Cost of living in Romania

Sent by Conrad in Jan 2007

Hi

This is my first post and i will write about the prices in Romania .
I will write the prices in my city which is very close to the Hungarian border but you'll have to expect the accomodation price to be more expensive in Bucharest  which is the capital of Romania .

> accommodation prices :60-100 euros for a studio flat
100-150 euros for one bedroom apartment.
150-300 for a house.

> public transportation fares .I have no idea but i think is very cheap because the taxi charge you about 0.25 eurocent /km.
> food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?)The food is expensive in Romania you will need about 100-200 euro for a family of two.

> health prices .A visit to the doctors will cost you about 6-7 euro the same amount youhave to pay for the dentist.

> eduction prices .About 200 euro for a 3-5 month course or 4-500 euro for one year at private university.

> energy prices (oil, electricity)petrol and diesel prices are about the same and the price for one liter is about 1 euro.
The electricity bill is 50 -60 euro for two months period.
The gas bill is about 100 euro/month.

> common bills >internet and phone about 10 euros /month for cable internet at 1mb and a lot of free minutes for the phone.
Cable is about 6-10 euro .
Mobile phones is 8-10 euros whith 200-300 minutes included.

> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant.10-20 euros for two with two course meal and drinks.

> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub.1 euro for a beer ,4-8 euro for a bottle of wine.

>Tobacco price is about 1 euro for 20 cigarettes pack .

Sent by pivo in April 2008

Updated prices for 2008 Romania, city of Iasi
(2nd or 3rd largest city by population, located in North-East)
All prices are in EUR and include VAT.

> accommodation prices
A furnished apartment (45 sqm = livingroom + bedroom + bathroom + kitchen) in an acceptable area = EUR 350-400 per month
(first payment is usually: 1 month in advance, plus 1 month security deposit, plus 1/2 month as agent's fee)

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...)
a bus ticket for two rides = EUR 0.70
a 30 day pass for one bus line = EUR 8.6
(a quite crappy) 2nd class train ticket to the other side of the country: the border with Hungary (611 Km in 11:30 hrs) = EUR 20

> food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?)
10 chicken eggs = EUR 1.8
1.5L bottled mineral water = EUR 0.66
1L milk = EUR 0.55 (updated due to a currency exchange error )
0.7 kg bread = EUR 0.75
1 Kg grill chicken = EUR 2.4

Sorry. I don't know how much is this per month
NB: these are prices for small shops. Hypermarkets usually have special offers and lower prices.

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance)
National insurance: 6.5% per month from your earnings (if you are self-employed; don't know for other employee types). Dental is not covered but it's waaay cheaper than Western Europe.
Warning: Hospitals are not very well equipped and medics not very well paid, so be prepared to pay extra for serious things (as a bribe/incentive to the performing doctor if you need surgery: EUR 100+)

> eduction prices (if you need to pay)
in a state University = free for some students, and usually EUR 450 to 650 per year for others (free/not free, depends on grades)

> energy prices (oil, electricity)
electricity = -i don't know-
heating during this winter was = about EUR 20/month x 4 months (for a 45 sqm apartment)
car gas or diesel = about EUR 1.10 per L

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)
Landline phone + 3 mbps internet with no other limits = EUR 10 to 15
Mobile 3G/EDGE/GPRS internet = EUR 24 (with a download limit of 6 GB per month)
Prepay Mobile phone (flat tariff plan): EUR 0.06/sms, EUR 0.19/min to any national network at any time, EUR 0.12/min to one favourite number
Cable TV, about 40 stations w/o HBO = about EUR 6

> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant
-don't know-

> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub
a 0.5L beer = EUR 0.90 to 1.40 (depends on brand and type)
a pack of 20 cigarettes = EUR 1.70 to 2

I have Hosted a Romanian Students, The way she discribed life there are very laid back and seems Young Teens has no responsibility and Indepedency or sometimes hard to find a job for a young persons.

True for small cities. Not true for Bucharest. There are plenty of jobs in Bucharest, for anybody.

The pivo's information is true in the mostly part of the country.
Some say that jobs are difficult to find. Can't argue with that, but this is not a problem in all cities. For example, Bucuresti, Timisoara, Cluj, Iasi etc have lots of jobs.

Hello could you please tell me the cost for petrol this time in Romania?Also I saw from a friend above that the cost for tuition fees are lower than i have seen in the universities sites which are about 250 per month.Is that true?I'm a european union citizen how much do i have to pay for fees?Thank you

geleonti wrote:

Hello could you please tell me the cost for petrol this time in Romania?Also I saw from a friend above that the cost for tuition fees are lower than i have seen in the universities sites which are about 250 per month.Is that true?I'm a european union citizen how much do i have to pay for fees?Thank you

Hello. An Euro in our country costs around 4.3 RON. The price for 1 litre of petrol is ~3.5 RON, while 1 litre of diesel costs around 4 RON. The GPL costs ~2 RON. The price for some universities is around 300-400Euros per year.

