Cost of Living

TL;DR

Compare two cost-of-living scenarios (A vs B) by editing monthly categories (rent, utilities, groceries, transport, other). This is meant for relocation and budgeting, not as a “country ranking”.

Who this is for

• Job seekers considering relocation within Romania.
• Contractors deciding between cities based on budget.
• Anyone sanity-checking whether an offer “actually improves my life” after expenses.

How to use it

1. Set Scenario A to your current city.
2. Set Scenario B to your target city.
3. Adjust categories to match your lifestyle (single, family, commute, etc.).
4. Compare totals and the difference.

A simple way to avoid “wishful budgeting”

Cost of living is highly personal. The most useful comparison is not “average city cost”, but “my monthly budget in city A vs city B”.

Use these tactics to make the numbers realistic:

• use ranges when uncertain (e.g., rent could be 600–900)
• assume you’ll spend more the first 2–3 months (setup and exploration costs)
• separate recurring monthly costs from one-time relocation costs

Categories that usually matter most

Rent (and why it dominates)

Rent is usually the largest lever. For realism:

• consider neighborhood + commute time (cheaper rent can cost more time)
• include parking if needed
• include building fees if applicable

Utilities + internet

Utilities can fluctuate seasonally. Budget a conservative average rather than a perfect month.

Groceries + eating out

If you plan to eat out more in the new city (social life, office lunches), reflect that change explicitly.

Transport

Include:

• public transport pass
• fuel + parking (if driving) — use Route cost estimate and Fuel budget
• occasional taxi/ride-share (often underestimated)

“Other” (the silent budget killer)

Use this for:

• gym, subscriptions, health costs
• childcare/schooling
• travel back home (if relocating away from family)

One-time relocation costs (don’t ignore them)

Monthly budgets are only half the story. When relocating, one-time costs often dominate the first 1–2 months:

• rental deposit and agency fees (if applicable)
• moving costs (transport, boxes, movers)
• basic furniture and setup (desk, chair, kitchen items)
• switching costs (new commute card, admin paperwork, temporary housing)

If you want a clean decision, amortize one-time costs over 6–12 months and add them to your “effective monthly cost”.

Worked scenarios (use as templates)

Scenario 1: single developer (hybrid)

Add:

• rent close to the office (or cheaper rent + higher transport)
• transport days per month (hybrid schedule)
• occasional eating out (office lunches)

Scenario 2: couple (two incomes)

Model two variants:

• higher rent but shorter commutes
• lower rent but higher transport + time cost The “cheapest” option isn’t always the best if it increases stress/time.

Scenario 3: family budget

The biggest swing is often childcare/schooling. Put it explicitly in “Other” and don’t leave it as an afterthought.

Where to get realistic numbers

To avoid fantasy budgets, ground your inputs:

• check rent listings for the neighborhoods you’d actually live in
• price your weekly groceries for 2–3 typical carts (not just “average”)
• estimate commute cost (fuel + parking or transit pass)
• add a buffer for “unexpected” (repairs, medical, seasonal utilities)

Edge cases & gotchas

• Costs vary widely by neighborhood and lifestyle; use ranges when uncertain.
• Don’t forget one-time costs (deposit, furniture, moving).
• One-time costs often decide whether relocation is worth it (deposit + moving + setup).
• Compare like-for-like: if you change lifestyle (more dining out, more commuting), your budget should change too.

What next?

Pair it with:

• Estimate take‑home (2025) for “can I afford it?” planning
• Workday calendar if you’re estimating commute days or hybrid schedules
• Travel allowance if you’re budgeting frequent travel

Next steps (IT Jobs List)

For cost of living, use complete scenarios (rent, utilities, transport) and compare against your net salary/income.

Related guides

• Relocating to Romania (IT): budget checklist and scenarios

Quick recommendation

• Save your assumptions (rates, breaks, thresholds) so you can reproduce the result.
• If you use the output in an invoice/offer, include a short explanation (what’s included and what’s not).

Practical checklist (IT Jobs List)

• Start with rent + utilities (largest component), then add transport, food, coworking.
• Calculate two scenarios: “minimum” and “comfortable”.
• Compare against net salary and add a buffer for the unexpected.