Of the identified stock, approximately 94% of beds were in public student housing, while the other 6% represents the capacity identified in private purpose-built student accommodation.
As a result, competition for student accommodation is highest in Bucharest, with approximately 5 students per bed, closely followed by Cluj-Napoca, with ~4.5 students per bed. The ratio stands at around 4.3 in Timisoara, while Iasi has the highest provision rate, with approximately 3.4 students per public or private accommodation bed.
Overall, the public and private stock across the 4 cities covers approximately 22% of their student population, although the differences between markets are significant. The rate is approximately 28.9% in Iasi, followed by Timisoara with 23.5%, 21.9% in Cluj-Napoca, and 19.7% in Bucharest.
In absolute terms, Bucharest has by far the largest accommodation stock, with approximately 32,300 public beds and at least 4,700 privately developed beds, but also the largest student population, at 187,677. Iasi has ~16,500 mainly public beds for 57,004 students, while Cluj-Napoca provides 14,800 public beds and ~700 private beds for 70,617 students. Timisoara has approximately 10,700 mainly public beds for 45,749 students.
“Iasi, Timisoara and Cluj-Napoca have a higher combined public student housing capacity than Bucharest, while the capital city accounts for almost 90% of the private beds quantified across the 4 cities,” said Vlad Săftoiu, Head of Research, Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.
The analysis also covered major university cities in Poland and Czechia, highlighting significant differences between the student accommodation models across Central and Eastern Europe. There were approximately 10.8 students/bed in the Polish cities, versus 4.5 in the Romanian ones.
The difference between the student accommodation infrastructure in Romania and Poland is also reflected in the share of public versus private beds. In Poland, private student accommodation accounts for 23% of the total stock, while in Romania its share is below 10%.
Trends in Czechia align closely with those observed across Romania’s primary higher education centers. Prague has more than 132,000 students and approximately 28,400 beds, including around 3,800 private ones. Brno, the country’s other major university center included in the analysis, has 68,200 students and a currently verified minimum of 13,600 mainly public university beds.
Romanian students also benefit from comparatively affordable public university accommodation. In Bucharest, the public accommodation rates identified for Romanian students start at approximately EUR 50 and can reach EUR 80/person/ month, while private student accommodation rates vary from more than EUR 100 to ~ EUR 300/person/ month.
In comparison, the average monthly rent in Poland is approximately EUR 190/person in public student accommodation and around EUR 550/person in private premises, across all accommodation types.
However, these cost variations must be viewed alongside differences in room layouts, quality, amenities, and service levels across public and private housing. Furthermore, cross-country comparisons between Romania, Poland, and Czechia must account for the broader housing landscape, as university dorms and PBSA units exist alongside options such as conventional rentals and shared apartments.
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