I payed 450 euros per year in Sibiu, for a 5 year Computer Science degree. The prices are more or less the same all over the country. But this is valid for Romanian citizens.
If you are a foreigner, the tax could be higher... I have no idea how much though.

Hi,
What you have written is very interesting and I would also like to find out more about the cost of living in Romania (in Bucharest). The reason is that I am currently being approached by a foreign company interested in hiring me for a position in their office in Bucharest. I am thus very interestedin finding out aboutthe cost of living in Bucharest so that I could make proper decisions especially on remunerations from the company. I woudl thus appreciate any information that anyone have taht could assist me in the above.

Thks

Hello.

The cost of living very much depends on one's lifestyle. Do you eat out or you cook? You drive or use the tube? Will you live alone or with the family? Do you have kids? Do you smoke?

There was a post above that talked about the cost of living in Iasi. In Bucharest it can be higher.

Just as an example, the rent can begin at 400 euros for 1 bedroom small apartment.
Put aside 200 for gas and 200 for food and home supplies. That assuming you drive (not recommended in Bucharest) and you cook (eat at home). Again, 20 for internet and phone, 10 for cable tv, 30 for electricity, 30 for water, 50-150 for gas (if you have a heating micro-central and depends on the season, as you do more during the winter)...
You will also have insurances to pay for the car, which varies a lot depending on the car you have. Start at about 50 per year the mandatory one. Optional full insurance can get to thousands of euro per year.
And these are just living expenses.
So this means about 1000 euros per month as a minimum. But this amount is more adapted to my life style. You can live with 600 or 1500 will not be enough.

It just... depends

Thanks for the reply.
I am looking at living alone in a 1 bedroom apartment, eating out on weekdays (simple meals) and cooking on weekends. I will not be looking at driving or owning a vehicle but instead probably look at taking the tube. Excluding accommodations, would say 500 to 600 euros be sufficient for a simple lifetyle?

Anotehr thing is does Bucharest have hypermarkets like Carrefour, etc where it make easy shopping for eseential items.

Thks

I'm not sure about living simple with 500 if you pay 400 for rent... the difference will not be enough to cover for the utility taxes...

Of course the are hypermarkets. It's an European capital city...
You have more hypermarkets and malls than in other countries in Europe. Kaufaland, Carrefour, Real, Metro, Cora... their all there.

Thanks again for the reply. Actually the 500 to 600 euro I mentioned was without accommodations (as accomodations will be provided by the company hiring me). Would therefore 500 to 600 euros (without accommodations included) be sufficient to live an average life style.

Thks
Chin W S

Oh, you didn't mention that

Yes, 500 euros I think will cover for it.

HEY i am plannaing to move to romania with my wife , i live in the united arab emirates. as i was reading that u can survive with 1000 eur monthly . so can i find jobs easily there as i am a high school drop out. and do u think i should come to romania and live ? as my wife also holds the romanian citizen and i hold the canadaian..

Hello.

As I said in my previous posts, it depends a lot.
There are whole families living on 200 euros or less per month, but that's just unfortunate people. Or 1000 could not suffice...
You can try and calculate yourself, depending on your lifestyle at your current location. Ask me for prices on what you usually spend your money on.

Keep this in mind: rent is 400 euros or more + utilities that go beyond 150 euros (300 during the cold winters). Starting with that in mind, you can do some math and figure it out. I'll help you.

About you coming to live in Romania... it's all about how you feel. If your wife is Romanian, maybe she would feel a lot more comfortable as the culture and the language are already embedded in her mind. About you, I don't know what to say... a lot of people have University diplomas (even if they are from a no-name, private, pay-and-you-have-a-diploma type Unis), and the jobs are fewer because of the crisis. Maybe if you try and get a high-school diploma, and after enroll in a Uni, you have a lot more choices. Personally, I didn't need a diploma when I got my first 2 jobs. I worked as a computer technician and after as the store manager (for the same company) and after that as a network administrator. In both places they asked me what I know and practically tested me. I was a student back then. At the current job, they asked for a diploma, but this is a multinational company, with a higher pay and... generally they filter their employees more than usual. Right now there is a company here that hires network technician (thus no diploma) with previous work experience with salaries starting at 600 euros. In Bucharest, the salaries are usually higher, but also the expenses. But if you want to live in a smaller city, chaper than Bucharest, with a lot of culture (European Capital of Culture in 2007) and history (officially dated back to the 14th century) you can try Sibiu (Hermannstadt) or others like Brasov, Timisoara, Iasi...

