After living in Constanta for a year and a half now, I am ready to share the real cost of living in the city. It’s surprisingly high – for me, at least. But at least the city makes up for that.
So, if you’re considering living in Constanta, here’s the short summary, although I recommend checking the entire analysis below.
The monthly cost of living in Constanta, in 2024, is between €1,200 – €1,500 per single person. As a couple, expect to pay around €2,000 – €2,500 per month in total.
The costs here are higher than the average in the country, but that makes sense somewhat, as we’re talking about one of the main tourist spots in Romania, but also one of the largest cities, with an increasing expat population (and better than the average job opportunities).
Breaking down the monthly living costs in Constanta
Let’s get in depth, as the costs really surprised me, as I had initially budgeted a lot less than what we’re actually spending as a family of three.
Accommodation costs
Rental prices in Constanta are simply insane. I just read an article (in Romanian here – but you can use Google Translate to read it in English) stating that rental prices are 29% higher overall compared to last year, with an average rental price of €602/month.
The biggest increase in rental costs was for smaller apartments – 34% for 1-bedroom apartments (on average €448/month) and studios – 39% (€281/month).
I will go more in depth about this at the end of the article, to keep things as to the point as possible here – but make sure to read my thoughts on why rental costs have gone up so much.
Until then, here are your estimated rental costs per month, in Constanta:
- Studio in a good area: €300 / month
- 1-bedroom apartment in a good area: €450 / month
- 2-bedroom apartment in a good area: €800 / month
IMPORTANT: In Romania, people count the total rooms, not just the bedrooms. So if you see a “3 room apartment,” it is what you’d normally call a 2-bedroom.
I recommend trying to find an apartment to rent in the off season months, as that is when you will get the best prices.
If you start looking for rent between May – end of August, expect to pay more as the offer is lower since most will prefer to rent their places short term to tourists over the summer.
If you want to buy an apartment instead, expect to pay between €1,500 – €1,700 per square meter.
This means that a regular 2-bedroom apartment of 70 square meters costs anything between €105,000 and €120,000. I personally saw many priced even higher.
Read about the best areas to live in Constanta here.
If you want to get a bit more in-depth with this, check out my article about the best websites in Romania for property listings (both rent and buy).
Food costs
Expect for a single person to spend around €400 per month for food, assuming that they will be eating mostly at home. For a couple, the monthly amount is around €650 per month.
Store-bought food prices are similar throughout the country. We have cheaper supermarkets like Lidl, Penny or Kaufland, as well as supermarket chains offering a wider range of products (but slightly more expensive) like Carrefour or Auchan.
IMPORTANT: Food expenses are the most difficult to estimate. Depending on your eating habits and diet, prices can vary greatly here.
I assume that you could eat as a couple for as little as €500 per month, but you can easily spend a lot more.
For a full list of food prices in Romania, check my previous article.
To have a few numbers, expect to pay around €2 for a large loaf of bread, €3 for 10 eggs, €1.5 for a liter of milk and €7 for 1kg of chicken breasts.
Entertainment costs
Again, this is something that can really break the bank if you’re not careful. There are plenty of options to spend the night having fun in Constanta, there are plenty of amazing restaurants here, as well as cafes.
Considering that you’re a bit budget-oriented, put aside €200 for entertainment as a single person and €400 for a couple.
These amounts are more on the modest side, giving you the option to eat out in a restaurant once a week, have some coffee from a coffee shop every now and then, and go out during the weekends.
On the other side, if you eat exclusively at home and you don’t go out much, these costs can be 0.
Just to put things into perspective, expect for a regular meal (without drinks) to be around €10 in a restaurant, a latte or cappuccino around €3, a beer starts at around €3 also, while a bottle of wine will be around €20.
Other costs
You will have various expenses every month, including utilities, transportation costs and buy necessities for your home, clothes and such.
These costs will vary again based on your own spending style and habits, but I am estimating them below:
- Utilities: €100 per month
- Internet, Mobile & TV: €17 per month
- Monthly Bus Pass: €25
- Gym membership: €30
- Doctor visit: €50 (private clinic)
Apart from these, expect to pay around €1.5 per liter of gasoline, in case you plan to have a car.
Overall, budgeting at least €200 per person for costs in the “other” category is the bare minimum.
If you have to pay for health insurance, visit the doctor, buy clothes and such, prices go up quite a lot, fast.
Total monthly costs
Summing up all the costs above, we end up with monthly living expenses of at least €1,200 per person in Constanta, while a couple will spend at least €2, 000/month.
I still consider these to be a bit on the lower end, but offering a decent life without many limitations.
You will have many Romanians tell you that they live on a lot less (and they do!), but many won’t pay rent – or they share rent, and they also receive help from relatives, in terms of food, clothes and other things.
Personal thoughts about the high cost of living in Constanta
Constanta is one of the most expensive cities in Romania, with the high cost of living being pushed up by higher-than-average rent and increased entertainment and eating out costs.
Being located on the Black Sea’s coast, and being one of the most touristy places in the country, prices in restaurants, small shops and even services are also higher.
I’ve seen this when we ate out in Sinaia – and I am sure that’s how it is in all touristic places in the world.
Rental prices in Constanta have been also pushed up by high demand, part of it fueled by the war in Ukraine.
Since Constanta is close to the border, many Ukrainians have moved here and we all know that when the demand is high, prices go up as well.
But even though the influx of expats has cooled down to normal levels, prices are still going up.
To be honest, I wasn’t expecting the living expenses to be that high here. But this is the reality – and I don’t think that they will go down unless something catastrophic happens.
Inflation is still high in Romania, salaries are going up, and the quality of life is also increasing for more people – all of these resulting in higher monthly costs overall.
Final words
Now you know what to expect, in terms of the cost of living, from Constanta. Make sure to add any costs that you know you’ll have that I might have not mentioned (like health insurance if needed or any visa costs – again, if needed).
Also, know that my estimated monthly costs are for a regular person that doesn’t go out too often.
If you are a heavy shopper and you like to party a lot, the cost of living will most likely be a lot higher.
If you’re considering moving to Constanta, you might also want to check out my previous article listing the pros and cons of living here.
If you’re living in Constanta, I would like to know what your estimated monthly costs are. The more details you can offer about your lifestyle and actual costs, the more helpful it will be.
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The prices do seem higher than I would have thought even though I am not surprised. The prices are going up everywhere and I find it unsustainable, as far as housing is concerned. Sooner or later, the digital nomad movement has to peak and the speculators will get a shock. I read somewhere that almost 90% of mortgages in Portugal are adjustable ones and people are stroking out because their payments have gone through the roof. I predict pain for so many. Constanta looks lovely though so I guess it’s worth it.
Romania has adjustable mortgage rates also… and it wasn’t pleasant here either for those who had one. But let’s see what happens… I think that 2024 will be just as interesting as 2023 – if not more so.