Cost #2/31 · Cost of living · Europe · Eurostat PLI 2024
🇷🇴 Cost of living in Romania
Romania undercuts most of the EU-27 across rent, groceries and transport - see the categories driving that gap and how far local income actually stretches.
- Cost rank · cheapest = #1 of 31
- #2
- Affordability rank · highest purchasing power = #1 of 29
- #27
Romania's livability score
Livability score
66/100
Romania, weighted across 8 of 8 tracked dimensions
A cost-and-income composite (price-level indices plus purchasing power), not an overall quality-of-life judgment, it does not weigh climate, safety, culture, or healthcare outcomes.
- Purchasing power F €8,187
Median net income adjusted for local cost level
- Overall cost A+ 57
Eurostat overall price level (EU27=100)
- Rent A 52
Housing / rent price level (EU27=100)
- Groceries A+ 76
Food and non-alcoholic beverages (EU27=100)
- Healthcare A+ 34
Healthcare price level (EU27=100)
- Transport A+ 79
Transport price level (EU27=100)
- Utilities A- 62
Electricity / gas / water (EU27=100)
- Restaurants A+ 69
Restaurants and hotels (EU27=100)
Romania: large 2024 Eurostat move
Overall cost index moved +2.7 vs the 2023 archive - among the larger European shifts this release.
- Healthcare index 31 34 2023 → 2024
Healthcare index rose from 31 to 34 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
- Restaurants index 65 69 2023 → 2024
Restaurants index rose from 65 to 69 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
- Housing & utilities index 49 52 2023 → 2024
Housing & utilities index rose from 49 to 52 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
- Transport index 76 79 2023 → 2024
Transport index rose from 76 to 79 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
- Overall cost index 55 57 2023 → 2024
Overall cost index rose from 55 to 57 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
Romania in the Under 85 cost band
On the EU-27 = 100 scale, Romania's overall index (57) sits in the Under 85 band with 9 other published countries. The Europe-wide band mix lives on the rankings hub, not repeated here.
Where Romania undercuts the EU basket
Bars + gauge for a below-EU overall index (57): which categories keep the basket cheap.
Romania - price level by category (EU-27 = 100)
🇷🇴 Romania vs EU-27 = 100
Gauge reads the same overall cost_index (57); the tick marks the EU average.
In Romania, transport is the most expensive category and healthcare the least.
Why Romania reads cheap on Eurostat
Romania's overall consumer price level is 43% below the EU-27 average. (How this index is built →)
Getting around is the standout expense in Romania: transport tops the category chart at index 79, ahead of healthcare at index 34.
That price gap works strongly in Romania's favor: prices run far below the EU average, so the headline income of €8,187 goes much further than the sticker figure suggests, worth roughly €14,263 in EU-27-average purchasing power.
Eurostat PLI Basket · similar price levels and purchasing power
Two peer sets for Romania: nearest overall price-level indices (EU-27 = 100) and nearest cost-adjusted incomes (median net income ÷ cost index). The cost band block above stays cohort-based; these neighborhoods vary by entity.
Similar overall cost index
Nearest countries by Eurostat price level (57 here, EU-27 = 100).
PLI neighbourhood · Romania
Similar purchasing power
Nearest countries by cost-adjusted income (€14,263 here).
What to do with this Romania data
Romania ranks #27 of 29 for cost-adjusted purchasing power. A raw price index alone does not tell you whether income stretches further here than elsewhere.
- Run the numbers for Romania in the calculator
- Compare Romania vs Bulgaria side by side
- See the full best-value ranking
- Browse every country we track
These are Eurostat comparative price-level averages for the whole country, not a personal budget. Regional and city-level costs can differ substantially from the national figure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Romania expensive to live in?
Romania's overall cost of living is 43% below the EU-27 average (index 57). Transport is the priciest category and healthcare the cheapest.
What are housing & utilities costs in Romania?
Romania's housing & utilities price index is 52, below the EU norm.
How does income compare to costs in Romania?
That price gap works strongly in Romania's favor: prices run far below the EU average, so the headline income of €8,187 goes much further than the sticker figure suggests, worth roughly €14,263 in EU-27-average purchasing power.
PlainCostOfLiving is rendered directly from Eurostat comparative price levels and median equivalised net income, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-20. Primary sources: Eurostat comparative price levels (prc_ppp_ind) and Eurostat median equivalised net income (ilc_di03).