Updating the Budget: Romania Beyond the 2016 Guides

Those are helpful updates. I guess the Leu doesn’t go as far as it used to!

I haven’t been to Romania in almost 4 years, and I certainly haven’t been often enough or enough times to come across like I know anything (which is why I rarely comment on Romania). But if the Rick Steves resources are like the resources on Hungary, then yes, I would not be surprised if they were dated and contained a few too many tourist cliches.

Comparing tourist prices between various locations isn’t easy. It’s always going to be apples and oranges. Occasionally I get push back when I suggest Budapest is 25% to 30% less than Vienna. “But the hotel you suggested in Budapest was $150 a night and I got one for the same price in Vienna.” But your hotel in Vienna is a 3-star a 15-minute metro ride away from the Ringstrasse and the one in Budapest is a 4-star next to the Opera house. Yes, you can do it for the same price, but with tradeoffs. And that’s fine, but apples and oranges.

Here is the UK Post Office take on the subject. For the few cities on the list that I have been to often enough or recently enough to have an opinion, the list seems to be in the ballpark. Their standard, however, is a bit lower than I suspect the RS standard of quality so uniformly increase those numbers by 25% for a starter. https://www.postoffice.co.uk/travel-money/guides/city-costs-barometer. If one wanted to compare tour guide costs, not for selection but just City A vs City B cost in general I guess one could compare 3-hour private city walking tour prices on Viator.

BUT, the real value for me when traveling to any place that is less expensive and off the beaten price is not the money I can save, but the increased value that I can get for the same cost. I didn’t reach your conclusion that Romania costs the same to visit as Western Europe. My gut, possibly incorrect, says Romania as a whole, not just Bucharest, is 20% to 30% less than any of the top 15 Western European cities for similar quality and similar experience. If not, then Romania is a bunch more expensive than Budapest.

I used my expense app to do a quick, unscientific analysis of my own spending on food on various trips.

Parameters
Various trip/stay lengths from 7 to 22 nights
Calculations are per night in country
Breakfast not included in costs
Random mix of nice meals and budget meals
Includes coffee breaks and sweet treats

Excludes tours that included meals in price
- Romania was a partially guided trip, but meals were paid separately

2026: $53 Valencia, Spain
2025: $36 Romania (Bucharest, Brasov, Cluj, Sibiu, Maramures area and more)
2025: $78 London
2024: $46 Andalusia, Spain (Madrid, Sevilla, Granada, Córdoba)
2024: $68 England (London, Chichester, Arundel)
2023: $46 Budapest
2023: $46 Warsaw and 3 Baltic capitals
2022: $36 Portugal (Lisbon, Coimbra, Porto)

I was able to separate these, which were part of a single trip but dramatically different costs.
2024: $59 Stockholm
2024: $45 Gdansk
2024: $30 Istanbul

I split out Bucharest from the rest of the Romania trip:
2025: $46 Bucharest

Note: Romania revised from $32 to $36 to align better with calculations for other trips

Disclaimer: illustrative only, not scientific

Another indicator is the price I've paid for transit passes:

2026: $16.08 Valencia 7 days of transit (10 rides, didn't use it all in a week)
2025: $23.00 Vienna 7 day transit pass
2025: $15.36 Bucharest 7 day transit pass (with metro)
2024: $43.44 Stockholm 7 day transit pass
2024: $12.49 Istanbul 7 days of transit (pay as you go, not a pass)
2024: $60-ish London 7 day fare cap, Zones 1-2
2023: $17.24 Budapest 15 day transit pass
2023: $17.90 Warsaw 6 days (2x3) transit pass

Looking forward to free in Budapest!

No more 15 day pass. Now its a month for about $30. Or a 2 day plus a 3 day is about the same price. Thank you for subsidizing my free transportation.

CW, I think my 3-day pass was around $2.30, and my bottle of Paracetamol (acetaminophen) cost 90 cents. And do you remember that four-course lunch we had at Hanu' lui Manuc? I checked my records, and I paid $8.42 for that.

Mardee,

My lunch there was $20.88. I bet I ordered more than you!

You might have bought the bus/tram pass. I bought the option that included the metro, so it was a bit more expensive.

And we had some very nice multi course meals at NOUA Bar, where my meals were $35 and $40.

CW, I love your daily breakdowns.

In 3 1/2 weeks, the most expensive meals I had in Bucharest were $40 and $39 at Noua Bar, Vila Barrio $40, Vatra $37, Cara cu Bere $46.36, and Sergiana’s in Brasov $39. Everything everywhere else was less than half those prices.

