What Can You Buy in Romania for €70,000–300,000 in 2026?

This is general information, not legal, tax or investment advice. Prices below are asking prices from market indices, not sold prices, and we have no listings in these places. Square metres are our own estimate (budget divided by price per m2).

Quick answer

In 2026, €70,000–300,000 in Romania buys very different things depending on the city. Asking prices per m2 in mid-2026: Bucharest resale about €2,259 and new build about €2,636 (Imobiliare.ro index, via Global Property Guide), Cluj-Napoca about €3,300 resale and about €3,500 new, Brasov about €2,246, Iasi about €1,978, Timisoara about €1,918.

The range is generous in Iasi, Timisoara and Brasov, balanced in Bucharest, and thin at the bottom in Cluj-Napoca: €70,000 there buys roughly 21 m2, a studio at best. At the top, €300,000 buys a large family flat in Bucharest or Brasov, or a mid-size flat in Cluj.

Tier 1: €70,000–110,000

Our estimate: about 35–55 m2 at €2,000 per m2, so a studio or small one-bedroom in Iasi, Timisoara or an outer Brasov district. In Bucharest at €2,259 it is about 31–49 m2, often an older block in an outer sector. The trade-off is age: flats at this price are often in older blocks with dated heating and few amenities. Check the building condition and ask about the seismic expertise class (see the checklist).

Tier 2: €110,000–170,000

Our estimate: about 48–85 m2 at €2,000–2,300 per m2. This is a one- or two-bedroom flat in Bucharest outside the centre (roughly 49–75 m2 at €2,259), a two-room flat in Timisoara or Iasi, or a smaller flat in Brasov. Here you can choose between a renovated resale flat and a newer building. In Bucharest new-build asking prices are about 17% above resale (€2,636 against €2,259, same index), so you pay for the newer building.

Tier 3: €170,000–230,000

Our estimate: about 75–102 m2 in Bucharest at €2,259, 74–100 m2 in Brasov at €2,300, but only 52–70 m2 in Cluj at €3,300. This is a good two-bedroom or three-room flat in a newer building in Bucharest, Brasov or Timisoara.

Tier 4: €230,000–300,000

Our estimate: about 87–114 m2 in Bucharest new build (€2,636), 100–130 m2 in Brasov (€2,300), 66–86 m2 in Cluj new build (about €3,500). That is a family apartment in a good Bucharest area. At the top, compare with the neighbouring district rather than paying for a prestige address.

Four buyer scenarios

• Entry buyer, €70,000–110,000: choose a studio or one-bedroom in Timisoara or Iasi over a tiny flat in Cluj. The easy-to-miss point is the building, not the flat: ask for the seismic expertise and the building's repair fund before looking at the kitchen.
• Balanced buyer, €110,000–170,000: decide between a renovated resale flat in Bucharest and a new flat in Brasov or Timisoara. Compare the total with parking and fit-out, because new projects often advertise a lower entry price.
• Lifestyle buyer, €170,000–230,000: choose between a smaller central flat in Cluj (52–70 m2) and a larger one in Brasov (74–100 m2). The easy-to-miss point is local tax: Bucharest raised residential property tax by about 80% for 2026, while Cluj did not add surcharges.
• Upper-range buyer, €230,000–300,000: decide between a new Bucharest flat with 21% VAT and a larger resale flat. First check whether the advertised price includes VAT.

Total cost for a foreign buyer

Sources are commercial guides and law-firm summaries, not the notary tariff. Confirm every item with a Romanian notary.

• VAT on a new flat: 21% since 1 August 2025. The reduced 9% rate for one home up to 120 m2 and RON 600,000 excluding VAT ended on 30 September 2026 (Law 161/2026), and its conditions were narrow (advance payment by 1 August 2025). We found no later extension, so assume 21% on new builds and ask whether the price includes it.
• Land book registration: about 0.15% of the value (commercial guides).
• Notary: guides give 0.44–2.2% of the value, or 0.5–2% with a minimum near €500. A notary is required for a standard sale.
• Transfer tax: guides conflict (none, or 0.5–3%). In our understanding the seller's income tax is withheld by the notary and the buyer usually pays no transfer tax, but we could not confirm this to an official source.
• Lawyer and agent: negotiable. One guide puts total costs at 1.5–6% including agent and lawyer fees.

