Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Craiova and Timisoara

For one person, living costs are similar in Craiova and in Timisoara: $1,217 and $1,197 a month, rent and utilities included.

58

Cost of Living Index in Craiova
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Craiova Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Timisoara
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Timisoara Living Index

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Craiova

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,217

/mo nomad

Timisoara

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,197

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,217 in Craiova versus $1,197 in Timisoara.

Craiova $1,217
Timisoara $1,197

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,869 in Craiova versus $1,776 in Timisoara.

Craiova $1,869
Timisoara $1,776

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,520 in Craiova versus $2,354 in Timisoara.

Craiova $2,520
Timisoara $2,354

Monthly costs are close between Craiova and Timisoara; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Craiova 11% lower, Timisoara 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.14 RON 34.11

$10.64 RON 50.9

-32.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.37 RON 198

$46.12 RON 220

-10.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.45 RON 35.60

$8.44 RON 40.33

-11.73%

Cappuccino

$2.71 RON 12.96

$3.02 RON 14.43

-10.26%

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

$2.23 RON 10.63

$2.20 RON 10.53

1.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 RON 8.45

$1.64 RON 7.85

7.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 RON 10.70

$2.70 RON 12.92

-17.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 RON 16.78

$4.10 RON 19.61

-14.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 RON 6.08

$1.37 RON 6.56

-7.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 RON 3.92

$1.20 RON 5.73

-31.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 RON 6.76

$1.38 RON 6.59

2.90%

Eggs

$3.26 RON 15.56

$2.92 RON 13.94

11.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.21 RON 34.47

$8.40 RON 40.16

-14.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.47 RON 30.92

$5.88 RON 28.11

10.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.49 RON 54.9

$10.89 RON 52.0

5.51%

Apples (1kg)

$0.95 RON 4.53

$1.15 RON 5.50

-17.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 RON 7.15

$1.46 RON 6.98

2.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 RON 6.93

$1.40 RON 6.69

3.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 RON 8.61

$2.37 RON 11.34

-24.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 RON 3.65

$0.77 RON 3.68

-1.30%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 RON 4.27

$0.96 RON 4.59

-7.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 RON 3.50

$0.64 RON 3.06

14.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.78 RON 3.75

-1.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.59 RON 31.47

$6.25 RON 29.85

5.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.34 RON 30.29

$7.46 RON 35.67

-15.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 RON 5.75

$1.14 RON 5.43

5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 RON 6.99

$1.75 RON 8.36

-16.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 RON 4.19

$1.07 RON 5.11

-17.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.16 RON 120

$33.33 RON 159

-24.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 RON 2.93

$0.84 RON 4.03

-27.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 RON 3.09

$0.87 RON 4.15

-25.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.37 RON 30.46

$8.40 RON 40.14

-24.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 RON 9.10

$1.90 RON 9.09

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

$28.9K RON 138.0K

-0.01%

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

$25.8K RON 123.5K

$24.8K RON 118.3K

4.38%

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

$216 RON 1,034

$168 RON 802

29.04%

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

$9.24 RON 44.18

$6.72 RON 32.11

37.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.57 RON 55.3

$8.47 RON 40.47

36.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.59 RON 184

$40.08 RON 192

-3.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.52 RON 103

$15.65 RON 74.8

37.51%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 RON 34.77

$7.86 RON 37.57

-7.38%

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

$411 RON 1,962

$583 RON 2,785

-29.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,047 RON 38.5K

$8,900 RON 42.5K

-9.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 RON 301

$75.7 RON 362

-16.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 RON 242

$38.89 RON 186

30.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 RON 396

$75.5 RON 361

9.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 RON 494

$89.3 RON 427

15.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$532 RON 2,541

$568 RON 2,713

-6.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 RON 2,000

$404 RON 1,929

3.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 RON 4,346

$802 RON 3,832

13.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$829 RON 3,961

$600 RON 2,865

38.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,703 RON 12.9K

$2,656 RON 12.7K

1.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,988 RON 9,498

$1,847 RON 8,826

7.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 RON 4,368

$1,151 RON 5,501

-20.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

6.88

-0.58%

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

Last update for Craiova: 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

Craiova

$418 34.4%

Timisoara

$404 33.7% 3.5% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Craiova

$237 19.5%

Timisoara

$183 15.3% 22.9% $54

Groceries & Markets

Craiova

$194 16%

Timisoara

$202 16.9% 4.2% $8.1

Eating Out

Craiova

$146 12%

Timisoara

$184 15.4% 25.7% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Craiova

$135 11.1%

Timisoara

$126 10.5% 6.8% $9.1

Sport & Entertainment

Craiova

$53 4.4%

Timisoara

$56 4.7% 5% $2.7

Getting Around

Craiova

$33 2.7%

Timisoara

$43 3.6% 31.6% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $532 in Craiova and $568 in Timisoara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Timisoara pays 26% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $41 in Craiova vs $46 in Timisoara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $202 per month, with Craiova cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Craiova

🇷🇴 Timisoara

🕒 Local time

20:51 8:51 PM

Same time as Craiova

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

269,506

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

On the map

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Between locations

Craiova Timisoara 260 km

From you

Craiova
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

Craiova vs Timisoara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Craiova. 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: $532 in Craiova versus $568 in Timisoara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $411 in Craiova versus $583 in Timisoara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Craiova – a meal for two runs $41 versus $46 in Timisoara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Timisoara gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Safety-wise, Craiova and Timisoara are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.