Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Targu Jiu

For one person, living is cheaper in Targu Jiu: $980 a month against $2,883 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $22,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Targu Jiu
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Targu Jiu Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,883

/mo nomad

Targu Jiu

🇷🇴 Romania

$980

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Targu Jiu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,883 in Dubai versus $980 in Targu Jiu.

Dubai $2,883
Targu Jiu $980

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,403 in Dubai versus $1,514 in Targu Jiu.

Dubai $4,403
Targu Jiu $1,514

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,923 in Dubai versus $2,049 in Targu Jiu.

Dubai $5,923
Targu Jiu $2,049

Living in Dubai is roughly 194% more expensive than in Targu Jiu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 113% above, Targu Jiu is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.99 AED 47.72

$14.97 RON 70.8

-13.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.9 AED 301

$57.1 RON 270

43.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.64 AED 35.40

$7.51 RON 35.54

28.36%

Cappuccino

$6.09 AED 22.38

$3.46 RON 16.35

76.01%

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

$1.61 AED 5.93

$1.08 RON 5.10

49.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 AED 2.76

$2.24 RON 10.60

-66.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.79 AED 50.6

$3.85 RON 18.19

258.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.41 AED 49.25

$4.33 RON 20.49

209.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 AED 6.83

$1.63 RON 7.71

14.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 AED 5.62

$1.37 RON 6.47

11.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 AED 9.38

$1.76 RON 8.33

44.89%

Eggs

$3.28 AED 12.06

$2.73 RON 12.90

20.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 AED 44.57

$7.55 RON 35.70

60.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.15 AED 33.62

$2.88 RON 13.60

217.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 AED 47.00

$7.23 RON 34.23

77.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 AED 9.39

$0.97 RON 4.58

163.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.03

$1.48 RON 7.00

29.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 AED 6.69

$1.19 RON 5.63

52.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 AED 5.26

$1.24 RON 5.86

15.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 AED 4.04

$0.83 RON 3.93

32.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 AED 3.40

$0.79 RON 3.73

16.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 AED 5.58

$0.66 RON 3.12

130.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 AED 2.54

$0.52 RON 2.46

32.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.41 AED 23.55

$5.16 RON 24.39

24.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.52 AED 60.7

$3.01 RON 14.24

448.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 AED 9.41

$0.81 RON 3.82

216.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$1.03 RON 4.88

199.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 AED 5.82

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.9 AED 279

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 AED 11.72

$0.62 RON 2.91

414.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.62

$0.60 RON 2.84

18.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 AED 30.13

$6.19 RON 29.27

32.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 AED 3.73

$1.89 RON 8.95

-46.56%

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

$26.1K AED 96.0K

$28.9K RON 136.9K

-9.68%

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

$21.8K AED 80.2K

$25.8K RON 122.1K

-15.38%

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

$245 AED 900

$195 RON 921

25.94%

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

$57.5 AED 211

$5.97 RON 28.27

863.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.3 AED 335

$9.41 RON 44.54

869.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$105 AED 385

$31.87 RON 151

228.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.58 AED 171

Cinema Ticket

$16.04 AED 58.9

$8.40 RON 39.75

90.95%

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

$873 AED 3,206

$638 RON 3,018

36.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K AED 66.2K

$14.2K RON 67.0K

27.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 AED 260

$50.9 RON 241

38.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 AED 229

$25.23 RON 119

147.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 AED 390

$53.6 RON 254

97.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 AED 376

$83.5 RON 395

22.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,454 AED 9,014

$348 RON 1,646

605.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,510 AED 5,545

$240 RON 1,136

528.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,640 AED 17.0K

$481 RON 2,278

863.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,961 AED 10.9K

$402 RON 1,901

637.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,219 AED 26.5K

$2,538 RON 12.0K

184.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,232 AED 15.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,584 AED 13.2K

$530 RON 2,509

576.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

6.75

-32.74%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 18, 2026

Last update for Targu Jiu: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.4%

Targu Jiu

$240 24.5% 84.1% $1.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.7%

Targu Jiu

$210 21.4% 46.7% $184

Eating Out

Dubai

$311 10.8%

Targu Jiu

$225 23% 27.7% $86

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$288 10%

Targu Jiu

$156 16% 45.7% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$154 5.3%

Targu Jiu

$96 9.8% 37.5% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$137 4.8%

Targu Jiu

$49 5% 64.4% $88

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Targu Jiu

$3.6 * 0.4% 95.9% $85

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,454 in Dubai and $348 in Targu Jiu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 576% 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: $82.0 in Dubai vs $57.0 in Targu Jiu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $156 per month, with Targu Jiu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇷🇴 Targu Jiu

🕒 Local time

21:01 9:01 PM

20:01 8:01 PM

1 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

82,504

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dubai Targu Jiu 3,620 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Targu Jiu

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

Dubai vs Targu Jiu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Targu Jiu is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 194% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 576% higher in Dubai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,454 in Dubai versus $348 in Targu Jiu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 84% higher in Dubai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,883 per month in Dubai versus $980 in Targu Jiu – a 194% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $980 in Targu Jiu versus $2,883 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Targu Jiu but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Targu Jiu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Dubai and Targu Jiu 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 Targu Jiu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 194% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.