Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bistrita and Timisoara

For one person, living is cheaper in Bistrita: $849 a month against $1,197 in Timisoara, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Bistrita
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Bistrita Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Timisoara
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Timisoara Living Index

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Bistrita

🇷🇴 Romania

$849

/mo nomad

Timisoara

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,197

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bistrita 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 Bistrita and in Timisoara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $849 per month in Bistrita vs $1,197 in Timisoara, rent included.

Bistrita $849
Timisoara $1,197

A couple spends around $1,284 per month in Bistrita vs $1,776 in Timisoara, rent included.

Bistrita $1,284
Timisoara $1,776

A family of three spends $1,720 per month in Bistrita vs $2,354 in Timisoara, rent included.

Bistrita $1,720
Timisoara $2,354

Bistrita is about 29% cheaper than Timisoara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bistrita and Timisoara are more affordable than the global median – Bistrita 38% lower, Timisoara 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.29 RON 30.05

$10.64 RON 50.9

-40.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.15 RON 149

$46.12 RON 220

-32.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.30 RON 30.09

$8.44 RON 40.33

-25.36%

Cappuccino

$2.22 RON 10.61

$3.02 RON 14.43

-26.49%

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

$1.63 RON 7.79

$2.20 RON 10.53

-25.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 RON 6.47

$1.64 RON 7.85

-17.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 RON 9.83

$2.70 RON 12.92

-23.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 RON 15.13

$4.10 RON 19.61

-22.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 RON 5.86

$1.37 RON 6.56

-10.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 RON 5.03

$1.20 RON 5.73

-12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 RON 4.97

$1.38 RON 6.59

-24.64%

Eggs

$2.57 RON 12.30

$2.92 RON 13.94

-11.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.21 RON 29.69

$8.40 RON 40.16

-26.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.99 RON 28.64

$5.88 RON 28.11

1.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 RON 52.7

$10.89 RON 52.0

1.29%

Apples (1kg)

$0.87 RON 4.17

$1.15 RON 5.50

-24.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 RON 6.90

$1.46 RON 6.98

-1.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.41

$1.40 RON 6.69

10.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 RON 9.66

$2.37 RON 11.34

-14.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 RON 3.63

$0.77 RON 3.68

-1.30%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 RON 3.07

$0.96 RON 4.59

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 RON 4.92

$0.64 RON 3.06

60.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 RON 2.99

$0.78 RON 3.75

-19.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.37 RON 25.64

$6.25 RON 29.85

-14.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.38 RON 25.73

$7.46 RON 35.67

-27.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 RON 4.34

$1.14 RON 5.43

-20.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 RON 5.12

$1.75 RON 8.36

-38.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 RON 2.09

$1.07 RON 5.11

-58.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.03 RON 101

$33.33 RON 159

-36.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 RON 3.32

$0.84 RON 4.03

-17.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 RON 3.55

$0.87 RON 4.15

-14.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.35 RON 35.13

$8.40 RON 40.14

-12.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 RON 7.35

$1.90 RON 9.09

-18.95%

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

$27.3K RON 130.6K

$28.9K RON 138.0K

-5.37%

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

$24.1K RON 115.2K

$24.8K RON 118.3K

-2.62%

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

$175 RON 835

$168 RON 802

4.20%

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

$5.75 RON 27.46

$6.72 RON 32.11

-14.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.00 RON 28.67

$8.47 RON 40.47

-29.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.70 RON 190

$40.08 RON 192

-0.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.80 RON 147

$15.65 RON 74.8

96.81%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 RON 29.59

$7.86 RON 37.57

-21.25%

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

$305 RON 1,457

$583 RON 2,785

-47.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,850 RON 42.3K

$8,900 RON 42.5K

-0.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.24 RON 178

$75.7 RON 362

-50.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.70 RON 128

$38.89 RON 186

-31.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.0 RON 301

$75.5 RON 361

-16.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.2 RON 354

$89.3 RON 427

-16.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$217 RON 1,037

$568 RON 2,713

-61.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$187 RON 894

$404 RON 1,929

-53.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 RON 1,876

$802 RON 3,832

-51.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 RON 1,478

$600 RON 2,865

-48.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,477 RON 7,060

$2,656 RON 12.7K

-44.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,155 RON 5,517

$1,847 RON 8,826

-37.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$985 RON 4,709

$1,151 RON 5,501

-14.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.73

6.88

-2.18%

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

Last update for Bistrita: 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

Bistrita

$187 22%

Timisoara

$404 33.7% 116% $217

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bistrita

$187 22%

Timisoara

$183 15.3% 1.9% $3.6

Groceries & Markets

Bistrita

$181 21.3%

Timisoara

$202 16.9% 11.9% $22

Eating Out

Bistrita

$124 14.7%

Timisoara

$184 15.4% 47.8% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Bistrita

$91 10.7%

Timisoara

$126 10.5% 38.9% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Bistrita

$52 6.1%

Timisoara

$56 4.7% 7.1% $3.7

Getting Around

Bistrita

$27 3.2%

Timisoara

$43 3.6% 57.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $217 in Bistrita 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 17% 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 $31 in Bistrita versus $46 in Timisoara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $181 vs $202 – making Bistrita the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bistrita

🇷🇴 Timisoara

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

Same time as Bistrita

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,076

319,279

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Bistrita Timisoara 290 km

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Bistrita
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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

Bistrita vs Timisoara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Timisoara costs about 41% more than Bistrita, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,273 per month in Bistrita and $1,796 in Timisoara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bistrita, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $217 there versus $568 in Timisoara.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Timisoara, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31 in Bistrita and $46 in Timisoara. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $849 in Bistrita and $1,197 in Timisoara. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Bistrita – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Bistrita. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Timisoara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.