My week transportation pass for bus, tram, and metro was $15.34. And I think the bus from airport to town was 70 cents.

That said, Romania is not dirt cheap like some of Southeast Asia is. But it is still very affordable, compared to Western Europe. And gorgeous! And not crowded!

NOUA Bar? Now I know why the prices. I am bad with names. An acquaintance of mine in Bucharest insisted I take her some years ago. I didn’t remember the name, but knew it when I saw the photos. So, given what it is, do you believe for you would have gotten out for under $75 a person if it were in any of the top 15 Western European cities? It helps to explain the sort of place as that adds more value to your observations. You guys all wrote great trip reports, maybe its there. This would be a good post to add the links to. Here is the restaurant. https://www.instagram.com/noua.b.a.r/profilecard/?igsh=bTBobTgyOXFyaGZt

In my world a Bucharest whopper with fries and a drink is about 9 euro, in Paris its about 15 euro and Rome about 12 euro.

But to be fair to the OP, I presume she lived the inflation. But no, the inflation in the West was not as bad. I am guessing where the spread between Romania and the West had been 35+% now maybe its 25+% and the perception of a local can be pretty profound with a change like that.

Woops ! Just reread your post food only and edited my post. CWsocial, which expense app do you use? Your daily breakdown is very helpful. What would your daily cost be if you include hotels? The cheapest monastery stay I booked for this September is €80/night in Verona.
Ana, thank you for your analysis of increasing costs in Romania. Are prices rising about the same in Switzerland? Thanks for starting this topic.

CWsocial, which expense app do you use?
I use HandTrip, an older, offline version - which I don't think is even available any more. My older version stores data locally. The newer version stores data online, an advantage. The app allows you to indicate the currency for an expense, and each expense item can be a different currency.

Your daily breakdown is very helpful.
HandTrip offers a simple report that breaks down spending by categories for the entire "trip," but not a per-day breakdown. I include the # of nights of each trip in the trip name in HandTrip - so that I don't have to remember years later. It was quick to do the per-day math by hand, or it can be exported to a spreadsheet.

Does it include hotels?
Yes, HandTrip includes pre-set categories: hotel, food, shopping, transport, gift, souvenir, admission, a few others. You can also create custom categories.

I have the paid version of the offline (older) version of HandTrip, which gives me an unlimited number of Trips. The newer, online HandTrip has a free version. You may still have to pay for unlimited Trips.

Feel free to drop me a message, Horsewoofie, if you have more questions!

Dear @Cyn, thank you. Indeed, the Leu lost its value, but so did the US dollar against the Euro. So, travellers are spending more because of inflation, but also because of the exchange rate for the US dollar. Not to mention the ongoing war conflicts that set oil prices on fire, hence gas is more expensive, and this has triggered more expensive transport (freight and passenger as well).

@ Mr É 🇺🇸 🇺🇦 🇭🇺 Indeed, it is a much more complex topic; however, my idea was to bring it to the table as many travellers might not be aware of what has been going on in Romania/Eastern Europe/Balkans. These are emergent economies with such a fast pace, in some cases, that people would be shocked even after a pause of 2 years. Let's add to this the effects of the COVID pandemic, the inflation and the economic consequences of the ongoing war conflicts. The result - a socio-economic environment that changes at an even greater pace.

Of course, we cannot compare Romania with Germany or Switzerland, not even with Hungary, as it would be comparing apples with oranges. However, we can analyse, for example, how much a lunch costs in Berlin and how much in Bucharest, using some similar criteria - Italian restaurant, main dish plus dessert plus a drink. Or we can analyse how much it costs to have a day pass for public transport, but make sure to have those core similarities in mind. If one city is smaller and has only ground transport, of course, it may be cheaper than a Capital city that has underground and ground transport included in that day pass.

One more important thing, at least in my opinion, about these types of comparisons. Sometimes prices for a certain service or meal at the restaurant might be the same in Western and Eastern Europe. However, the size of the portions is still almost double in Eastern Europe. Fresh produce (used by chefs or available at the market) tastes better in Eastern Europe. Also, if you hire a tour guide or a driver or an accountant for 2 hours, they won't charge you extra the minute the time is up, like in Western Europe. Most likely, you'll get an extra 30 minutes for the same money. If you need help in planning your trip and reach out to a professional from Eastern Europe, they'll even make a detailed itinerary for you without charging anything for the time and energy they put into it. I don't think there is anything like this in Western Europe or the US.

