Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baia Mare and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Baia Mare: $882 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Baia Mare
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Baia Mare Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

Jump to prices

Baia Mare

🇷🇴 Romania

$882

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baia Mare and in Cape Town

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $882 in Baia Mare versus $1,586 in Cape Town.

Baia Mare $882
Cape Town $1,586

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,385 in Baia Mare versus $2,425 in Cape Town.

Baia Mare $1,385
Cape Town $2,425

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,888 in Baia Mare versus $3,263 in Cape Town.

Baia Mare $1,888
Cape Town $3,263

Living in Baia Mare costs roughly 44% less than in Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Baia Mare is 35% below, Cape Town is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 RON 58.2

$12.14 R 200

1.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.87 RON 151

$45.34 R 747

-29.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.21 RON 38.85

$5.88 R 96.9

39.63%

Cappuccino

$2.08 RON 9.82

$2.50 R 41.18

-16.80%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 RON 8.25

$1.27 R 20.94

37.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 RON 6.30

$0.98 R 16.14

35.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.60 RON 7.58

$2.99 R 49.33

-46.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 RON 10.11

$3.72 R 61.4

-42.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 RON 6.84

$1.30 R 21.40

11.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 RON 6.84

$1.25 R 20.68

16.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 RON 7.02

$2.23 R 36.76

-33.63%

Eggs

$2.93 RON 13.88

$3.11 R 51.2

-5.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.13 RON 29.01

$9.06 R 149

-32.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 RON 30.66

$6.92 R 114

-6.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.53 RON 49.80

$9.30 R 153

13.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.13 RON 5.36

$1.84 R 30.25

-38.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 RON 7.24

$1.96 R 32.29

-21.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 RON 6.26

$1.67 R 27.45

-20.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.62 RON 12.41

$2.17 R 35.70

20.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 RON 4.33

$1.57 R 25.81

-42.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 RON 5.08

$1.48 R 24.45

-27.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 RON 5.23

$1.30 R 21.41

-15.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 RON 3.85

$1.13 R 18.60

-28.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.41 RON 30.35

$3.60 R 59.3

78.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.62 RON 21.88

$6.15 R 101

-24.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 RON 5.17

$1.38 R 22.66

-21.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 RON 7.93

$2.14 R 35.20

-21.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 RON 3.11

$1.50 R 24.65

-56.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.36 RON 67.9

$60.8 R 1,001

-76.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 RON 3.59

$0.59 R 9.71

28.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 RON 3.53

$1.50 R 24.65

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 RON 28.11

$5.11 R 84.2

16.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 RON 8.12

$1.55 R 25.50

10.97%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.2K RON 133.3K

$36.2K R 596.5K

-22.18%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.4K RON 120.1K

$31.2K R 514.8K

-18.79%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$103 RON 489

$114 R 1,883

-9.53%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$14.96 RON 70.8

$28.91 R 476

-48.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.75 RON 55.6

$39.73 R 654

-70.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.39 RON 182

$49.01 R 808

-21.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 RON 76.4

$10.99 R 181

46.86%

Cinema Ticket

$10.07 RON 47.66

$9.15 R 151

10.05%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$527 RON 2,493

$259 R 4,264

103.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,253 RON 24.9K

$6,794 R 111.9K

-22.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.87 RON 174

$56.2 R 926

-34.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.97 RON 199

$32.41 R 534

29.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.1 RON 294

$121 R 1,987

-48.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.0 RON 355

$108 R 1,781

-30.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$278 RON 1,313

$1,021 R 16.8K

-72.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 RON 960

$717 R 11.8K

-71.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 RON 2,314

$1,824 R 30.1K

-73.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 RON 1,743

$1,327 R 21.9K

-72.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,044 RON 9,671

$2,391 R 39.4K

-14.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,414 RON 6,691

$1,542 R 25.4K

-8.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$859 RON 4,063

$1,639 R 27.0K

-47.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.48

10.97

-31.81%

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

Last update for Baia Mare: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Baia Mare

$203 23%

Cape Town

$717 45.2% 253% $514

Groceries & Markets

Baia Mare

$199 22.6%

Cape Town

$225 14.2% 12.8% $26

Eating Out

Baia Mare

$173 19.6%

Cape Town

$176 11.1% 2.1% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baia Mare

$130 14.8%

Cape Town

$183 11.5% 40.6% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Baia Mare

$97 11%

Cape Town

$143 9% 46.9% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Baia Mare

$59 6.6%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 15% $8.8

Getting Around

Baia Mare

$21 2.4%

Cape Town

$75 4.7% 248% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $278 in Baia Mare and $1,021 in Cape Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cape Town pays 91% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Baia Mare vs $45.00 in Cape Town for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $225 per month, with Baia Mare cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Baia Mare

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

21:06 9:06 PM

20:06 8:06 PM

1 h behind Baia Mare

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

123,738

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Baia Mare Cape Town 9,090 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Baia Mare
Cape Town

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

Baia Mare vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baia Mare is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 91% lower in Cape Town. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $278 in Baia Mare versus $1,021 in Cape Town. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $527 in Baia Mare versus $259 in Cape Town. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Cape Town. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $882 in Baia Mare versus $1,586 in Cape Town, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Baia Mare but tight or insufficient in Cape Town. The gap between the two cities makes Baia Mare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Baia Mare is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cape Town, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Baia Mare and Cape Town are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Baia Mare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Cape Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.