My fingers are starting to get numb now

I hope I helped you.
You are free to ask me additional info if you want.

hey, thanks alot for this info. As i really want to move out to romania with my wife so i can make her feel comfortable. regarding a job any job will be good for me bro even at restaurants anything am happy . i am planning also to own a studio so i can just forget about rent but am working on this part , can you tell me how much can i own a studio in buch. ?  i meen i dont spend much like only for the grocries and house equipments , goin out maybe on weekends like u no.  also another q.. can u survive for a whole year with 30,000 eur,, an meanwhile look for a job?  thanx alot bro.

Hi.
You can get a studio in Bucharest for 30k to 150k euros. A nice one can cost you 70k to 80k euros. I think 30k will suffice for a  young couple for a year. Even more if you don't want a lavish life.
The job market is bad these days. Not that many jobs available.
But if you have that amount in the bank, you have time to look for something to work

so i can manage to rent a place and look for a job and survive maybe a year if i have 30,000 euro in my acct   thanx for ur help

No problem.
Glad to be of assistance.

Hi,

I found a very interesting post about this topic here: expatinterviews.com/romania/miriam.html

Hallo,
what may be the cost of Helth Insurance per month?

If I well remember it's about 7% of salary..

Hi,
How much is the cost of living in Cluj-Napoca? Is it near to Iasi's?

Cluj Napoca is just a little bit cheaper than Bucharest. It is the second or the third city as importance after Bucharest.
Is quite far from Iasi - 390 km, and there is no highway beteewn them. Both Iasi and Cluj have airports, but that one in Cluj will be closed for few months for reabilitation.

Hello,  just wondering if one becomes a Romanian citizen are you eligible for free health care or does one need a job (contract job)?

Based on their health care system are meds covered as well?

nope. if you become a 'roman' or "romanca" you get all the public benefits (which are not great really) as the schooling, health all suck here.

u should be able to work like a normal citizen and you dont need a workpermit.

So in the public option the cost of medications are not covered in Romania?

hi do we get rice and wheat powder in timisora? what would be the cost per kg? also do we get rented furniture?

Hi!
Can anyone tell me the rent in Timisoara? and how much food cost per month? thanks

I think you can expect to pay about 300-350 EUR for a 2 room appartment in Timisoara. Of course, you can find cheaper or more expensive apartments, depending on different factors.
Monthly cost of food? I guess around 200 EUR/person.

bssf, thanks, and what is the cost of studio but good-located?

geleonti wrote:

Hello could you please tell me the cost for petrol this time in Romania?Also I saw from a friend above that the cost for tuition fees are lower than i have seen in the universities sites which are about 250 per month.Is that true?I'm a european union citizen how much do i have to pay for fees?Thank you

The cost of petrol is up to 5 RON/ liter!
And no matter that you are European Union citizen, the fees are as for foreigners! The same is in Greece, a Romanian pays there fees as a foreigner!

Hi, Please let me know where to look for an apartment that is fairly up-market and close to the medical university in Timisoara.
Thanks
Lynne

Hi, I think you should use this website: http://www.imobiliare.ro/inchirieri-apa … ra-2350118 The link is for apartments to rent in Timisoara. You have a map on the left side, which will help you look into a specific area.
I think you can use Google language tools for some sort of assistance with the language.

Thank you so much. I need to secure an apartment before I get there. Is there anything that I should be aware of when choosing a suitable apartment, i.e things that I should ask and be aware of? I know nothing of the area or the common practices.

I am not from Timisoara so I don't know about the issues specific to the city. In general, I think you should just use common sense and things should be ok.
There are people that will be fair but you may also find people that will try to take advantage of you. That's why I think it might be difficult to find the best place before you arrive in Timisoara. It is important to see the apartment before, to assess the advantages and disadvantages.
If I were you I would try to find a good real estate agent in Timisoara. Perhaps a short term accomodation might be arranged and during that period you will be able to find a suitable long term apartment to rent.
You should make a contract and make payments according to that contract. I don't know if this was the type of answer you were expecting. If I can be of further assistance, let me know.
Regards,
Tudor

Hi Tudor,
Thanks for the advice. I have looked at the link that you sent me and it will be best that I link up with an agent and see the places first. It is for my daughter, first year medicine and I want to secure accommodation for at least a year. So I will spend two weeks in a hotel/guest house and have a good look at places. One last thing - might be difficult as you live in Bucharest - do you recommend a car or is the transport system really good?
Regards
Lynne

Indeed, i can't give you a very good answer to this question. I have only been to Timisoara with my car and I don't know how the transport system is.
Driving in Romania in general (and in Bucharest in particular) can be a challange; I suppose it can be a bit stressful at times, due to the traffic and the lack of respect for rules on behalf of many drivers.
Therefore, trying the public transport system may be a good first option. If you find it unreliable, you can always find a car to rent.