To conclude, I think Romania and Eastern Europe are not the Cinderellas of the world anymore. Yes, we still work hard for the money we get, but we are catching up with the rest of the world in terms of fair wages, fair prices for the services provided, and, of course, retail and food prices are not as low as they used to be. However, the quality of the services and the human quality of the people offering them make a huge difference. So, you'd still get a lot more for your money in Eastern Europe, even though prices and costs are catching up with Western Europe.

Dear @Horsewoofie, my pleasure. I hope people understood the idea of the topic, as the examples used were just the tip of the iceberg. However, I think there are 2 or 3 categories that highly impact the travel budget - accommodation, meals at restaurants and any type of private guided tour (city tour, day trip or multiday tours). My opinion is that prices went up considerably for exactly these categories in the last 10 years. That's why I have seen many people saying, 'Oh, this is more than I have budgeted for my Romanian trip in terms of hotels and private tours. ' Yes, restaurant meals are still very affordable, but not like 10 years ago. Entrance tickets and the urban public transport are still far lower than in Western Europe.

Well, Switzerland is such a complex and complicated story. Briefly, the US dollar is at its lowest compared to the Swiss franc, and people pay more only because of the exchange rate. On top of this, inflation and the oil prices have made everything more expensive in the last 6-8 months. And, on top of everything, Switzerland was always a very expensive country. At least 2 or 3 Swiss cities are, every year, among the top 10 most expensive cities in the world. If you have more questions about Switzerland, feel free to send a private message.

Dear @CWsocial and @Mardee,

Thank you for your wonderful and valuable contributions to my topic, and, in general, when it comes to your trip to Romania. You are true ambassadors of my country, and every post or comment you leave here is so valuable.
What do you think is the most expensive spending you had to make when visiting Romania? Accommodation, renting a car, hiring a driver and/or a tour guide, meals at the restaurant? I think that might be useful for the people who are planning to visit. Understanding which subject from the travel list comes with the highest costs and adjusting the forecasted budget to the realities on the ground (in this case, your and my input) might be really helpful.

Just bringing up the subject brought a lot of positive to the forum. We need more “locals”. The perspective from a local can be incredibly unique in a lot of useful ways. Sometimes relative to the next trip, sometimes relative to how people from different places see the world. Your post was a bit of both, and I enjoyed it a lot. Don’t think for a moment that a lack of “yes, yes, yes” meant anything less. I just like to talk, pick and dig. Do you return to Romania to work?

Maybe it’s because I am a romantic? Maybe it’s because I don’t have an attachment or maybe it’s because I don’t have intimate experience of the changes over the years, but I still see a stark difference between the sort of experience a tourist can have in the Former Soviet Bloc Countries compared to Western Europe. Remember while Romania has changed, so has the West and those changes have maintained a pretty good gulf between them. Okay, at least from my perspective born and raised in the Western World. My trip to Rome a few weeks ago was a brutal slap in the face in that regard. But yes, if you want to have a “Western” holiday in Romania or any place in Eastern Europe you can do that these days. A great example is that Brasov isn’t much different than quite a few villages in Germany that come to mind; and I am ,,, not sure what word to use … when someone’s only goal for Montenegro is Kotor. I mean in level of professional services, Western European style accommodations, prices, English on the street and imported trinkets. Not that I would miss it, but it needs to be a part of a larger experience or you miss so much.

There is so much more that gets missed. So much different. So much yet to be explored in mass. I think to be done well it requires more local support. Some can discover this without ever talking to a human being, but most common people will need guides and local trip planners or, yes, they will have a holiday more akin to Western Europe.

We have a RS person testing my theory ths week. Lets see how it works out.

"What do you think is the most expensive spending you had to make when visiting Romania?"

Certainly flight and hotel are always the most expensive.

It's easy to compare the cost of something like public transit, though that's a fraction of the cost of an overall trip. The comparisons of meals was interesting for me because I know my dining habits, and they're a fairly consistent mix from one trip to the next.

The real value for me was in hiring our private guide, Teo, who brought us into close contact with a way of life that seems, to us, to be from a bygone era. At a price that was compelling in comparison to a large group tour. Without the large group.

It's impossible to compare that expense because I've never had an equivalent experience.

"What do you think is the most expensive spending you had to make when visiting Romania? Accommodation, renting a car, hiring a driver and/or a tour guide, meals at the restaurant?"

Comparing the cost of hotels is difficult because the "product" is so variable. I found one fairly equivalent point of comparison: the cost of a night at an airport hotel before an early morning flight.

