Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Targu Mures and Iasi

For one person, living is cheaper in Targu Mures: $938 a month against $1,242 in Iasi, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Targu Mures
Learn more

Targu Mures Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Iasi
Learn more

Iasi Living Index

Jump to prices

Targu Mures

🇷🇴 Romania

$938

/mo nomad

Iasi

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,242

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Targu Mures vs $1,242 in Iasi, rent included.

Targu Mures $938
Iasi $1,242

A couple spends around $1,461 per month in Targu Mures vs $1,848 in Iasi, rent included.

Targu Mures $1,461
Iasi $1,848

A family of three spends $1,984 per month in Targu Mures vs $2,453 in Iasi, rent included.

Targu Mures $1,984
Iasi $2,453

Targu Mures is about 24% cheaper than Iasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Targu Mures and Iasi are more affordable than the global median – Targu Mures 31% lower, Iasi 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.12 RON 43.15

$10.33 RON 48.87

-11.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.19 RON 200

$41.64 RON 197

1.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 RON 37.83

$6.99 RON 33.07

14.45%

Cappuccino

$2.17 RON 10.27

$2.94 RON 13.90

-26.19%

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

$1.44 RON 6.83

$2.18 RON 10.31

-33.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 RON 5.83

$1.79 RON 8.45

-31.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 RON 9.04

$3.08 RON 14.59

-37.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 RON 10.68

$3.84 RON 18.18

-41.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 RON 6.34

$1.56 RON 7.40

-14.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 RON 5.07

$1.39 RON 6.59

-23.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 RON 6.87

$1.98 RON 9.38

-26.77%

Eggs

$2.88 RON 13.65

$3.29 RON 15.59

-12.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.00 RON 37.84

$8.20 RON 38.81

-2.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 RON 27.47

$6.38 RON 30.17

-8.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.08 RON 47.68

$9.72 RON 46.01

3.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.00 RON 4.72

$1.39 RON 6.57

-28.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 RON 6.29

$1.69 RON 7.99

-21.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 RON 6.59

$1.69 RON 7.98

-17.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 RON 9.00

$2.06 RON 9.73

-7.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.64

$0.79 RON 3.72

-2.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 RON 2.61

$0.90 RON 4.25

-38.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 RON 3.79

$1.16 RON 5.47

-31.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 RON 3.64

$0.94 RON 4.46

-18.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 RON 27.61

$6.38 RON 30.18

-8.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.39 RON 34.98

$6.64 RON 31.40

11.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 RON 5.06

$1.32 RON 6.23

-18.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 RON 7.32

$2.06 RON 9.75

-24.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 RON 3.11

$0.86 RON 4.07

-23.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.06 RON 119

$27.33 RON 129

-8.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 RON 4.14

$0.88 RON 4.15

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 RON 4.04

$0.83 RON 3.92

2.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 RON 35.32

$8.54 RON 40.38

-12.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 RON 8.55

$1.84 RON 8.72

-1.63%

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

$28.1K RON 133.0K

$28.5K RON 134.7K

-1.30%

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

$25.3K RON 119.8K

$26.3K RON 124.6K

-3.90%

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

$101 RON 477

$183 RON 864

-44.83%

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

$9.37 RON 44.35

$7.45 RON 35.25

25.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.19 RON 38.75

$8.65 RON 40.94

-5.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.30 RON 200

$44.33 RON 210

-4.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.38 RON 87.0

$15.90 RON 75.2

15.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 RON 29.67

$8.47 RON 40.07

-25.97%

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

$1,330 RON 6,291

$420 RON 1,987

216.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,095 RON 33.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 RON 248

$71.7 RON 339

-27.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.80 RON 141

$38.30 RON 181

-22.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.7 RON 363

$92.1 RON 436

-16.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.4 RON 366

$90.2 RON 427

-14.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 RON 1,964

$544 RON 2,576

-23.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 RON 1,355

$423 RON 1,999

-32.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$650 RON 3,077

$886 RON 4,190

-26.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 RON 2,232

$681 RON 3,222

-30.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,238 RON 10.6K

$2,923 RON 13.8K

-23.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,487 RON 7,035

$1,900 RON 8,988

-21.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$991 RON 4,687

$1,104 RON 5,222

-10.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.47

7.18

4.04%

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

Last update for Targu Mures: October 20, 2026

Last update for Iasi: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Targu Mures

$286 30.5%

Iasi

$423 34% 47.5% $136

Groceries & Markets

Targu Mures

$192 20.5%

Iasi

$215 17.3% 11.8% $23

Eating Out

Targu Mures

$148 15.8%

Iasi

$178 14.3% 20.3% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Targu Mures

$118 12.6%

Iasi

$199 16% 68% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Targu Mures

$106 11.3%

Iasi

$132 10.6% 23.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Targu Mures

$55 5.8%

Iasi

$61 4.9% 11.7% $6.4

Getting Around

Targu Mures

$33 3.5%

Iasi

$36 2.9% 9% $3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $415 in Targu Mures versus $544 in Iasi. 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 11% higher in Iasi, 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 $42.00 in Iasi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $192 vs $215 – making Targu Mures the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Targu Mures

🇷🇴 Iasi

🕒 Local time

03:43 3:43 AM

Same time as Targu Mures

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

134,290

290,422

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Targu Mures Iasi 240 km

From you

Targu Mures
Iasi

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 Iasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $938 in Targu Mures, $1,242 in Iasi – roughly 32% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Targu Mures and $1,863 in Iasi. 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.

Public transport costs about 9% less in Targu Mures. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,330 per month in Targu Mures and $420 in Iasi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Targu Mures, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Iasi at $1,242. In Targu Mures it covers expenses comfortably, while in Iasi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Iasi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $938 in Targu Mures to $1,242 in Iasi. 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 Mures. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Iasi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.