Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Satu Mare and Timisoara

For one person, living is cheaper in Satu Mare: $930 a month against $1,158 in Timisoara, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Satu Mare
Learn more

Satu Mare Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Timisoara
Learn more

Timisoara Living Index

Jump to prices

Satu Mare

🇷🇴 Romania

$930

/mo nomad

Timisoara

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,158

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $930 in Satu Mare versus $1,158 in Timisoara.

Satu Mare $930
Timisoara $1,158

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,406 in Satu Mare versus $1,757 in Timisoara.

Satu Mare $1,406
Timisoara $1,757

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,883 in Satu Mare versus $2,355 in Timisoara.

Satu Mare $1,883
Timisoara $2,355

Living in Satu Mare costs roughly 20% less than in Timisoara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Satu Mare 31% lower, Timisoara 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.20 RON 38.81

$10.56 RON 49.97

-22.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.51 RON 154

$45.44 RON 215

-28.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.48 RON 30.67

$8.35 RON 39.51

-22.40%

Cappuccino

$2.50 RON 11.81

$2.93 RON 13.87

-14.68%

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

$1.49 RON 7.04

$2.14 RON 10.11

-30.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 RON 6.07

$1.66 RON 7.85

-22.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 RON 8.87

$2.70 RON 12.77

-30.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 RON 11.55

$4.27 RON 20.22

-42.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 RON 5.33

$1.39 RON 6.58

-18.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 RON 5.04

$1.21 RON 5.71

-12.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 RON 5.36

$1.33 RON 6.31

-15.04%

Eggs

$2.69 RON 12.71

$2.81 RON 13.32

-4.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.35 RON 34.79

$8.37 RON 39.61

-12.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.53 RON 35.63

$6.09 RON 28.81

23.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.83 RON 51.2

$11.02 RON 52.2

-1.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.10 RON 5.19

$1.15 RON 5.42

-4.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 RON 6.15

$1.45 RON 6.86

-10.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 RON 6.04

$1.47 RON 6.94

-12.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 RON 6.75

$2.34 RON 11.07

-38.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 RON 5.61

$0.74 RON 3.50

60.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 RON 6.48

$0.94 RON 4.44

45.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 RON 4.14

$0.67 RON 3.17

31.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 RON 3.34

$0.77 RON 3.66

-7.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 RON 26.38

$6.17 RON 29.17

-9.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.19 RON 29.29

$7.52 RON 35.58

-17.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$1.15 RON 5.44

6.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 RON 8.06

$1.76 RON 8.31

-3.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 RON 2.56

$1.02 RON 4.85

-47.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.41 RON 111

$34.21 RON 162

-31.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 RON 3.79

$0.87 RON 4.10

-8.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 RON 4.03

$0.82 RON 3.87

3.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.10 RON 38.34

$8.54 RON 40.39

-5.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 RON 7.47

$1.88 RON 8.90

-15.96%

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

$22.8K RON 107.9K

$28.8K RON 136.3K

-20.86%

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

$25.3K RON 119.5K

$24.7K RON 116.8K

2.35%

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

$126 RON 597

$168 RON 793

-24.75%

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

$7.14 RON 33.79

$6.42 RON 30.37

11.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.25 RON 34.30

$8.59 RON 40.62

-15.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.55 RON 197

$38.76 RON 183

7.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.68 RON 50.5

$15.71 RON 74.3

-32.02%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 RON 29.29

$8.26 RON 39.10

-25.06%

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

$155 RON 733

$583 RON 2,757

-73.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,829 RON 18.1K

$8,838 RON 41.8K

-56.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 RON 282

$73.7 RON 349

-19.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.51 RON 135

$40.19 RON 190

-29.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.6 RON 405

$76.1 RON 360

12.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.2 RON 328

$88.5 RON 419

-21.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$322 RON 1,524

$534 RON 2,528

-39.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$260 RON 1,229

$366 RON 1,731

-29.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 RON 3,060

$843 RON 3,987

-23.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 RON 1,938

$607 RON 2,872

-32.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,007 RON 4,765

$2,572 RON 12.2K

-60.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,056 RON 4,995

$1,886 RON 8,924

-44.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 RON 3,075

$1,147 RON 5,427

-43.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.05

6.88

2.47%

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

Last update for Satu Mare: October 18, 2026

Last update for Timisoara: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Satu Mare

$260 27.9%

Timisoara

$366 31.6% 40.9% $106

Groceries & Markets

Satu Mare

$195 21%

Timisoara

$204 17.6% 4.3% $8.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Satu Mare

$141 15.1%

Timisoara

$183 15.8% 30% $42

Eating Out

Satu Mare

$140 15.1%

Timisoara

$182 15.7% 29.6% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Satu Mare

$109 11.8%

Timisoara

$125 10.8% 14.6% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Satu Mare

$54 5.8%

Timisoara

$55 4.8% 2.5% $1.4

Getting Around

Satu Mare

$31 3.3%

Timisoara

$43 3.7% 41.2% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $322 in Satu Mare and $534 in Timisoara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Timisoara pays 77% 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: $33.00 in Satu Mare vs $45.00 in Timisoara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $204 per month, with Satu Mare cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Satu Mare

🇷🇴 Timisoara

🕒 Local time

01:44 1:44 AM

Same time as Satu Mare

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

102,411

319,279

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Satu Mare Timisoara 260 km

From you

Satu Mare
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

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

Satu Mare wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Timisoara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Satu Mare the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 77% lower in Timisoara. 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: $322 in Satu Mare versus $534 in Timisoara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Satu Mare runs roughly 46% less than in Timisoara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $155 in Satu Mare versus $583 in Timisoara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $930 in Satu Mare versus $1,158 in Timisoara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Satu Mare but tight or insufficient in Timisoara. The gap between the two cities makes Satu Mare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Satu Mare delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $930 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Satu Mare hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Satu Mare and Timisoara 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 25% less than in Timisoara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.