Oct, 2025: $110.82 Hilton Garden Inn, Bucharest Airport
Aug, 2024: $225.72 Hilton Garden Inn, Heathrow Airport, London

Just adding data to CW’s last night hotel cost comparison:

11/26 $210.28 Hilton Garden Inn Frankfurt (no breakfast)
11/25 $133.01 Hilton Airport Helsinki (no breakfast)
12/25 $185.80 Radisson Blu Airport Stockholm (with breakfast)

My lunch there was $20.88. I bet I ordered more than you!

I thought we ordered pretty much the same thing. I should check my credit card bill. I was looking at my notes, and that's what it said, but I may have made a mistake.

You might have bought the bus/tram pass. I bought the option that included the metro, so it was a bit more expensive.

Yes, you are right. I did just buy the bus and tram pass, so that's why it was so cheap. Plus, of course, it was fewer days.

And we had some very nice multi course meals at NOUA Bar, where my meals were $35 and $40.

Mine was $36 when I was with you two, and I didn't even look to see what it was when I went back, but probably somewhere in the same vein. I think I ordered pretty much the same thing.

But I agree with TTM. You put me to shame with your record keeping!

And Ana, I for one really appreciate you coming here and giving all this information about your wonderful country. It's fascinating to read, and every time I read more about Romania, it just makes me want to go back again. 😊

Dear @Mr É 🇺🇸 🇺🇦 🇭🇺,
It is always good to hear that travellers still appreciate a local's input. I never expected a unanimous yes, and I am learning new things too when I read your replies. My most important wish is to see more people visiting Romania and to make sure they have the correct information.
Yes, I will return to Romania by the end of November. My husband and I agreed that I would move with him to Switzerland until he retires, and he would come to live in Romania after that. It happened that he would retire earlier, and I am thrilled to go back to my home country and be a 'local ambassador' there again.
I fully agree with you when you say there is a stark difference between the travellers' experience in the Western world and Eastern Europe. This can be such a long conversation; however, I'll try to be brief. Eastern Europe still has a deeper sense of community, of engaging quickly, but at a profound level at the same time, with the people who visit them. We don't look at the watch every second to see if the time is up and calculate how much extra time and extra money to charge. If the vibe is good, we will offer extra time or extra produce (if we speak about farmers) for the pure joy of seeing somebody happy and content. I think most Eastern Europeans still look at people and see humans, not dollar or euro signs. The Western world got too distant, pragmatic and self-centred, and tried its best, for many decades, to impose its pace and vision on the rest of the world, too, but some countries pushed back a bit. And they're sought by travellers who need the human connection, who want to slow down and enjoy where they are, eat at the local farmers or visit a local artisan in his workshop.

Dear @Mardee,
Thank you again for your kind words and all the effort put into promoting my country. I don't always have time to read and respond to everything posted here, but I try to make it a weekly habit. Romania is an underrated destination, and our government has not promoted the country professionally or attractively since the communist regime fell. It beats me why. I have a few guesses, but they won't solve anything by talking about it here. However, it is important to know so you can better understand why Romania is not in the limelight, and people like me try as much as possible to be present online and spread the word about our beauties.

It is time-consuming, sometimes I got scolded by admins (on forums or Facebook groups) or accused by other users that I have a hidden agenda because of my line of work. II was always transparent about my job and used to give me more credibility when I offered travel advice. I have worked as a journalist for 11 years, so I know how important the research stage is, no matter what you do. And if your data is not accurate anymore, your results - again, no matter what your work/activity/endeavour is - will be corrupted and, maybe, of no real use. So my idea was always to help people understand the reality on the ground, as a journalist, as a tour guide, as a content writer. Without enough and accurate data, nothing good can be achieved.

Again, thank you all for your amazing reports about Romania and for asking for a dedicated forum thread. It gives me energy to continue what I am doing and ignore the voices saying there's not much interest in Romania.

Ana, while your note to me was a list of broad generalizations ... I find them to be broad generalizations that I can not disagree with. Its why I am here.

Ana any concerns about the Russian drones falling in Romania? I understand one hit an apartment building? I am guessing this is sort of a one off deal?

My thoughts on this are, that while the drone hit was unfortunate, it was in a part of Romania most tourists don’t visit. My wife and I were in Romania last year, including Moldavia within about 10 miles of Ukraine, and no problems. I think the chance of being caught up in a terrorist attack in the major cities of the West , such as London, Paris, New York, Washington, is greater than the chance of a drone hit in Romania, and both are very low. Or for that matter, your chances of dying within 5 miles of your home (from heart attack, stroke, traffic accident, fall down the stairs, etc) are far, far greater than being hit by a drone if you go to Romania.

