Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Targu Jiu and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Targu Jiu: $980 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Targu Jiu
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Targu Jiu Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Targu Jiu

🇷🇴 Romania

$980

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Targu Jiu and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Targu Jiu and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $980 per month in Targu Jiu vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Targu Jiu $980
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,514 per month in Targu Jiu vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Targu Jiu $1,514
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,049 per month in Targu Jiu vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Targu Jiu $2,049
Nosara $3,818

Targu Jiu is about 47% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Targu Jiu sits 28% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.97 RON 70.8

$12.34 ₡5,535

21.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.1 RON 270

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-6.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.51 RON 35.54

$7.76 ₡3,481

-3.22%

Cappuccino

$3.46 RON 16.35

$4.44 ₡1,992

-22.07%

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

$1.08 RON 5.10

$1.79 ₡803

-39.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 RON 10.60

$1.29 ₡580

73.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 RON 18.19

$3.24 ₡1,451

18.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 RON 20.49

$4.43 ₡1,985

-2.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 RON 7.71

$1.55 ₡696

5.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.47

$3.08 ₡1,380

-55.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 RON 8.33

$2.53 ₡1,133

-30.43%

Eggs

$2.73 RON 12.90

$3.45 ₡1,546

-20.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.55 RON 35.70

$7.32 ₡3,284

3.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.88 RON 13.60

$10.24 ₡4,594

-71.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.23 RON 34.23

$14.10 ₡6,326

-48.72%

Apples (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.58

$2.29 ₡1,027

-57.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 RON 7.00

$1.64 ₡737

-9.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$4.79 ₡2,149

-75.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 RON 5.86

$1.64 ₡735

-24.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.93

$3.85 ₡1,727

-78.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.73

$3.75 ₡1,681

-78.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 RON 3.12

$1.09 ₡488

-39.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 RON 2.46

$2.59 ₡1,160

-79.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.16 RON 24.39

$5.12 ₡2,295

0.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.01 RON 14.24

$19.92 ₡8,931

-84.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 RON 3.82

$2.80 ₡1,255

-71.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 RON 4.88

$3.52 ₡1,580

-70.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.62 RON 2.91

$2.17 ₡973

-71.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.84

$1.56 ₡698

-61.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.19 RON 29.27

$8.67 ₡3,886

-28.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 RON 8.95

$1.55 ₡697

21.94%

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

$28.9K RON 136.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-16.22%

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

$25.8K RON 122.1K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-33.38%

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

$195 RON 921

$94.8 ₡42.5K

105.20%

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

$5.97 RON 28.27

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-83.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.41 RON 44.54

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-82.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.87 RON 151

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-56.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$8.40 RON 39.75

$7.91 ₡3,548

6.19%

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

$638 RON 3,018

$490 ₡219.9K

30.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K RON 67.0K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

19.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 RON 241

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-7.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.23 RON 119

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-54.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.6 RON 254

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-33.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.5 RON 395

$77.9 ₡34.9K

7.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 RON 1,646

$801 ₡359.1K

-56.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 RON 1,136

$790 ₡354.1K

-69.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 RON 2,278

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-87.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$402 RON 1,901

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-71.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,538 RON 12.0K

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-64.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$530 RON 2,509

$887 ₡397.6K

-40.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

8.62

-21.69%

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

Last update for Targu Jiu: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Targu Jiu

$240 24.5%

Nosara

$790 43% 229% $549

Eating Out

Targu Jiu

$225 23%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 5.5% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Targu Jiu

$210 21.4%

Nosara

$184 10% 12.3% $26

Groceries & Markets

Targu Jiu

$156 16%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 124% $193

Clothing & Footwear

Targu Jiu

$96 9.8%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 26.1% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Targu Jiu

$49 5%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 84.1% $41

Getting Around

Targu Jiu

$3.6 * 0.4%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 2351% $85

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $348 in Targu Jiu versus $788 in Nosara. 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 63% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Targu Jiu versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $156 vs $352 – making Targu Jiu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Targu Jiu

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

12:56 12:56 PM

03:56 3:56 AM

9 h behind Targu Jiu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

82,504

4,912

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Targu Jiu Nosara 10,670 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Targu Jiu
Nosara

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

Targu Jiu vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $980 in Targu Jiu, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 88% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,470 per month in Targu Jiu and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Targu Jiu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Targu Jiu and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 125% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Targu Jiu, where all-in costs run around $980, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Targu Jiu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $980 in Targu Jiu to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Targu Jiu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.