Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bacau and Timisoara

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacau: $916 a month against $1,197 in Timisoara, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bacau, Romania
Timisoara, Romania
Bacau
🇷🇴 Romania
$916
/mo nomad
Timisoara
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,197
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bacau and in Timisoara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bacau and in Timisoara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $916 per month in Bacau vs $1,197 in Timisoara, rent included.

  • Bacau $916
  • Timisoara $1,197

A couple spends around $1,552 per month in Bacau vs $1,776 in Timisoara, rent included.

  • Bacau $1,552
  • Timisoara $1,776

A family of three spends $2,189 per month in Bacau vs $2,354 in Timisoara, rent included.

  • Bacau $2,189
  • Timisoara $2,354

Bacau is about 24% cheaper than Timisoara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bacau and Timisoara are more affordable than the global median – Bacau 33% lower, Timisoara 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bacau
Timisoara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.19 RON 67.9
$10.64 RON 50.9
33.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 RON 405
$46.12 RON 221
83.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.24 RON 34.64
$8.44 RON 40.38
-14.22%
Cappuccino
$2.04 RON 9.77
$3.02 RON 14.45
-32.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 RON 9.60
$2.20 RON 10.54
-8.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 RON 8.94
$1.64 RON 7.85
14.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.47 RON 11.82
$2.70 RON 12.93
-8.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.34 RON 15.96
$4.10 RON 19.63
-18.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bacau
Timisoara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.18 RON 5.66
$1.37 RON 6.57
-13.87%
White Bread (500g)
$0.70 RON 3.34
$1.20 RON 5.74
-41.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.69 RON 8.08
$1.38 RON 6.60
22.46%
Eggs
$3.47 RON 16.59
$2.92 RON 13.96
18.84%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.68 RON 36.75
$8.40 RON 40.20
-8.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.33 RON 25.50
$5.88 RON 28.15
-9.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.30 RON 39.70
$10.89 RON 52.1
-23.78%
Apples (1kg)
$1.10 RON 5.24
$1.15 RON 5.50
-4.35%
Banana (1kg)
$1.48 RON 7.08
$1.46 RON 6.98
1.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.49 RON 7.11
$1.40 RON 6.70
6.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.83 RON 8.76
$2.37 RON 11.35
-22.78%
Potato (1kg)
$0.72 RON 3.47
$0.77 RON 3.69
-6.49%
Onion (1kg)
$0.68 RON 3.27
$0.96 RON 4.60
-29.17%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.75 RON 3.57
$0.64 RON 3.06
17.19%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 RON 3.44
$0.78 RON 3.76
-7.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.35 RON 25.59
$6.25 RON 29.89
-14.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.25 RON 25.13
$7.46 RON 35.72
-29.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.02 RON 4.88
$1.14 RON 5.43
-10.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.17 RON 5.62
$1.75 RON 8.37
-33.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Bacau
Timisoara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.70 RON 3.34
$1.07 RON 5.12
-34.58%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.15 RON 139
$33.33 RON 159
-12.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.61 RON 2.92
$0.84 RON 4.04
-27.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.65 RON 3.10
$0.87 RON 4.16
-25.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.72 RON 32.17
$8.40 RON 40.18
-20.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.78 RON 8.51
$1.90 RON 9.10
-6.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.9K RON 138.2K
$28.9K RON 138.2K
0.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.8K RON 118.9K
$24.8K RON 118.4K
0.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bacau
Timisoara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$106 RON 507
$168 RON 803
-36.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.47 RON 35.74
$6.72 RON 32.15
11.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$4.63 RON 22.15
$8.47 RON 40.52
-45.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bacau
Timisoara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.29 RON 121
$40.08 RON 192
-36.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.98 RON 76.5
$15.65 RON 74.9
2.11%
Cinema Ticket
$6.09 RON 29.12
$7.86 RON 37.61
-22.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bacau
Timisoara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$589 RON 2,817
$583 RON 2,788
1.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,986 RON 23.9K
$8,900 RON 42.6K
-43.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bacau
Timisoara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.0 RON 407
$75.7 RON 362
12.24%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.98 RON 153
$38.89 RON 186
-17.77%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$60.3 RON 288
$75.5 RON 361
-20.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$83.2 RON 398
$89.3 RON 427
-6.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bacau
Timisoara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$416 RON 1,991
$568 RON 2,716
-26.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$236 RON 1,130
$404 RON 1,931
-41.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$549 RON 2,624
$802 RON 3,836
-31.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$405 RON 1,937
$600 RON 2,868
-32.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,805 RON 8,634
$2,656 RON 12.7K
-32.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,229 RON 5,879
$1,847 RON 8,837
-33.48%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bacau
Timisoara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$936 RON 4,480
$1,151 RON 5,508
-18.65%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.97
6.88
1.31%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bacau: October 26, 2026

Last update for Timisoara: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bacau
$236
Timisoara
$404 70.9% $167
Eating Out
Bacau
$194
Timisoara
$184 5.4% $10
Groceries & Markets
Bacau
$177
Timisoara
$202 14.7% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bacau
$118
Timisoara
$183 54.9% $65
Clothing & Footwear
Bacau
$117
Timisoara
$126 7.3% $8.5
Sport & Entertainment
Bacau
$37
Timisoara
$56 48.9% $18
Getting Around
Bacau
$36
Timisoara
$43 19.6% $7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $416 in Bacau versus $568 in Timisoara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 23% higher in Timisoara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Bacau versus $46 in Timisoara. Groceries tell a different story – $177 in Bacau vs $202 in Timisoara – so Bacau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇷🇴 Bacau
🇷🇴 Timisoara
🕒 Local time
05:02 5:02 AM
05:02 5:02 AM
Same time as Bacau
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
144,307
319,279
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.78 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bacau Timisoara 450 km
From you
  • Bacau
  • Timisoara

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Bacau vs Timisoara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bacau cheaper than Timisoara?
Yes – Timisoara is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,373 per month in Bacau and $1,796 in Timisoara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $416 there versus $568 in Timisoara.
Is eating out cheaper in Bacau or in Timisoara?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Bacau and $46 in Timisoara. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Bacau and in Timisoara?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $916 in Bacau and $1,197 in Timisoara. That makes Bacau about 24% cheaper.
Is it better to live in Bacau or in Timisoara?
It depends on your priorities. Timisoara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $916 in Bacau to $1,197 in Timisoara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Bacau or Timisoara?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Bacau. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Timisoara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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