Slate, I agree 100%. But i wouldnt judge anyone as not everyone is wired the same on such matters. I got a phone call tonight with the question and an email with a negative comment on the subject and thought I would pass it along for the comment of a Romanian citizen / experienced Romanian guide.

@Mr É 🇺🇸 🇺🇦 🇭🇺 @ Slate,

The drone incident on Thursday night / early Friday morning was the most dramatic in a long series of Russian drones and military planes testing the reactions of the bordering NATO countries and NATO itself. The explosive carried by the drone exploded at the impact, and the family who lived on the 10th floor was lucky that the drone fell on the rooftop above their entry hallway, not the bedroom.
The Romanians who live in Dobrogea (Constanta and Tulcea) and Galati are only a few miles from the borders with the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, namely the area near Crimea. Also, the proximity of Ismail (an important port) to the Black Sea makes this area quite volatile and prone to targeting by the Russian military.
The truth is, and most of the European and NATO leaders said it before, Putin is testing the reactions of the NATO states and sees if they would actually engage in real combat, not only diplomatic or economic sanctions. I guess you all have seen the headlines yesterday asking if NATO will activate Article 5 or not, considering this is the most serious incident caused by the Russian drones on the territory of a NATO state. It is not easy to live in a world where you are surrounded by giants who flex their muscles; however, Romania and the whole Eastern Bloc had to learn how to do it.
Regarding tourists' safety, and people living in Romania in general, I don't think even for a second that it is more dangerous than the prospect of a mass shooting or a terrorist attack in any of the Western Countries. Most of the touristic areas of Romania - Bucharest, Brasov, Sibiu, Sighisoara and other areas of Transylvania are far from the borders with Ukraine. It would mean a full invasion of Romania if foreign troops or drones, considering how the warfare is shaped, did not get to the above-mentioned places.
Every time I go on Rick Steves Europe Forum on Facebook or other similar groups, I see at least one post every day about something happening to people in the major European Capitals. If you open the news, there is at least one public aggression, stabbing or shooting somewhere in the world where there is no armed conflict happening. Two days ago, a Turkish-Swiss national with psychological problems stabbed three people at the Winterthur train station. Broad daylight, early in the morning, when commuters go to work and groups of school children go on field trips.
To conclude a very long post, I would not change any upcoming travel plans for Romania, because the country is safe and the drone incident, even though very serious and alarming, is not a sign that you'll be vacationing in a country involved in a war. If it helps, I am in the process of moving back to Romania from Switzerland.
Safe travels, and stay informed, but not from social media or dodgy websites/bloggers.

Ana, you are quickly becoming my hero on the forum.

Oh, and my son works in Constanta from time to time. Says he enjoys it.

Mr É 🇺🇸 🇺🇦 🇭🇺 I am proud of being Romanian, and I do my part, as well as I can, when it comes to promoting Romania abroad. Not to mention the joy of helping people plan a great Romanian adventure.
Constanta is a wonderful city, and its Old Town is an eclectic mix of beautiful buildings that reflect the multicultural history of Dobrogea (the region of Romania located between the Danube River and the Black Sea). I love to go back to Constanta whenever I have a chance, for pleasure or with work.

I've told my son, the next time is boss sends him to Constanta, I'll go meet him. I've also read a lot about the expedited highway construction over the last few years. Especially in the east. The leadership is impressive.

My first trip was about 20 years ago. My second trip was almost a repeat of the first and was a few years prior to COVID and the changes and positive growth was amazing. It's like being an uncle, you dont see the kids often so the growth of the kids appears more profound than it does for mom and dad.

Since COVID just Bucharest and Brasov a couple of times to visit an aquaintance. I do need an excuse to return. Anything special that I can use as an excuse for visiting in July through October?

Mr É 🇺🇸 🇺🇦 🇭🇺 Sounds like a great plan. If you want to enjoy the beach, July and August are more likely to bring nice weather at the seaside. However, it is less crowded in September and October, as the summer school vacation will be long over. The harvest time in the vineyards usually starts around late September, depending on the weather, of course. Some of the vineyards located in Constanta County are fabulous. If you want, I can send some suggestions on where to go.
The Constanta Casino (https://cazinoul.com/ maybe Google will translate it for you automatically) just reopened after decades of being a ruin. It looks spectacular, both from the outside and inside, so this might be another great excuse to plan a visit to Constanta.