Future Flows
Bucharest, September 2026: Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Iasi and Timisoara have more than 361,000 students combined, corresponding to a 62% share at national level, while the public and private student accommodation stock across these four university centers totals approximately 80,000 beds. This translates into an average of one student accommodation bed for every 4.5 students, according to data compiled by Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.
Of the identified stock, approximately 94% of beds are in public student housing, while the other 6% represents the capacity identified in private purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA).
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.
Vlad Saftoiu, Head of Research, Cushman & Wakefield Echinox: “Two key features stand out when analyzing the Romanian student accommodation market: 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. These figures show that opportunities for new private student housing must be assessed on a city-by-city basis. A higher supply of public student accommodation beds does not rule out demand for private accommodation offering a different standard. Student numbers and the student-to-bed ratios are only part of the equation. The quality of the existing stock, rental levels, location, access to public transport, services and alternative housing options are equally important when assessing each market.”
The analysis also covered major university cities in Poland and Czechia, highlighting significant differences between the student accommodation models across Central and Eastern Europe.
Across the eight Polish university centers included in the analysis, the database identifies approximately 83,000 public/traditional and PBSA beds, compared with ~80,000 beds across the four Romanian cities mentioned previously. The Polish cities, however, have almost 900,000 students in total, around 2.5 times the student population of the Romanian cities in question. This translates into 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 €50 and can reach €80/ person/ month, while private student accommodation rates vary from more than €100 to ~€300/ person/ month.
In comparison, the average monthly rent in Poland is of approximately €190/ person in public student accommodation and around €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.
