Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buzau and Timisoara

For one person, living is cheaper in Buzau: $979 a month against $1,145 in Timisoara, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Buzau
🇷🇴 Romania
$979
/mo nomad
Timisoara
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,145
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $979 in Buzau versus $1,145 in Timisoara.

  • Buzau $979
  • Timisoara $1,145

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,449 in Buzau versus $1,760 in Timisoara.

  • Buzau $1,449
  • Timisoara $1,760

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,919 in Buzau versus $2,374 in Timisoara.

  • Buzau $1,919
  • Timisoara $2,374

Living in Buzau costs roughly 15% less than in Timisoara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Buzau 27% lower, Timisoara 15% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Buzau
Timisoara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.42 RON 49.30
$10.28 RON 48.66
1.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.71 RON 117
$46.90 RON 222
-47.31%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.30 RON 29.79
$8.57 RON 40.56
-26.49%
Cappuccino
$2.02 RON 9.58
$3.03 RON 14.35
-33.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 RON 9.12
$2.18 RON 10.33
-11.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.50 RON 7.08
$1.58 RON 7.49
-5.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.66 RON 7.85
$2.76 RON 13.06
-39.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.71 RON 8.10
$4.28 RON 20.24
-60.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Buzau
Timisoara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.76 RON 8.32
$1.37 RON 6.50
28.47%
White Bread (500g)
$1.31 RON 6.21
$1.19 RON 5.65
10.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.45 RON 6.84
$1.32 RON 6.25
9.85%
Eggs
$3.10 RON 14.67
$2.89 RON 13.69
7.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.50 RON 35.47
$8.42 RON 39.82
-10.93%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.62 RON 31.33
$5.88 RON 27.84
12.59%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.10 RON 52.5
$11.25 RON 53.2
-1.33%
Apples (1kg)
$0.95 RON 4.50
$1.14 RON 5.41
-16.67%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 RON 7.72
$1.50 RON 7.11
8.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.11 RON 5.25
$1.46 RON 6.90
-23.97%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.23 RON 5.83
$2.42 RON 11.45
-49.17%
Potato (1kg)
$0.67 RON 3.18
$0.78 RON 3.69
-14.10%
Onion (1kg)
$0.78 RON 3.68
$0.92 RON 4.35
-15.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.48 RON 2.28
$0.69 RON 3.27
-30.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.66 RON 3.11
$0.78 RON 3.67
-15.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.24 RON 29.54
$6.21 RON 29.36
0.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.43 RON 30.42
$7.51 RON 35.52
-14.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.76 RON 3.58
$1.14 RON 5.41
-33.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.43 RON 6.77
$1.76 RON 8.34
-18.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Buzau
Timisoara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.66 RON 3.10
$1.07 RON 5.07
-38.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.60 RON 102
$33.44 RON 158
-35.41%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.52 RON 2.47
$0.80 RON 3.80
-35.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.49 RON 2.32
$0.86 RON 4.06
-43.02%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.19 RON 29.27
$8.15 RON 38.56
-24.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.65 RON 7.81
$1.87 RON 8.83
-11.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.4K RON 91.7K
$28.5K RON 135.0K
-32.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.1K RON 100.0K
$23.5K RON 111.2K
-10.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buzau
Timisoara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$119 RON 563
$170 RON 802
-29.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.87 RON 37.24
$6.75 RON 31.94
16.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$7.72 RON 36.53
$8.48 RON 40.12
-8.96%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Buzau
Timisoara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.03 RON 152
$38.51 RON 182
-16.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.85 RON 84.5
$16.04 RON 75.9
11.28%
Cinema Ticket
$6.89 RON 32.60
$7.92 RON 37.48
-13.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Buzau
Timisoara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$285 RON 1,348
$574 RON 2,718
-50.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,766 RON 32.0K
$8,658 RON 41.0K
-21.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Buzau
Timisoara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.5 RON 258
$73.3 RON 347
-25.64%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.7 RON 273
$39.81 RON 188
44.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.5 RON 461
$77.5 RON 367
25.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$84.1 RON 398
$87.8 RON 415
-4.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Buzau
Timisoara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$344 RON 1,629
$527 RON 2,494
-34.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$292 RON 1,379
$352 RON 1,666
-17.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$606 RON 2,867
$824 RON 3,897
-26.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$423 RON 2,002
$617 RON 2,920
-31.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,475 RON 6,976
$2,554 RON 12.1K
-42.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,194 RON 5,648
$1,850 RON 8,752
-35.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Buzau
Timisoara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$850 RON 4,021
$1,175 RON 5,557
-27.64%
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 Buzau: October 12, 2026

Last update for Timisoara: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Buzau
$292
Timisoara
$352 20.8% $61
Groceries & Markets
Buzau
$196
Timisoara
$204 4.2% $8.3
Eating Out
Buzau
$152
Timisoara
$182 19.7% $30
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buzau
$134
Timisoara
$185 37.4% $50
Clothing & Footwear
Buzau
$132
Timisoara
$125 5.2% $6.9
Sport & Entertainment
Buzau
$46
Timisoara
$54 18.6% $8.5
Getting Around
Buzau
$27
Timisoara
$43 57.5% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $344 in Buzau and $527 in Timisoara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Timisoara pays 38% 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: $25.00 in Buzau vs $47.00 in Timisoara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $204 per month, with Buzau cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇷🇴 Buzau
🇷🇴 Timisoara
🕒 Local time
05:39 5:39 AM
05:39 5:39 AM
Same time as Buzau
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
115,494
319,279
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Buzau Timisoara 440 km
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  • Buzau
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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
Buzau vs Timisoara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Buzau and in Timisoara?
Buzau and Timisoara differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($979 vs $1,145 including rent). Buzau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Timisoara. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Buzau and in Timisoara?
Rent for a central apartment: $344 in Buzau versus $527 in Timisoara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Timisoara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Buzau – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $47.00 in Timisoara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $979 in Buzau versus $1,145 in Timisoara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Buzau but tight or insufficient in Timisoara. The gap between the two cities makes Buzau the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Buzau and Timisoara?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Buzau or Timisoara safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Buzau and Timisoara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Buzau or Timisoara?
Expats usually find Buzau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Timisoara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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