Apartment prices in Bucharest and the main seven Romanian regions registered an upward trend in the last 12 months.
The highest growth rates, of over 10%, were reported in Cluj-Napoca, Timisoara and Suceava, while price decreases were only registered in Sibiu, Resita and Focsani.
The cities of Cluj-Napoca, Bucharest, Timisoara and Constanta are on top of the most expensive apartments in Romania, while Resita, Targoviste, Zalau and Satu Mare at the opposite pole.
The average apartment prices in Bucharest rose 4.9% to EUR1,094 per sqm compared with EUR1,043 in the same period a year before.
In the northwestern region, which includes Maramures, Bistrita-Nasaud, Cluj, Bihor, Satu Mare and Salaj counties, apartment prices registered significant increases.
Cluj-Napoca apartment prices rose 13.6% to EUR1,111 per sqm in 2015.
In the central region, which includes the counties of Alba, Brasov, Harghita, Covasna, Sibiu and Mures, apartment prices rose in 2015, except for Sibiu.
In Alba Iulia, apartment prices rose 5.5% this year, from EUR583 per sqm to EUR615 per sqm while in Brasov, prices rose 6.5% to EUR874 per sqm.
Apartment prices in Sibiu registered the most significant price drop at national level in 2015, of 2.7%, and currently reach EUR663 per sqm, compared with EUR682 per sqm in the corresponding period a year before.
In the northeastern region, including the counties of Bacau, Botosani, Iasi, Neamt, Suceava and Vaslui, three cities, namely Suceava, Bacau and Piatra Neamt are included in the top of the highest price increases registered in 2015, while another two, Botosani and Iasi, are among the cities with the lowest growth rates.
In Constanta, apartment prices rose 7.6% in the last 12 months to EUR917 per sqm.
In southern-Muntenia region, the highest growth rates for apartment prices were registered in Pitesti (+7.9%, to EUR735/sqm) and Ploiesti (+4.2%, to EUR750 per sqm).
In the western region, apartment prices rose the most in Arad and Timisoara cities. In Arad, prices rose 7.2% in the last 12 months to EUR536 per sqm, from EUR500 per sqm in the same period a year before.
Timisoara ranks second by price growth in 2015 (after Cluj-Napoca) and third in the ranking of the most expensive apartments in the country.
The cities with the lowest price increases (up to 5%) mainly include mid-sized cities (Braila, Zalau, Targoviste), but also include two of the largest regional centers of the country, namely Bucharest (+4.9% in the last 12 months) and Iasi (+4.8%).