Colliers, which manages over 650,000 sqm of modern office space, notes that costs are already 40-50% higher than pre-pandemic levels. "If we look at developments in recent years, the biggest impact on costs has come from taxes, which have generated over a third of the increases and continue to rise significantly in 2026," explains Mihai Iustin, Operational & Technical Manager at Colliers. This is linked to higher construction costs, leading to an average 30% increase in buildings' taxable value following revaluation.

Wages represent another major pressure point, with a further 7% increase expected from mid-2026. Since 2019, Romania's gross minimum wage has doubled, directly impacting labour-intensive services. Technical maintenance, security and cleaning costs are now 35-75% higher than in 2022.

Taxes account for nearly 38% of total service charges, followed by technical maintenance at 22% and security services at 14%. Even waste management costs, representing just 2% of the total, have doubled due to employees returning to offices and new European recycling requirements.

Regionally, Romania maintains competitive positioning with service charges approximately 10% below Hungary and 20% lower than Poland, primarily due to lower wage levels.