One of the most frequent refrains we hear in the public sphere and in daily discussions is: “In Romania, we have Eastern salaries but Western prices.” As investors, we already know that emotional decisions and background noise can distort reality. That is why let’s look at the figures.

To understand exactly where we stand in the European economic landscape of 2026, we have conducted a detailed analysis. We compared Romania with four major Western economies (Germany, Great Britain, Spain, and Italy), considering a family of 4 supported by two average net salaries.

We focused on three basic pillars: Real Estate (purchase price per square meter), Utilities, and Food (average, prudent consumption).

Continue Reading