Cushman & Wakefield report sees Romania’s logistics market as highly competitive

Romania’s logistics and industrial market remains among the most competitive in Europe in terms of occupancy costs, with Bucharest ranking among the most affordable locations analysed globally, according to a report by Cushman & Wakefield. The average industrial rent in Bucharest stands at EUR 4.8 per square metre per month, the fourth lowest among the European markets included in the Waypoint: Global Industrial Dynamics 2026 report, which examines 135 logistics and industrial markets worldwide. The report showed that companies are continuing to reorganise supply chains amid geopolitical uncertainty and rising costs, supporting demand for logistics and industrial space. In Europe, Central and Eastern European markets, including Bucharest, remain attractive for companies seeking to optimise costs and consolidate regional operations. Romania recorded an annual increase in industrial rents of around 2% at the end of 2025, compared with a global average increase of 2.2%. The pace reflects a stabilisation of the market after several years of stronger rental growth. Bucharest’s industrial rents remain significantly below those in major Western European logistics hubs such as London, Amsterdam and Frankfurt, as well as below regional competitors including Warsaw and Prague. The report said the combination of competitive costs and access to European trade corridors keeps Bucharest among the preferred locations for companies restructuring their logistics networks. Romania’s competitiveness is also supported by labour costs, with Bucharest ranking among the lowest-cost European markets for logistics and manufacturing workers, according to the report. At the same time, wages in these sectors have increased rapidly, rising by 7%-12% over the past 12 months, based on data from the Economic Research Institute cited by Cushman & Wakefield. The report noted that demand for industrial space continues to be supported globally by e-commerce, retail and manufacturing companies, despite a slower pace of rental growth in mature markets. [email protected] (Photo source: Viktor Levi/Dreamstime.com )