Romania operates on the Romanian leu, abbreviated RON or lei in plural. As of 2024, one United States dollar exchanges for approximately 4.5 to 4.7 lei, one euro for approximately 4.9 to 5.0 lei, and one British pound for approximately 5.7 to 5.9 lei. Exchange rates fluctuate daily. Banks in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, Iași, and Brașov typically offer better rates than airport kiosks or hotel desks. ATMs dispense lei and apply interbank exchange rates, though your issuing bank may add foreign transaction fees ranging from one to three percent. Currency exchange offices called case de schimb valutar exist in most Romanian cities. BRD-Groupe Société Générale, Banca Transilvania, and BCR accept major international cards at their ATMs. Visa and Mastercard function widely. American Express acceptance remains limited outside five-star hotels and international car rental chains. Revolut, Wise, and similar fintech services allow lei loading at market rates, avoiding repeated ATM fees.
Cash remains necessary in Romania despite increasing card acceptance. Village pensions in Maramureș, family-run restaurants in Sibiu's Lower Town, vendors at Obor Market in Bucharest, bus ticket sellers at rural stations, and taxi drivers outside major cities often accept only cash. Churches including Voroneț Monastery and Humor Monastery do not charge admission but maintain donation boxes expecting cash contributions of five to ten lei. The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve boat operators in Tulcea quote prices in lei and rarely accept cards. Markets selling produce, cheese, and smoked meats in Piatra Neamț, Satu Mare, and Baia Mare operate cash-only. Carry denominations of ten, twenty, and fifty lei. Five-hundred-lei notes, while valid, cause difficulty in small shops and restaurants. One-leu and fifty-bani coins prove useful for public toilets, which charge one to two lei at train stations and parks.
Accommodation in Romania spans from fifteen lei per night to over two thousand lei per night. Hostels in Bucharest charge forty-five to seventy lei for a dormitory bed in establishments like Podstel or Chillout Hostel. Private rooms in the same hostels cost one hundred twenty to one hundred eighty lei. Mid-range hotels in Cluj-Napoca, including Hampton by Hilton or Beyfin Hotel, charge two hundred fifty to four hundred lei for a double room with breakfast. Boutique hotels in Brașov's Old Town, such as Casa Wagner or Bella Muzica, cost three hundred to five hundred lei. Pensions in rural Transylvania, common in Viscri, Biertan, and villages near Sighișoara, charge eighty to one hundred fifty lei per person including breakfast and dinner. The Palace of Parliament area in Bucharest contains international chains where rooms cost six hundred to one thousand lei. Peleș Castle vicinity hotels in Sinaia range from two hundred lei for basic hotels to seven hundred lei for spa properties. Booking directly with smaller pensions often yields lower prices than aggregator sites, which add ten to fifteen percent commission. August, the peak month, increases prices by twenty to thirty percent in mountain areas including Bucegi Natural Park and the Apuseni Natural Park. January and February see reductions of fifteen to twenty-five percent except in ski resorts near Brașov.
Restaurant meals cost fifteen to two hundred lei per person depending on establishment type and location. A portion of sarmale with mămăligă costs eighteen to thirty lei at casual restaurants in Craiova or Pitești. The same dish costs forty to sixty lei in Bucharest's Lipscani district or Brașov's Council Square area. Traditional restaurant chains like La Mama or Caru' cu Bere charge thirty-five to seventy lei for main courses. A three-course meal with wine at mid-range restaurants in Cluj-Napoca costs seventy to one hundred twenty lei per person. Fine dining establishments in Bucharest, including The Artist or Origo, charge one hundred fifty to three hundred lei for tasting menus excluding wine. Street food proves economical. Covrigi, pretzel-like breads sold from carts in Timișoara, Oradea, and Bucharest, cost two to three lei. Mici, grilled meat rolls served with mustard and bread, cost twelve to eighteen lei for a portion of five at food stands. Langos, fried dough topped with cheese and sour cream, costs eight to twelve lei at markets. Supermarket meals cost even less. Kaufland, Lidl, Mega Image, and Carrefour sell prepared sandwiches for six to twelve lei, salads for eight to fifteen lei, and hot rotisserie chicken for twenty to twenty-eight lei. A liter of local beer costs four to seven lei in supermarkets, fifteen to twenty lei in casual bars, and twenty-five to forty lei in central Bucharest bars.
Coffee culture affects daily budgets. Espresso costs five to eight lei at neighborhood cafes in Iași or Târgu Mureș, ten to fifteen lei at specialty coffee shops in Cluj-Napoca like Frudisiac or Syndicat, and twelve to eighteen lei at Starbucks locations in Bucharest shopping centers. Cappuccino costs seven to ten lei at traditional cafes, twelve to eighteen lei at third-wave establishments. Turkish coffee, still served in older cafes in Constanța and Galați, costs six to nine lei. Filtered coffee rarely appears outside international chains and specialty roasters. Tea costs four to seven lei. Fresh-squeezed orange juice costs eight to fifteen lei. Bottled water costs two to four lei in shops, five to ten lei in restaurants. Tap water in Romanian cities meets European Union standards, though many locals prefer bottled water. Requesting tap water in restaurants often draws puzzled responses, as the practice remains uncommon.
Transportation costs vary significantly by mode and route. Bucharest metro tickets cost three lei for two trips, eight lei for ten trips, and thirty lei for monthly unlimited travel within the city. Buses and trams in Bucharest use the same ticketing system. Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, Iași, and other cities charge two to three lei per trip on public transport. Tickets must be purchased from kiosks before boarding. Taxis in Romanian cities charge a base fare of one-point-six to three-point-nine lei per kilometer depending on the company and city. Bucharest taxis average two-point-six lei per kilometer. Uber and Bolt operate in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, Brașov, and Iași with fares typically ten to twenty percent below taxi rates. A ride from Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport to the city center costs forty to seventy lei by taxi or app-based service, depending on traffic and final destination. The express bus 783 covers the same route for eight-point-six lei. Intracity bus services connect Romanian cities. A bus from Bucharest to Brașov costs thirty-five to sixty lei and takes approximately two-point-five to three hours. Bucharest to Cluj-Napoca costs seventy to one hundred ten lei and requires six to seven hours. FlixBus operates routes between major cities at prices fifteen to twenty-five percent below domestic carriers.
Romanian train travel offers economical options but requires understanding service classes. CFR Călători operates the national railway. Personal trains, the slowest category, charge twelve lei for Bucharest to Ploiești, a sixty-eight-kilometer journey requiring approximately two hours. Regio trains cover the same route in ninety minutes for eighteen lei. InterRegio trains complete it in seventy-five minutes for twenty-four lei. InterCity trains, the fastest domestic service, charge forty-five to sixty lei for Bucharest to Brașov, completing the journey in two-point-five to three hours depending on the specific service. Second-class tickets cost thirty to forty percent less than first-class on InterCity routes. Sleeper trains operate on overnight routes including Bucharest to Timișoara and Bucharest to Suceava. A couchette in a six-berth compartment costs seventy to ninety lei above the base ticket price. A berth in a four-person sleeper costs one hundred thirty to one hundred seventy lei additional. Single and double sleeper cabins exist on limited routes at significantly higher prices. Book train tickets at station counters, through the CFR website, or at CFR Călători agencies in city centers. Online booking adds no fee but requires a Romanian bank card or specific international cards. Station purchases accept cash and cards.