Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Targu Mures and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Targu Mures: $942 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 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
76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Targu Mures

🇷🇴 Romania

$942

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Targu Mures and in Cape Town

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 Cape Town actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $942 per month in Targu Mures vs $1,568 in Cape Town, rent included.

Targu Mures $942
Cape Town $1,568

A couple spends around $1,446 per month in Targu Mures vs $2,438 in Cape Town, rent included.

Targu Mures $1,446
Cape Town $2,438

A family of three spends $1,950 per month in Targu Mures vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

Targu Mures $1,950
Cape Town $3,307

Targu Mures is about 40% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Targu Mures sits 30% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.02 RON 42.67

$11.78 R 194

-23.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.09 RON 199

$46.55 R 768

-9.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.17 RON 38.64

$5.96 R 98.4

37.08%

Cappuccino

$2.21 RON 10.43

$2.47 R 40.80

-10.53%

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

$1.46 RON 6.90

$1.33 R 21.91

9.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 RON 5.78

$1.03 R 16.99

18.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.94 RON 9.15

$3.01 R 49.72

-35.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 RON 11.12

$3.66 R 60.4

-35.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 RON 6.41

$1.39 R 22.96

-2.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 RON 5.29

$1.19 R 19.60

-5.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 RON 6.59

$2.11 R 34.84

-34.12%

Eggs

$2.92 RON 13.81

$3.01 R 49.58

-2.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.83 RON 37.04

$8.96 R 148

-12.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.78 RON 27.32

$6.65 R 110

-13.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.20 RON 48.24

$9.29 R 153

9.80%

Apples (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.39

$1.83 R 30.13

-49.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 RON 6.01

$1.90 R 31.31

-33.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 RON 6.87

$1.75 R 28.83

-17.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 RON 8.99

$2.09 R 34.41

-9.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 RON 3.39

$1.55 R 25.64

-53.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 RON 2.46

$1.49 R 24.53

-65.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 RON 4.15

$1.30 R 21.41

-32.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 RON 3.59

$1.16 R 19.19

-34.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.81 RON 27.49

$3.71 R 61.2

56.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.32 RON 34.64

$6.06 R 100

20.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 RON 5.07

$1.39 R 22.85

-23.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 RON 7.33

$2.20 R 36.32

-29.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 RON 3.07

$1.51 R 24.98

-56.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.67 RON 121

$61.0 R 1,006

-57.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.85 RON 4.03

$0.63 R 10.33

34.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 RON 3.82

$1.53 R 25.29

-47.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.60 RON 35.94

$4.81 R 79.4

58.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 RON 8.85

$1.58 R 26.08

18.35%

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

$29.1K RON 137.7K

$35.5K R 585.7K

-17.97%

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

$25.2K RON 119.2K

$31.7K R 523.8K

-20.62%

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

$102 RON 482

$116 R 1,920

-12.52%

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

$9.28 RON 43.89

$28.37 R 468

-67.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.35 RON 39.49

$40.69 R 671

-79.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.67 RON 197

$48.85 R 806

-14.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.94 RON 84.9

$11.13 R 184

61.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.21 RON 29.38

$8.83 R 146

-29.67%

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

$1,335 RON 6,312

$261 R 4,314

410.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 110.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 RON 253

$55.4 R 914

-3.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.39 RON 144

$32.27 R 532

-5.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.7 RON 358

$118 R 1,939

-35.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 RON 371

$107 R 1,766

-26.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$421 RON 1,990

$1,015 R 16.7K

-58.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 RON 1,371

$715 R 11.8K

-59.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 RON 3,055

$1,801 R 29.7K

-64.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$485 RON 2,294

$1,330 R 22.0K

-63.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,236 RON 10.6K

$2,331 R 38.5K

-4.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,482 RON 7,008

$1,513 R 25.0K

-2.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$998 RON 4,722

$1,636 R 27.0K

-38.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.47

10.97

-31.91%

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

Last update for Targu Mures: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Targu Mures

$290 30.7%

Cape Town

$715 45.3% 147% $426

Groceries & Markets

Targu Mures

$191 20.3%

Cape Town

$222 14.1% 16.2% $31

Eating Out

Targu Mures

$148 15.7%

Cape Town

$174 11% 17.1% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Targu Mures

$119 12.7%

Cape Town

$185 11.7% 55.3% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Targu Mures

$107 11.4%

Cape Town

$141 8.9% 31.2% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Targu Mures

$54 5.7%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 22.9% $12

Getting Around

Targu Mures

$33 3.5%

Cape Town

$75 4.8% 127% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $421 in Targu Mures versus $1,015 in Cape Town. 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 64% higher in Cape Town, 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 $42.00 in Targu Mures versus $47.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $191 vs $222 – making Targu Mures the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Targu Mures

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

06:33 6:33 AM

05:33 5:33 AM

1 h behind Targu Mures

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

134,290

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Targu Mures Cape Town 8,970 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Targu Mures
Cape Town

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 Mures vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 67% more than Targu Mures, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,412 per month in Targu Mures and $2,352 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $942 in Targu Mures and $1,568 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 67%.

Public transport costs about 137% less in Targu Mures. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Targu Mures, where all-in costs run around $942, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Targu Mures it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Targu Mures costs $942 versus $1,568 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Mures. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.