Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Szentendre and Timisoara

For one person, living is cheaper in Timisoara: $1,197 a month against $1,444 in Szentendre, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Szentendre, Hungary
Timisoara, Romania
Szentendre
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,444
/mo nomad
Timisoara
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,197
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,444 per month in Szentendre vs $1,197 in Timisoara, rent included.

  • Szentendre $1,444
  • Timisoara $1,197

A couple spends around $2,085 per month in Szentendre vs $1,776 in Timisoara, rent included.

  • Szentendre $2,085
  • Timisoara $1,776

A family of three spends $2,726 per month in Szentendre vs $2,354 in Timisoara, rent included.

  • Szentendre $2,726
  • Timisoara $2,354

Szentendre costs about 21% more than Timisoara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Szentendre sits 6% above the global median, while Timisoara is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Szentendre
Timisoara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.52 Ft 4,127
$10.64 RON 51.1
17.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.3 Ft 18.2K
$46.12 RON 222
19.97%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.39 Ft 3,096
$8.44 RON 40.56
11.26%
Cappuccino
$2.55 Ft 841
$3.02 RON 14.52
-15.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 Ft 618
$2.20 RON 10.59
-15.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.13 Ft 372
$1.64 RON 7.89
-31.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.31 Ft 1,091
$2.70 RON 12.99
22.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 Ft 914
$4.10 RON 19.72
-32.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Szentendre
Timisoara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 Ft 382
$1.37 RON 6.60
-15.33%
White Bread (500g)
$1.49 Ft 491
$1.20 RON 5.76
24.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.34 Ft 772
$1.38 RON 6.63
69.57%
Eggs
$3.23 Ft 1,066
$2.92 RON 14.02
10.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.29 Ft 3,722
$8.40 RON 40.39
34.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.07 Ft 2,002
$5.88 RON 28.28
3.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.48 Ft 4,443
$10.89 RON 52.3
23.78%
Apples (1kg)
$1.80 Ft 595
$1.15 RON 5.53
56.52%
Banana (1kg)
$2.04 Ft 671
$1.46 RON 7.02
39.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.09 Ft 691
$1.40 RON 6.73
49.29%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.98 Ft 1,311
$2.37 RON 11.40
67.93%
Potato (1kg)
$1.04 Ft 343
$0.77 RON 3.70
35.06%
Onion (1kg)
$0.99 Ft 326
$0.96 RON 4.62
3.13%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.63 Ft 538
$0.64 RON 3.08
154.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 Ft 173
$0.78 RON 3.77
-33.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.77 Ft 2,562
$6.25 RON 30.02
24.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.19 Ft 2,040
$7.46 RON 35.88
-17.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 Ft 401
$1.14 RON 5.46
7.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 Ft 522
$1.75 RON 8.41
-9.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Szentendre
Timisoara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.20 Ft 397
$1.07 RON 5.14
12.15%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.13 Ft 9,604
$33.33 RON 160
-12.60%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.00 Ft 989
$0.84 RON 4.06
257.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 Ft 451
$0.87 RON 4.18
57.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.20 Ft 6,000
$8.40 RON 40.37
116.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.90 Ft 628
$1.90 RON 9.14
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.5K Ft 9.4M
$28.9K RON 138.8K
-1.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.3K Ft 11.0M
$24.8K RON 119.0K
34.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Szentendre
Timisoara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$150 Ft 49.4K
$168 RON 806
-10.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$30.05 Ft 9,906
$6.72 RON 32.30
347.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.04 Ft 7,595
$8.47 RON 40.70
172.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Szentendre
Timisoara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.25 Ft 14.9K
$40.08 RON 193
12.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.84 Ft 6,542
$15.65 RON 75.2
26.77%
Cinema Ticket
$7.74 Ft 2,553
$7.86 RON 37.78
-1.53%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Szentendre
Timisoara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$492 Ft 162.4K
$583 RON 2,801
-15.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.3K Ft 5.4M
$8,900 RON 42.8K
83.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Szentendre
Timisoara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.7 Ft 29.6K
$75.7 RON 364
18.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$27.81 Ft 9,169
$38.89 RON 187
-28.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.7 Ft 31.9K
$75.5 RON 363
28.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 Ft 34.9K
$89.3 RON 429
18.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Szentendre
Timisoara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$599 Ft 197.3K
$568 RON 2,729
5.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$557 Ft 183.5K
$404 RON 1,940
37.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$765 Ft 252.1K
$802 RON 3,854
-4.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$705 Ft 232.4K
$600 RON 2,881
17.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,032 Ft 999.6K
$2,656 RON 12.8K
14.16%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,733 Ft 1.2M
$1,847 RON 8,877
102.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Szentendre
Timisoara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,550 Ft 510.9K
$1,151 RON 5,532
34.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.45
6.88
-6.25%

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

Last update for Szentendre: October 25, 2026

Last update for Timisoara: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Szentendre
$557
Timisoara
$404 27.5% $153
Groceries & Markets
Szentendre
$242
Timisoara
$202 16.5% $40
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Szentendre
$203
Timisoara
$183 9.8% $20
Eating Out
Szentendre
$193
Timisoara
$184 4.8% $9.2
Clothing & Footwear
Szentendre
$144
Timisoara
$126 12.7% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Szentendre
$61
Timisoara
$56 8.1% $4.9
Getting Around
Szentendre
$44
Timisoara
$43 2.3% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $599 in Szentendre versus $568 in Timisoara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 35% higher in Szentendre. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Szentendre versus $46 in Timisoara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $242 vs $202 – making Timisoara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Szentendre
🇷🇴 Timisoara
🕒 Local time
21:27 9:27 PM
22:27 10:27 PM
1 h ahead of Szentendre
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
28,444
319,279
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 330 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD). 1 EUR = 367 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.81 RON (1 RON = 0.208 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Szentendre Timisoara 270 km
From you
  • Szentendre
  • 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
Szentendre vs Timisoara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Szentendre or Timisoara?
Szentendre costs about 21% more than Timisoara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Szentendre and in Timisoara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,165 per month in Szentendre and $1,796 in Timisoara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Szentendre compared to Timisoara?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $599 in Szentendre and $568 in Timisoara. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
How expensive is transport in Szentendre compared to Timisoara?
Public transport costs about 13% less in Szentendre. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Szentendre and in Timisoara?
Kindergarten costs $492 per month in Szentendre and $583 in Timisoara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Szentendre or in Timisoara?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,444 in Szentendre and $1,197 in Timisoara, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Szentendre or Timisoara?
It depends on your priorities. Timisoara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,197 in Timisoara to $1,444 in Szentendre. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Szentendre compared to Timisoara?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Szentendre or to Timisoara?
If budget matters most, go with Timisoara. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Szentendre makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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