Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Targu Mures

For one person, living is cheaper in Targu Mures: $942 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $22,900 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Targu Mures
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Targu Mures Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Targu Mures

🇷🇴 Romania

$942

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Mures actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,854 in Dubai versus $942 in Targu Mures.

Dubai $2,854
Targu Mures $942

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,321 in Dubai versus $1,446 in Targu Mures.

Dubai $4,321
Targu Mures $1,446

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,788 in Dubai versus $1,950 in Targu Mures.

Dubai $5,788
Targu Mures $1,950

Living in Dubai is roughly 203% more expensive than in Targu Mures, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 113% above, Targu Mures is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.04 AED 47.89

$9.02 RON 42.67

44.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 AED 299

$42.09 RON 199

93.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.32 AED 34.25

$8.17 RON 38.64

14.08%

Cappuccino

$5.97 AED 21.93

$2.21 RON 10.43

170.14%

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

$1.63 AED 5.98

$1.46 RON 6.90

11.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 AED 2.99

$1.22 RON 5.78

-33.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.65 AED 50.1

$1.94 RON 9.15

603.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.38 AED 49.15

$2.35 RON 11.12

469.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 AED 6.64

$1.36 RON 6.41

33.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 AED 5.78

$1.12 RON 5.29

40.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 AED 9.16

$1.39 RON 6.59

79.14%

Eggs

$3.28 AED 12.04

$2.92 RON 13.81

12.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 AED 46.53

$7.83 RON 37.04

61.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 AED 35.80

$5.78 RON 27.32

68.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 AED 48.40

$10.20 RON 48.24

29.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 AED 9.57

$0.93 RON 4.39

180.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 AED 7.09

$1.27 RON 6.01

51.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 AED 7.05

$1.45 RON 6.87

32.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 AED 5.00

$1.90 RON 8.99

-28.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.29

$0.72 RON 3.39

62.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$0.52 RON 2.46

94.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 AED 5.56

$0.88 RON 4.15

71.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 AED 2.29

$0.76 RON 3.59

-18.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 AED 21.50

$5.81 RON 27.49

0.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 AED 59.3

$7.32 RON 34.64

120.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 AED 9.74

$1.07 RON 5.07

147.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 AED 10.82

$1.55 RON 7.33

90.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 AED 6.03

$0.65 RON 3.07

152.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 AED 270

$25.67 RON 121

186.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 AED 11.66

$0.85 RON 4.03

272.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.63

$0.81 RON 3.82

-12.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.23

$7.60 RON 35.94

4.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 AED 3.64

$1.87 RON 8.85

-47.06%

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

$27.4K AED 100.5K

$29.1K RON 137.7K

-6.00%

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

$22.5K AED 82.8K

$25.2K RON 119.2K

-10.56%

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

$250 AED 920

$102 RON 482

145.95%

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

$54.2 AED 199

$9.28 RON 43.89

484.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.8 AED 337

$8.35 RON 39.49

999.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 AED 362

$41.67 RON 197

136.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.61 AED 156

$17.94 RON 84.9

137.51%

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 AED 58.9

$6.21 RON 29.38

158.13%

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

$843 AED 3,098

$1,335 RON 6,312

-36.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 AED 250

$53.4 RON 253

27.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$30.39 RON 144

90.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 AED 370

$75.7 RON 358

32.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 AED 371

$78.4 RON 371

28.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,380 AED 8,741

$421 RON 1,990

465.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 AED 5,531

$290 RON 1,371

419.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,437 AED 16.3K

$646 RON 3,055

586.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,010 AED 11.1K

$485 RON 2,294

520.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,121 AED 26.2K

$2,236 RON 10.6K

218.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,135 AED 15.2K

$1,482 RON 7,008

179.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,391 AED 12.5K

$998 RON 4,722

239.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

7.47

-39.22%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Last update for Targu Mures: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5%

Targu Mures

$290 30.7% 80.8% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$396 13.8%

Targu Mures

$119 12.7% 69.9% $277

Eating Out

Dubai

$309 10.8%

Targu Mures

$148 15.7% 52% $160

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$293 10.2%

Targu Mures

$191 20.3% 34.6% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Targu Mures

$107 11.4% 27.4% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$131 4.6%

Targu Mures

$54 5.7% 58.6% $77

Getting Around

Dubai

$87 3%

Targu Mures

$33 3.5% 61.9% $54

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,380 in Dubai and $421 in Targu Mures. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 240% 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: $81.0 in Dubai vs $42.00 in Targu Mures for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $191 per month, with Targu Mures cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇷🇴 Targu Mures

🕒 Local time

12:29 12:29 PM

11:29 11:29 AM

1 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

134,290

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Dubai Targu Mures 3,610 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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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

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

Targu Mures is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 203% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 240% 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: $2,380 in Dubai versus $421 in Targu Mures. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Targu Mures runs roughly 187% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $843 in Dubai versus $1,335 in Targu Mures. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $942 in Targu Mures versus $2,854 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Targu Mures but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Targu Mures the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Targu Mures 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 Mures 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 Mures gentler on the wallet – expenses run 203% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.