How apartment prices evolved at the beginning of 2026. “The situation can get even more complicated!”

• The average price requested by owners and developers at the national level for the apartments put up for sale exceeded, for the first time, in March 2026, the threshold of 2,000 euros/useful square meter.

• Cluj-Napoca is reaching new records, but other large cities in the country are recovering more and more from the price differences recorded in recent years.

• A tendency to slow down the pace of growth recorded at the level of apartment prices can be observed in Brașov and Constanța.

• The biggest price increases in the last year were in the case of old apartments in Bucharest (14%), Constanța (11%) and Timișoara (10%).

• The cheapest old apartments you can buy in one of the big cities in the country can be found in Timișoara. At the opposite pole is Cluj-Napoca.

The evolution of apartment prices in Bucharest

The average price of new apartments in Bucharest rose in March to 2,541 euros/sq.mby almost 2% over February and by 24% more than in the same period last year — the biggest increase among big cities, according to Indicelui Imobiliare.ro. In the old buildings, the average price reached 2,212 euros/sqm, up 14% compared to March last year.

New records are being reached in Cluj-Napoca

In the segment of new apartments, in March the threshold of 3,400 euros/sq.mbut the increase compared to February is small, below 1%. The local market is visibly slowing down: prices are 7% higher than in March last year, compared to a 13% advance in the previous similar period. According to the Imobiliare.ro Index, old homes had a slightly faster evolution: prices increased by 1% in the last month and by 8% compared to March 2025, reaching 3,290 euros/m2.

Brașov: braking in the evolution of prices

New apartments in Brașov are sold at an average price of 2,723 euros/useful square meterafter a 1% advance in the last month. Compared to the beginning of last spring prices were increased by only 9% compared to 18% in the previous similar period. A similar trend is registered in the old market. Homes in old blocks are put up for sale at an average price of 2,222 euros/useful square meter, close to the price in Bucharest.

Constanta, another atypical market

A slowdown in the growth rate of new apartment prices could also be observed in Constanța, where the market is influenced by investor interest in locally available properties. Moreover, in the city on the shore of the Black Sea, prices advanced the least in the last 12 months, by only 4%, up to 2,096 euros/useful square meter. The average asking price for old homes in Constanța reached 1,964 euros/useful square meter until the end of last month. The owners made the apartments more expensive than the developers, more precisely by about 11% in 12 months.

The average price of new apartments in Iasi reaches 2,042 euros/sqm

The Ieșan market is one of the most dynamic, recording according to the Imobiliare.ro Index a 15% advance in prices in 12 months, the second highest after the one observed in Bucharest. This evolution is influenced by changes in supply. Real estate developers continue to expand large-scale projects and put new units up for sale at a higher average price than two years ago. In March 2024, new apartments in Iasi could be bought for 1,629 euros/useful square meter.

The old apartments remain, however, some of the cheapest available in the country's major cities. The average price requested by the owners is 1,941 euros/useful square meter, stagnating in the last month, according to a release from Imobiliare.ro.

In Timișoara, a sharp tendency to increase prices is observed

Prices are advancing rapidly in the new segment of the residential market and in Timișoara. During the last month, an average of 2,189 euros/useful square meter, after an advance that slightly exceeded 2% compared to February, the most consistent recorded by Indicele Imobiliare.ro among the major urban centers monitored. In one year, buyers ended up paying 12% more to make a real estate purchase in a new block.

This trend can be explained by the growing number of real estate developers who see the potential of the city on Bega and are launching modern projects here, with an increasingly important share of premium units on offer. The old apartments in Timișoara, on the other hand, remain the cheapest available to buyers in the country's big cities. The average asking price last month was 1,875 euros/useful square meter.

“At the moment, there is an obvious difference between the expectations of buyers and those of developers. In the short term, the situation may become even more complicated due to the effects of the Gulf War on construction costs. It is no coincidence that the most dynamic markets are actually the most affordable in terms of income: Timișoara, Bucharest, Iași. Contrary to expectations, prices are not falling, because a balance is maintained between supply and demand in the market. In the construction sites we see today they build the apartments that are mostly already contracted”, said Daniel Crainic, Imobiliare.ro marketing director.

The evolution of apartment prices in secondary residential markets

The average asking price for apartments put up for sale in Craiova, regardless of their age, increased by 1% in the last month, reaching 2,178 euros/useful square meter. Buyers are paying 16% more than a year ago to make a real estate purchase.

The apartments in Sibiu are on the market with an average price of 1,977 euros/useful square meter. Over the past month, prices have largely stagnated. However, they remain 10% higher than at the beginning of last spring.

In Oradea, the average asking price for apartments listed for sale reaches, according to the Imobiliare.ro Index, 1,826 euros/useful square meter, after an advance of about 1% in the last month and 7% in the last year.

Even if there were no major changes on the local residential market during March, apartments in Ploiești are significantly more expensive than a year ago. Buyers pay 12% more for every square meter of their future homes. The average requested price reached 1,361 euros/useful square meter.