12 doses) | 30 – 35 lei |
| Short visit to private doctor (15 minutes) | 205 – 220 lei |
| Deodorant, roll-on (50ml ~ 1.5 oz.) | 10 – 20 lei |
Consider All the Cost of Living in Romania, Is living in Romania Affordable?
Romania is a picturesque country with a perfect climate, access to the sea and beautiful sandy beaches, alongside the perfect and delicious foods. In addition, Romania is noticeably cheaper, and its universities offer high quality education with the most affordable tuition fees than in more developed European countries. This has made many international students opt to study in Romania.
Hopefully, all these detailed information about cost of living in Romania manage to paint a better picture of the anticipated costs and help you to budget your finances in advance. If you still have questions regarding the cost of living in Romania, ask us in comments. Furthermore, if you are already living in Romania, don’t hesitate to share your information with us. We will appreciate that!
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