Illustrative, at €170,000 resale: about 2–4% of the price, so roughly €3,400–6,800 (our own estimate, not a quote).

Annual costs: property tax is set by the local council at 0.08–0.2% of a taxable value that rose in 2026 (reference value 2,677 RON per m2). In Bucharest a two-room flat can pay up to about 500 RON a year and a three-room up to 600 (roughly €100–120 at about 5 RON per euro, our rounding). A 55 m2 central flat in Cluj is expected at about 550 RON. The government has said it plans market-value taxation, most likely from 2027, so expect changes.

Who can buy and how to finance it

EU and EEA citizens, including Poles, can buy land as well as apartments directly (one commercial source dates this from 2012). Non-EU buyers can generally buy apartments but need a Romanian company for land; agricultural land outside towns adds a pre-emption process of about two to four months. Buying a flat does not by itself give a residence permit, as far as we know; non-EU buyers should check that separately.

For a loan, sources disagree: loan-to-value for non-residents is quoted anywhere from 50% to 85%, and the 6–8% interest rate we found is from 2025. Treat a local mortgage as possible but not simple, ask banks for current terms and compare with financing at home. See mortgages for non-residents.

Yield and exit

Global Property Guide's mid-2026 gross yields: Bucharest about 6.9%, Timisoara about 5.4%, Cluj-Napoca about 4.6%, national about 5.9%. Gross yield uses asking prices and rents, so net yield is lower after vacancy, building charges, local tax and management. Promotional claims of 6–8% for Brasov and Cluj are not supported by these sources. Cluj has the highest prices and the lowest yield, so it is more a bet on capital growth than on rent.

New build or resale

New builds carry 21% VAT in the price, a higher price per m2 in Bucharest, and developer and handover risk. We did not research Romanian handover or escrow practice, so check the permit, the developer's earlier projects and what happens if the project stops. Resale gives you a visible building, but check older blocks for structure, wiring and heating.

Due diligence checklist

• Extract from the land book (carte funciara, ANCPI) for the exact flat: owner, mortgages, seizures, pre-emption rights.
• Cadastral number and a plan that matches the real layout, including closed balconies and moved walls.
• Seismic expertise class of the building (for older blocks, especially in Bucharest): ask the municipality.
• Building permit and completion record for new builds.
• Certificate of no unpaid local taxes and a statement from the owners' association on building debts.
• Whether VAT is included and what the contract says about parking and storage.
• A lawyer reading the contract: a notary is not a buyer's representative. See notary or lawyer abroad.

FAQ

Is Cluj-Napoca worth it at €100,000? Not for space: at about €3,300 per m2 it is roughly 30 m2. Timisoara or Iasi give more flat for the money.

Do I pay 21% VAT on a new flat? Normally yes, since August 2025. The 9% rate ended on 30 September 2026 and had narrow conditions. Ask whether the price is with VAT.

Can a Pole buy land in Romania? As an EU citizen, yes, according to a commercial source that dates this from 2012; confirm with a notary, especially for agricultural land.

Is a Romanian mortgage realistic? Possible, but sources disagree on conditions. Ask banks directly.

Bottom line

€70,000–300,000 is a wide and workable range in Romania, but the same money buys about 30 m2 in Cluj and about 100 m2 in Brasov, so choose the city before the flat. The costs people miss are 21% VAT on new builds, parking, and the 2026 rise in local property tax. The best sourced yield is in Bucharest, not Cluj. Check the land book and the building's seismic status before paying a deposit.

What this means for a normal buyer

• Set the budget per city: at €70,000 expect about 21 m2 in Cluj and about 35 m2 in Iasi or Timisoara.
• Ask for the price including VAT and parking.
• Use 2–4% for closing costs as a planning figure and ask the notary for the exact amount.
• Use a lawyer who works for you and read the land book yourself.

Independent buyer-side help with comparing these cities and checking the paperwork is available from D.H. Realting, a Warsaw-based independent consultancy. See also our guide to buying property in Romania, the best areas to buy in Romania and what to buy abroad for 100,000 euro.