Where you live shapes your entire experience. Here's a real breakdown of your housing options in Romania — what they cost, what they're like, and how to find them.
Housing is the biggest practical decision you make before arriving in Romania. It affects your budget, your commute, your sleep, and your social life all at once. The good news: Romania is genuinely affordable. The challenge is that the rental market moves fast, quality varies wildly between apartments, and as an international student you're navigating it from thousands of kilometers away. This guide tells you exactly what your options are, what they cost, and what to watch out for.
Romanian university dormitories — called cămine — are the cheapest housing option available. Costs range from RON 200 to 600 per month (approximately €40-120), depending on the city, the university, and whether you get a single or shared room. Most dorm rooms house 2-4 students.
The advantages are real. You pay well below market rent, you live on or near campus, and you immediately land inside a built-in social community. Most international students who live in dorms in their first year report faster social integration than those in private accommodation. You meet people by default.
The disadvantages are also real. Shared rooms mean shared space, noise, and schedules. Facilities are basic — shared bathrooms and kitchens are the norm. Rules about guests, noise, and curfews exist and are enforced. The rooms themselves vary: some are recently renovated, others are functional but dated. You cannot choose your roommate.
Importantly: you are not guaranteed a dorm place. Dorm allocation is competitive and governed by your university's housing office. International students receive priority at some universities but not at all. Apply through your university's housing office as early as possible — in practice, as soon as you receive your acceptance letter. Applications typically open in August or September for the October academic year. If you wait, you may not get a place.
Contact your university's international students office or student services department. Request information on dorm availability specifically for international students. Submit any required forms or applications by the stated deadline. Some universities require you to physically register at the dorms administration office within the first days of your arrival — confirm the process with your university in advance.
Private rentals offer more independence and usually better living conditions than dorms, at a higher cost. A room in a shared apartment runs €150-350/month in most Romanian cities. A studio apartment — where you live alone — costs €300-600/month depending on city and neighborhood.
Utility bills are separate from rent in almost all cases. Budget an additional €50-80/month for gas, electricity, and internet. Heating costs rise significantly in winter (November-March). Check what heating system the apartment uses before you sign anything.
| City | Room in shared apt (monthly) | Studio alone (monthly) |
|---|---|---|
| Bucharest | €220-350 | €450-650 |
| Cluj-Napoca | €200-320 | €400-600 |
| Timișoara | €160-260 | €300-480 |
| Iași | €150-240 | €280-430 |
| Craiova | €130-220 | €250-400 |
Data sourced from Numbeo cost of living data and Romanian property listings, 2025.
OLX.ro is the main classifieds platform in Romania. Most landlords list here. Search for "chirie cameră" (room for rent) plus your city name. Storia.ro and Imobiliare.ro are more structured real estate platforms with filtered search and verified listings.
Facebook groups are highly effective for student housing. Search "chirii [city name] studenți" — for example "chirii Cluj studenți" or "chirii Iași studenți". These groups have active listings from both landlords and students subletting rooms. You can also post describing what you're looking for — this often produces fast responses.
If possible, have a Romanian-speaking contact review listings or communicate with landlords on your behalf. Some landlords are more comfortable dealing with local contacts, especially for international students with no Romanian rental history.
Location matters. Living close to your faculty reduces commute time and keeps you in the social environment of your university. Here are the main student areas in Romania's university cities:
Cluj-Napoca: The Mărăști and Mănăștur districts have large student populations and good public transport. The areas immediately surrounding the Babeș-Bolyai University campus offer the most walkable options. Avoid the outskirts of the city — buses are less frequent and the commute to university adds up.
Bucharest: Grozăvești and the Regie campus area serve Politehnica University. Tineretului and Floreasca are popular with students at Bucharest medical faculties. The city is large — choose your neighborhood based on which faculty you attend, not just price.
Iași: The Copou district sits directly alongside the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University campus and is the most convenient for arts, science, and medical students. Tătărași is further from the center but cheaper.
Timișoara: The area near the Politehnica campus on Bulevardul Vasile Pârvan is most convenient for engineering students. The Circumvalațiunii area is popular for mixed university students and offers good transport.
"When I arrived in Romania I didn't know the neighborhoods at all. My first mistake was renting a place that looked good in photos but was far from campus and expensive for what it was. In year two I moved to a shared apartment five minutes from the medical faculty. The difference in my daily life was significant — I got two hours back every day."
— David O., third-year medicine student, Iași, 2025
Visit the apartment before you commit. If you can't visit in person before arrival, ask a trusted contact to visit on your behalf — or request a live video walkthrough from the landlord. Photos in Romanian listings often flatter. Mold is a genuine problem in older Romanian apartment buildings, particularly in basement-level or north-facing rooms. Check corners of walls, behind furniture, and inside wardrobes during any viewing.
Confirm the heating system. District heating (termoficare) is centrally controlled by the city and turns on in October. It can be unreliable in older buildings. Apartments with a private gas boiler (centrală proprie) give you control over your own heating but add maintenance responsibility and higher gas bills.
Safety in Romania is generally good by European standards. Standard urban precautions apply — don't leave valuable items visible in the apartment near ground-floor windows, and check that door and window locks function properly when you view. Most student neighborhoods are safe and well-populated.
Get a rental contract. This is not optional. Your rental contract is your proof of address for your IGI residence permit application, your bank account, and your university registration. A landlord who refuses to sign a contract is a landlord to avoid. The contract protects you as much as them — it specifies rent amount, payment dates, and terms for deposits and repairs.
For a broader picture of monthly costs beyond housing, read our cost of living guide. For what to do in your first weeks after arriving, see your first month in Romania. To compare cities and decide where to study, our city guide breaks down each option. See also our cities and fields overview. For direct advice, reach out to our team.
University dormitories cost RON 200-600/month (approximately €40-120). A room in a shared private apartment runs €150-350/month depending on city. A studio apartment alone costs €300-600/month. Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca are the most expensive; Craiova, Iași, and Timișoara are cheaper. Add €50-80/month for utilities on top of rent in private accommodation.
Dorms are cheaper and easier to arrange before arrival, but they come with shared rooms, limited privacy, and no guarantee of a place. Private rentals cost more but give you more independence and often better facilities. Many students do their first year in dorms to settle in and build connections, then move to private accommodation in year two once they know the city and have found potential housemates.
OLX.ro is the main classifieds site. Storia.ro and Imobiliare.ro have more structured search tools. Facebook groups — search "chirii [city] studenți" — are highly effective and often have the freshest listings. Your university's international students office may also maintain a list of landlords experienced with international tenants. Start searching at least 4-6 weeks before your planned arrival date.
Romania is generally safe for students, including those renting privately. Standard precautions apply: visit before signing, check locks and building security, get a written contract, and avoid deals that seem too cheap without explanation. Scam listings exist on OLX — if a landlord asks for a deposit transfer before any viewing or contract, treat this as a red flag. When in doubt, use a local contact to verify the property.
Yes, and it is more than just a best practice. Your rental contract is a required document for your residence permit application at IGI and for opening a Romanian bank account. Without a contract, you have no proof of address and you are unprotected if a dispute arises. Never pay a deposit to a landlord who refuses to sign a contract.
Craiova is typically the most affordable, with rooms in shared apartments from €130/month. Iași is also cheaper than the national average, particularly in neighborhoods away from the city center. Timișoara sits in the middle range. Cluj-Napoca and Bucharest are the most expensive, driven by high demand from both local and international students and from the tech sector workforce.
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