Cost of Living Comparison Between Piestany and Satu Mare Cost of Living Comparison Between Piestany and Satu Mare

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,379 in Piestany versus $947 in Satu Mare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,910 in Piestany versus $1,455 in Satu Mare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,442 in Piestany versus $1,962 in Satu Mare.

Living in Piestany is roughly 46% more expensive than Satu Mare, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Piestany is 3% above, Satu Mare is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.88 €6.78

$8.97 RON 40.57

-12.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.99 €24.93

$46.81 RON 212

-38.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.49 €9.02

$6.73 RON 30.41

55.87%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$2.44 RON 11.04

28.28%

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

$2.10 €1.80

$1.72 RON 7.79

22.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.46 RON 6.60

13.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.54 €1.32

$2.01 RON 9.08

-23.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 €3.04

$2.27 RON 10.28

55.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 €0.90

$1.51 RON 6.84

-30.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.13 RON 5.12

17.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 €0.81

$1.27 RON 5.72

-25.98%

Eggs

$2.88 €2.47

$3.09 RON 13.95

-6.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.19 €10.49

$8.29 RON 37.48

47.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 €5.99

$6.32 RON 28.56

10.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.14 €11.30

$11.36 RON 51.4

15.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.09 RON 4.91

88.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 €1.26

$1.50 RON 6.77

-2.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.40 RON 6.32

60.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 €4.11

$1.79 RON 8.08

167.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.57

$0.71 RON 3.22

156.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 €1.58

$0.98 RON 4.45

86.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.67 RON 3.01

141.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 €0.57

$0.77 RON 3.48

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.60 €4.82

$5.71 RON 25.82

-1.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.25 €4.52

$6.47 RON 29.26

-18.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.25 RON 5.64

-8.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.63

$1.67 RON 7.56

13.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 €0.87

$0.59 RON 2.68

71.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.09 €25.03

$25.41 RON 115

14.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.83 RON 3.74

65.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.91

$0.87 RON 3.94

20.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.75 €27.31

$7.32 RON 33.08

333.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.55 RON 7.00

12.26%

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

$28.2K €24.3K

$25.1K RON 113.7K

12.15%

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

$30.7K €26.4K

$25.4K RON 115.0K

20.60%

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

$243 €209

$137 RON 621

76.80%

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

$17.39 €14.96

$8.00 RON 36.14

117.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.69 €15.21

$9.30 RON 42.06

90.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.08 €36.20

$48.87 RON 221

-13.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.54 €15.09

$11.66 RON 52.7

50.43%

Cinema Ticket

$8.00 €6.88

$6.79 RON 30.70

17.82%

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

$666 €573

$187 RON 844

256.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €10.7K

$10.3K RON 46.3K

21.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.78 €40.24

$65.8 RON 297

-28.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.19 €20.81

$30.23 RON 137

-19.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.9 €50.7

$81.2 RON 367

-27.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.10 €39.66

$76.5 RON 346

-39.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 €507

$304 RON 1,374

93.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 €413

$236 RON 1,069

103.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 €823

$546 RON 2,469

75.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$750 €645

$348 RON 1,574

115.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,531 €3,037

$1,057 RON 4,776

234.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,485 €2,137

$1,117 RON 5,048

122.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,200 €1,032

$689 RON 3,115

74.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.25

6.66

-36.19%

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

Last update for Piestany: June 1, 2026

Last update for Satu Mare: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Piestany and $304 in Satu Mare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piestany pays 74% 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: $29.00 in Piestany vs $47.00 in Satu Mare. Groceries flip the comparison at $245 vs $202, with Satu Mare cheaper for home cooking.

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

Piestany vs Satu Mare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Satu Mare is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Piestany pays 74% more on average, 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: $589 in Piestany versus $304 in Satu Mare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Satu Mare – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $29.00 in Piestany. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,379 per month in Piestany versus $947 in Satu Mare – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $947 in Satu Mare versus $1,379 in Piestany, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Satu Mare but tight or insufficient in Piestany. The gap between the two cities makes Satu Mare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Piestany and Satu Mare 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 Satu Mare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Piestany. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.