Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Targu Mures and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Targu Mures: $938 a month against $1,337 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Targu Mures
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Targu Mures Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Targu Mures

🇷🇴 Romania

$938

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,337

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Targu Mures and in Bucharest

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $938 in Targu Mures versus $1,337 in Bucharest.

Targu Mures $938
Bucharest $1,337

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,461 in Targu Mures versus $2,029 in Bucharest.

Targu Mures $1,461
Bucharest $2,029

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,984 in Targu Mures versus $2,721 in Bucharest.

Targu Mures $1,984
Bucharest $2,721

Living in Targu Mures costs roughly 30% less than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Targu Mures 31% lower, Bucharest 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.12 RON 43.15

$14.45 RON 68.4

-36.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.19 RON 200

$58.1 RON 275

-27.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 RON 37.83

$7.53 RON 35.65

6.24%

Cappuccino

$2.17 RON 10.27

$3.45 RON 16.33

-37.10%

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

$1.44 RON 6.83

$2.46 RON 11.65

-41.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 RON 5.83

$2.23 RON 10.54

-44.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 RON 9.04

$3.76 RON 17.78

-49.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 RON 10.68

$4.19 RON 19.84

-46.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 RON 6.34

$1.62 RON 7.67

-17.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 RON 5.07

$1.30 RON 6.13

-17.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 RON 6.87

$1.70 RON 8.05

-14.71%

Eggs

$2.88 RON 13.65

$3.79 RON 17.93

-24.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.00 RON 37.84

$8.86 RON 41.90

-9.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 RON 27.47

$6.90 RON 32.67

-15.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.08 RON 47.68

$12.14 RON 57.4

-16.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.00 RON 4.72

$1.30 RON 6.17

-23.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 RON 6.29

$1.60 RON 7.55

-16.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 RON 6.59

$1.57 RON 7.42

-11.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 RON 9.00

$2.68 RON 12.67

-29.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.64

$0.81 RON 3.82

-4.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 RON 2.61

$0.79 RON 3.73

-30.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 RON 3.79

$0.91 RON 4.30

-12.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 RON 3.64

$0.97 RON 4.58

-20.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 RON 27.61

$6.41 RON 30.34

-8.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.39 RON 34.98

$6.18 RON 29.24

19.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 RON 5.06

$1.23 RON 5.83

-13.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 RON 7.32

$1.67 RON 7.91

-7.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 RON 3.11

$0.87 RON 4.10

-24.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.06 RON 119

$20.98 RON 99.3

19.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 RON 4.14

$0.66 RON 3.10

33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 RON 4.04

$0.60 RON 2.85

41.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 RON 35.32

$6.19 RON 29.28

20.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 RON 8.55

$1.93 RON 9.15

-6.22%

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

$28.1K RON 133.0K

$28.7K RON 135.9K

-2.17%

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

$25.3K RON 119.8K

$26.3K RON 124.6K

-3.84%

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

$101 RON 477

$196 RON 926

-48.48%

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

$9.37 RON 44.35

$8.49 RON 40.19

10.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.19 RON 38.75

$9.05 RON 42.84

-9.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.30 RON 200

$49.54 RON 234

-14.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.38 RON 87.0

$25.03 RON 118

-26.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 RON 29.67

$8.24 RON 39.01

-23.91%

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

$1,330 RON 6,291

$636 RON 3,007

109.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K RON 69.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 RON 248

$88.5 RON 419

-40.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.80 RON 141

$38.77 RON 183

-23.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.7 RON 363

$78.8 RON 373

-2.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.4 RON 366

$90.6 RON 428

-14.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 RON 1,964

$695 RON 3,288

-40.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 RON 1,355

$446 RON 2,109

-35.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$650 RON 3,077

$1,084 RON 5,130

-40.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 RON 2,232

$712 RON 3,368

-33.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,238 RON 10.6K

$3,797 RON 18.0K

-41.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,487 RON 7,035

$2,202 RON 10.4K

-32.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$991 RON 4,687

$1,354 RON 6,406

-26.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.47

6.75

10.67%

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

Last update for Targu Mures: October 20, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Targu Mures

$286 30.5%

Bucharest

$446 33.3% 55.6% $159

Groceries & Markets

Targu Mures

$192 20.5%

Bucharest

$225 16.9% 17.5% $34

Eating Out

Targu Mures

$148 15.8%

Bucharest

$226 16.9% 52.6% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Targu Mures

$118 12.6%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 80.1% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Targu Mures

$106 11.3%

Bucharest

$133 10% 25.6% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Targu Mures

$55 5.8%

Bucharest

$66 4.9% 20.4% $11

Getting Around

Targu Mures

$33 3.5%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 14.3% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $415 in Targu Mures and $695 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 37% 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: $42.00 in Targu Mures vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $225 per month, with Targu Mures cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Targu Mures

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

03:06 3:06 AM

Same time as Targu Mures

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

134,290

1,883,425 Capital

💱 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

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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 Mures vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Targu Mures and Bucharest differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($938 vs $1,337 including rent). Targu Mures is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 37% lower in Bucharest. 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: $415 in Targu Mures versus $695 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $938 per month in Targu Mures versus $1,337 in Bucharest – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Targu Mures runs roughly 19% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $938 in Targu Mures versus $1,337 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Targu Mures but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Targu Mures 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, Targu Mures and Bucharest 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 Targu Mures gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.