MigrantoCost of living in Romania
Average monthly spending, by standard of living, by category, and against other countries
Monthly cost
RON 5,200
what a typical person spends
Spending by standard of living
RON 2,110richest 20%
RON 11,100
Most of what you'd spend in Romania stays low, held down by cheap local food and labor. The catch is housing — in Bucharest and the bigger cities, paying for a place weighs heavier than the easy grocery bills would lead you to expect. There's a real but moderate distance between scraping by and living well.
Where people spend money in Romania
Food leads a Romanian budget, which tells you something about daily life — the markets are cheap and well stocked, so groceries are a low-stress cost. Housing comes next and carries real weight, especially in the cities, and it's the part you can't trim. Getting around stays affordable, leaving most of your fixed burden concentrated in the rent.
Living-cost calculator
What it costs to live in Romania
Tell us what you earn and spend today — we'll estimate what the same lifestyle would cost in Romania and how much you could have left each month
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- How much could be left each month
- How it compares with today
Cost of living in Romania
RON 2,110/mo
vs RON 3,620 in your country
Take-home
RON 5,120
vs RON 5,430 in your country
Potential savings
RON 3,010
more than in your country
Standard of living
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How living costs in Romania compare
Romania ranks among the more affordable countries in Europe while still costing more than much of the world — a pairing that sits together more comfortably than it sounds. What keeps it low is simply that local life is cheap; what keeps it above the global middle is that it's still part of the European economy. For someone weighing it, that's a genuinely low-cost European base, as long as you read 'low-cost' against its neighbors rather than the world.
Data source: household consumption 2024 (World Bank), International Comparison Program 2021 (World Bank), category breakdown 2022 (Eurostat), adjusted to 2026 using IMF GDP-per-capita growth
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Frequently asked questions
What is the cost of living in Romania?
A typical person in Romania spends about RON 5,200 a month — around RON 62,400 a year — on housing, groceries, transport and other everyday costs. It's a nationwide average across different regions, cities and types of housing.
What is the cost of living in Romania in US dollars?
The cost of living in Romania is about $1,149 a month, or roughly $13,788 a year per person.
How much money do you need to live comfortably in Romania?
It all depends on your standard of living. A modest budget runs about RON 2,110 a month per person, a typical one around RON 5,200, and a comfortable life around RON 7,200. In big cities and for a family, costs are usually higher.
What do people spend the most on in Romania?
The biggest expense is groceries, at about RON 1,300 a month (25% of spending). Then come housing (RON 955, 18%) and transport (RON 579, 11%).
Is the average salary in Romania enough to live on?
In most cases yes, but without much of a cushion. Average spending is about RON 5,200 a month, while the average take-home pay in Romania is about RON 6,260. For more on incomes, see salaries in Romania.
Is Romania an expensive country to live in?
Yes. Romania is more expensive than 74% of countries worldwide and ranks 29th of 41 in Europe by cost of living.
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Living in Romania
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