Researched by ExpatMoneyEU Research Team · Last updated 8 November 2026 · Data: Romania expat budget ranges (single person €800–€1,200/month in Bucharest, €600–€900 in other cities) and 2026 rent and transport figures. Estimate only — not financial advice. Figures are illustrative ranges, not quotes — verify rents on the ground before you sign a contract.
ExpatMoneyEU verdict: A single expat can live in Bucharest on about 5,480 RON a month (roughly €1,085) at a budget lifestyle — use this calculator to test your own city and household before you accept a Romanian salary.
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What this calculator does
This calculator builds an estimated monthly budget for an expat living in Romania, from your city, household size and lifestyle. It starts from a single person’s budget in your city — rent for a one-bedroom flat in the centre, utilities, groceries, a public transport pass, a mobile plan and leisure — then scales each line for a couple or a family, and lifts the non-rent lines for a comfortable lifestyle. The figures are illustrative ranges for November 2026, built from published expat budget ranges for Romania (a single person spends roughly €800–€1,200 a month in Bucharest and €600–€900 in other cities) — not quotes, and not a promise of what you will pay.
The Romanian context in one number: rent is the whole story. A one-bedroom flat in central Bucharest costs roughly 2,750 RON (about €545) a month, while the same flat in Iași costs roughly 1,900 RON (about €376) — a 31% gap that swamps every other line in the budget. Pick the city first, then the lifestyle.
→ Free Romania Net Salary Calculator — check whether the salary covers this budget
How to use it (4 steps)
- Pick your city — Bucharest is the priciest, Iași and Brașov the cheapest of the five listed.
- Choose your household: single, couple, or a family of two adults and one child.
- Choose a lifestyle: budget (cook at home, public transport) or comfortable (eat out weekly, larger flat).
- Read your estimated monthly and annual budget instantly — no sign-up — and use “Copy link to this result” to save or share it.
→ Best Bank Accounts in Romania for Expats — November 2026 Guide
The formula, with every variable explained
Monthly budget = rent + utilities + groceries + transport + phone + leisure. The base is a single person on a budget lifestyle: rent for a one-bedroom flat in the city centre (Bucharest 2,750 RON, Cluj-Napoca 2,500 RON, Timișoara 2,100 RON, Iași 1,900 RON, Brașov 2,000 RON), utilities including heating and internet 650 RON, groceries 1,400 RON, a monthly public transport pass 80 RON, a mobile plan 100 RON and leisure 500 RON. A couple scales groceries to 1.7×, utilities to 1.3×, transport to 2× and leisure to 1.6×; a family takes a larger flat (rent 1.6×), groceries 2.6×, utilities 1.6×, transport 2.5× and leisure 2×. A comfortable lifestyle lifts rent by 20% and every other line by 30%. The euro figure uses an illustrative 5.05 RON per euro.
→ Open a Bank Account in Romania as an Expat — where your salary actually lands
Worked example with real numbers
Example: a single expat in Bucharest on a budget lifestyle. Rent is 2,750 RON, utilities 650 RON, groceries 1,400 RON, a transport pass 80 RON, a mobile plan 100 RON and leisure 500 RON — a total of 5,480 RON a month, or roughly €1,085 at the illustrative 5.05 RON per euro rate, and 65,760 RON a year. That sits inside the published range of €800–€1,200 a month for a single person in Bucharest. The same single person in Iași pays 1,900 RON of rent instead of 2,750 RON, so the total falls to 4,630 RON a month (about €917). A couple in Bucharest on a budget lifestyle pays 7,095 RON a month (rent 2,750 + utilities 845 + groceries 2,380 + transport 160 + phone 160 + leisure 800), and on a comfortable lifestyle the same couple pays 8,949 RON a month — check the calculator for your own combination (illustrative figures — verify rents before you sign).
Cost table used by this calculator (2026, single person, budget lifestyle)
| City | Rent (1-bed, centre) | Utilities | Groceries | Transport pass | Monthly total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bucharest | 2,750 RON | 650 RON | 1,400 RON | 80 RON | 5,480 RON |
| Cluj-Napoca | 2,500 RON | 650 RON | 1,400 RON | 80 RON | 5,230 RON |
| Timișoara | 2,100 RON | 650 RON | 1,400 RON | 80 RON | 4,830 RON |
| Iași | 1,900 RON | 650 RON | 1,400 RON | 80 RON | 4,630 RON |
| Brașov | 2,000 RON | 650 RON | 1,400 RON | 80 RON | 4,730 RON |
Illustrative ranges for November 2026, excluding phone (100 RON) and leisure (500 RON) from the table for readability — both are included in the calculator total. Rents vary street by street; always verify on the ground.
→ Cost of Living in Europe for Expats — November 2026 Guide
Sources and disclaimer
Budget ranges are built from published Romania expat budget guidance (a single person spends roughly €800–€1,200 a month in Bucharest and €600–€900 in other Romanian cities), combined with 2026 rent levels for one-bedroom flats in each city centre and a monthly public transport pass of about 80 RON. The euro conversion uses an illustrative rate of 5.05 RON per euro (November 2026). Estimate only — not financial advice. Figures are illustrative; verify rents, utility bills and transport prices locally before you commit, and re-check each January — Romanian rents and the minimum wage move every year.
Send money home from Romania without the bank markup:
You may also need…
- Free Romania Net Salary Calculator
- Best Bank Accounts in Romania for Expats
- Free Money Transfer Cost Calculator