Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Targu Mures and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Targu Mures: $942 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $22,900 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
139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

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Targu Mures

🇷🇴 Romania

$942

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $942 in Targu Mures versus $2,854 in Dubai.

Targu Mures $942
Dubai $2,854

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,446 in Targu Mures versus $4,321 in Dubai.

Targu Mures $1,446
Dubai $4,321

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,950 in Targu Mures versus $5,788 in Dubai.

Targu Mures $1,950
Dubai $5,788

Living in Targu Mures costs roughly 67% less than in Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Targu Mures is 30% below, Dubai is 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.02 RON 42.67

$13.04 AED 47.89

-30.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.09 RON 199

$81.4 AED 299

-48.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.17 RON 38.64

$9.32 AED 34.25

-12.34%

Cappuccino

$2.21 RON 10.43

$5.97 AED 21.93

-62.98%

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

$1.46 RON 6.90

$1.63 AED 5.98

-10.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 RON 5.78

$0.81 AED 2.99

50.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.94 RON 9.15

$13.65 AED 50.1

-85.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 RON 11.12

$13.38 AED 49.15

-82.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 RON 6.41

$1.81 AED 6.64

-24.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 RON 5.29

$1.57 AED 5.78

-28.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 RON 6.59

$2.49 AED 9.16

-44.18%

Eggs

$2.92 RON 13.81

$3.28 AED 12.04

-10.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.83 RON 37.04

$12.67 AED 46.53

-38.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.78 RON 27.32

$9.75 AED 35.80

-40.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.20 RON 48.24

$13.18 AED 48.40

-22.61%

Apples (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.39

$2.61 AED 9.57

-64.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 RON 6.01

$1.93 AED 7.09

-34.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 RON 6.87

$1.92 AED 7.05

-24.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 RON 8.99

$1.36 AED 5.00

39.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 RON 3.39

$1.17 AED 4.29

-38.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 RON 2.46

$1.01 AED 3.71

-48.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 RON 4.15

$1.51 AED 5.56

-41.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 RON 3.59

$0.62 AED 2.29

22.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.81 RON 27.49

$5.85 AED 21.50

-0.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.32 RON 34.64

$16.14 AED 59.3

-54.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 RON 5.07

$2.65 AED 9.74

-59.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 RON 7.33

$2.95 AED 10.82

-47.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 RON 3.07

$1.64 AED 6.03

-60.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.67 RON 121

$73.6 AED 270

-65.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.85 RON 4.03

$3.17 AED 11.66

-73.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 RON 3.82

$0.71 AED 2.63

14.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.60 RON 35.94

$7.96 AED 29.23

-4.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 RON 8.85

$0.99 AED 3.64

88.89%

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

$29.1K RON 137.7K

$27.4K AED 100.5K

6.38%

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

$25.2K RON 119.2K

$22.5K AED 82.8K

11.81%

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

$102 RON 482

$250 AED 920

-59.34%

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

$9.28 RON 43.89

$54.2 AED 199

-82.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.35 RON 39.49

$91.8 AED 337

-90.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.67 RON 197

$98.6 AED 362

-57.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.94 RON 84.9

$42.61 AED 156

-57.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.21 RON 29.38

$16.03 AED 58.9

-61.26%

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

$1,335 RON 6,312

$843 AED 3,098

58.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 RON 253

$68.0 AED 250

-21.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.39 RON 144

$57.9 AED 213

-47.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.7 RON 358

$101 AED 370

-24.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 RON 371

$101 AED 371

-22.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$421 RON 1,990

$2,380 AED 8,741

-82.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 RON 1,371

$1,506 AED 5,531

-80.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 RON 3,055

$4,437 AED 16.3K

-85.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$485 RON 2,294

$3,010 AED 11.1K

-83.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,236 RON 10.6K

$7,121 AED 26.2K

-68.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,482 RON 7,008

$4,135 AED 15.2K

-64.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$998 RON 4,722

$3,391 AED 12.5K

-70.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.47

4.54

64.54%

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

Last update for Targu Mures: October 4, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Targu Mures

$290 30.7%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5% 420% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Targu Mures

$191 20.3%

Dubai

$293 10.2% 52.9% $101

Eating Out

Targu Mures

$148 15.7%

Dubai

$309 10.8% 108% $160

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Targu Mures

$119 12.7%

Dubai

$396 13.8% 232% $277

Clothing & Footwear

Targu Mures

$107 11.4%

Dubai

$147 5.1% 37.7% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Targu Mures

$54 5.7%

Dubai

$131 4.6% 142% $77

Getting Around

Targu Mures

$33 3.5%

Dubai

$87 3% 162% $54

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $421 in Targu Mures and $2,380 in Dubai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 240% 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 $81.0 in Dubai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $293 per month, with Targu Mures cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Targu Mures

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

10:32 10:32 AM

11:32 11:32 AM

1 h ahead of Targu Mures

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

134,290

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, 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).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Targu Mures Dubai 3,610 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Targu Mures
Dubai

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 Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Targu Mures is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 203% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 240% lower in Dubai. 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: $421 in Targu Mures versus $2,380 in Dubai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Targu Mures runs roughly 187% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,335 in Targu Mures versus $843 in Dubai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $942 in Targu Mures versus $2,854 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Targu Mures but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Targu Mures the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Targu Mures is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dubai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Targu Mures and Dubai 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 203% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.