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: $1,376 in Piestany versus $973 in Satu Mare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,955 in Piestany versus $1,472 in Satu Mare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,535 in Piestany versus $1,972 in Satu Mare.

Living in Piestany is roughly 41% more expensive than in Satu Mare, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Piestany is 3% above, Satu Mare is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.89 €6.91

$9.49 RON 43.50

-16.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.51 €25.82

$46.08 RON 211

-35.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 €9.21

$6.77 RON 31.03

55.39%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.74

$2.42 RON 11.10

29.34%

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

$2.15 €1.88

$1.72 RON 7.89

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.44

$1.40 RON 6.42

17.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 €1.34

$2.13 RON 9.78

-28.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 €2.96

$2.27 RON 10.39

48.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 €0.88

$1.48 RON 6.81

-31.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 €1.15

$1.13 RON 5.20

16.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 €0.84

$1.24 RON 5.69

-22.58%

Eggs

$2.88 €2.52

$3.21 RON 14.73

-10.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 €10.70

$7.91 RON 36.25

54.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 €6.12

$6.38 RON 29.25

9.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.75 €11.15

$11.47 RON 52.6

11.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.14 RON 5.23

79.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 €1.28

$1.43 RON 6.57

2.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 €1.99

$1.42 RON 6.50

59.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 €4.21

$1.80 RON 8.26

167.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.67

$0.72 RON 3.30

163.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.01 RON 4.65

80.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.35

$0.68 RON 3.11

126.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 €0.58

$0.78 RON 3.58

-15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.49 €4.80

$5.80 RON 26.59

-5.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.18 €4.53

$6.55 RON 30.05

-20.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.02

$1.21 RON 5.55

-3.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.72 RON 7.89

9.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 €0.89

$0.56 RON 2.55

80.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.81 €25.20

$25.62 RON 118

12.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 €1.20

$0.91 RON 4.17

50.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 €0.93

$0.81 RON 3.70

30.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.79 €27.81

$7.35 RON 33.71

332.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.60 RON 7.33

10.00%

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

$27.7K €24.2K

$25.0K RON 114.6K

10.77%

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

$30.3K €26.5K

$26.0K RON 119.2K

16.65%

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

$244 €213

$139 RON 635

75.94%

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

$17.55 €15.36

$8.08 RON 37.07

117.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.59 €15.39

$9.45 RON 43.34

86.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.00 €37.62

$47.91 RON 220

-10.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 €15.07

$11.58 RON 53.1

48.70%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 €7.12

$6.87 RON 31.49

18.49%

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

$668 €584

$181 RON 831

268.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.2K

$10.2K RON 46.6K

26.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.61 €40.78

$65.4 RON 300

-28.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.89 €21.78

$30.97 RON 142

-19.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.5 €51.2

$83.7 RON 384

-30.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.92 €41.05

$77.8 RON 357

-39.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$593 €519

$309 RON 1,416

92.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 €426

$241 RON 1,104

102.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$964 €843

$543 RON 2,489

77.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$741 €648

$343 RON 1,571

116.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,418 €2,991

$1,039 RON 4,767

228.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,487 €2,176

$1,078 RON 4,945

130.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,154 €1,010

$692 RON 3,171

66.87%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Satu Mare: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $593 in Piestany and $309 in Satu Mare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piestany pays 67% 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: $30.00 in Piestany vs $46.00 in Satu Mare. Groceries flip the comparison at $244 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 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 67% higher in Piestany, 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: $593 in Piestany versus $309 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 $46.00 versus $30.00 in Piestany. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,376 per month in Piestany versus $973 in Satu Mare – a 41% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $973 in Satu Mare versus $1,376 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 41% less than in Piestany. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.