The costs parents face when a child starts or attends school have risen significantly. Even though education is theoretically “free,” the reality shows that hidden and daily expenses weigh heavily on a family’s budget.

Main categories of expenses

A study published in March 2025 shows that the largest sums go to private tutoring and after-school programs. On average, parents spend around 3,700 lei per year on tutoring and 2,500 lei on after-school. To these we must add school supplies, auxiliary textbooks, sports equipment, uniforms, daily transport, and food needed during classes or extracurricular activities.

In total, a family ends up paying nearly 9,800 lei per year for a child’s education, even if the child is enrolled in a public school.

Specific costs – concrete examples

Tutoring is by far the most consistent expense. For example, a Bacalaureate preparation package at a specialized center costs around 2,900 lei for 33 sessions, which means roughly 88 lei per class. Other centers in Bucharest offer lessons priced between 70 and 150 lei, depending on the subject, the level, and whether the lessons are individual or in small groups.

Uniforms and sports equipment are also costly. A basic uniform consisting of a hoodie, shirt, and pants starts at 90–100 lei per item, while some pieces can reach 150–180 lei. For a family, the cost of a complete uniform runs into several hundred lei per year, especially since children are growing and clothes need constant replacement.

School supplies and auxiliary textbooks typically cost between 600 and 1,000 lei per year, depending on class level and teacher requirements. Transport adds another layer: for families who do not live close to school, the daily commute by metro, bus, or car can mean an extra 500–1,000 lei annually. On top of that, packed lunches or snacks add a further 800–1,200 lei per year.

Estimated annual budget for a family with one middle-school child

Taken together, tutoring in a few subjects comes to about 3,500–4,000 lei per year. An after-school or extra supervision program adds 2,000–2,500 lei. Uniforms and sports gear amount to 400–700 lei, while supplies, textbooks, and auxiliaries cost another 600–1,000 lei. Daily transport typically adds 500–1,000 lei per year, and food for school another 800–1,200 lei.

Adding these figures up, the annual budget of a Bucharest family with one middle-school child falls between 9,000 and 11,000 lei, depending on how much is spent on tutoring and the specific requirements of the school.

What drives costs up

Several factors can push costs higher: 

• the number of subjects a child takes tutoring in 
• whether lessons are individual or in groups 
• uniform and sports equipment requirements (especially when schools demand high-quality, branded items) 
• the distance between home and school and the associated transport costs
• whether supplies are bought at normal prices or in more expensive branded packages.

Conclusion

A family in Bucharest with a middle-school child can expect to spend more than 9,000 lei per year, and in many cases the sum exceeds 11,000 lei. In a system that claims to be free, these real costs put significant pressure on parents and force them to look for ways to optimize their budget: choosing group tutoring instead of individual lessons, buying uniforms and supplies from more affordable sources, or opting for a school closer to home to cut down on transport costs.