Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Timisoara and Bistrita

For one person, living is cheaper in Bistrita: $849 a month against $1,197 in Timisoara, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Timisoara
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Timisoara Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Bistrita
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Bistrita Living Index

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Timisoara

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,197

/mo nomad

Bistrita

🇷🇴 Romania

$849

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Timisoara and in Bistrita

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

A single person spends $1,197 per month in Timisoara vs $849 in Bistrita, rent included.

Timisoara $1,197
Bistrita $849

A couple spends around $1,776 per month in Timisoara vs $1,284 in Bistrita, rent included.

Timisoara $1,776
Bistrita $1,284

A family of three spends $2,354 per month in Timisoara vs $1,720 in Bistrita, rent included.

Timisoara $2,354
Bistrita $1,720

Timisoara costs about 41% more than Bistrita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Timisoara and Bistrita are more affordable than the global median – Timisoara 12% lower, Bistrita 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.64 RON 50.9

$6.29 RON 30.05

69.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.12 RON 220

$31.15 RON 149

48.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.44 RON 40.33

$6.30 RON 30.09

33.97%

Cappuccino

$3.02 RON 14.43

$2.22 RON 10.61

36.04%

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

$2.20 RON 10.53

$1.63 RON 7.79

34.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 RON 7.85

$1.35 RON 6.47

21.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 RON 12.92

$2.06 RON 9.83

31.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.61

$3.17 RON 15.13

29.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 RON 6.56

$1.23 RON 5.86

11.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 RON 5.73

$1.05 RON 5.03

14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 RON 6.59

$1.04 RON 4.97

32.69%

Eggs

$2.92 RON 13.94

$2.57 RON 12.30

13.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.40 RON 40.16

$6.21 RON 29.69

35.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 RON 28.11

$5.99 RON 28.64

-1.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.89 RON 52.0

$11.03 RON 52.7

-1.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 RON 5.50

$0.87 RON 4.17

32.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 RON 6.98

$1.44 RON 6.90

1.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 RON 6.69

$1.55 RON 7.41

-9.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 11.34

$2.02 RON 9.66

17.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.68

$0.76 RON 3.63

1.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 RON 4.59

$0.64 RON 3.07

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 RON 3.06

$1.03 RON 4.92

-37.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 RON 3.75

$0.63 RON 2.99

23.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.25 RON 29.85

$5.37 RON 25.64

16.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 RON 35.67

$5.38 RON 25.73

38.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 RON 5.43

$0.91 RON 4.34

25.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 RON 8.36

$1.07 RON 5.12

63.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 RON 5.11

$0.44 RON 2.09

143.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.33 RON 159

$21.03 RON 101

58.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 RON 4.03

$0.69 RON 3.32

21.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 RON 4.15

$0.74 RON 3.55

17.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.40 RON 40.14

$7.35 RON 35.13

14.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 RON 9.09

$1.54 RON 7.35

23.38%

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

$28.9K RON 138.0K

$27.3K RON 130.6K

5.67%

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

$24.8K RON 118.3K

$24.1K RON 115.2K

2.69%

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

$168 RON 802

$175 RON 835

-4.03%

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

$6.72 RON 32.11

$5.75 RON 27.46

16.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.47 RON 40.47

$6.00 RON 28.67

41.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.08 RON 192

$39.70 RON 190

0.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.65 RON 74.8

$30.80 RON 147

-49.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.86 RON 37.57

$6.19 RON 29.59

26.98%

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

$583 RON 2,785

$305 RON 1,457

91.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,900 RON 42.5K

$8,850 RON 42.3K

0.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.7 RON 362

$37.24 RON 178

103.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.89 RON 186

$26.70 RON 128

45.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 RON 361

$63.0 RON 301

19.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 RON 427

$74.2 RON 354

20.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$568 RON 2,713

$217 RON 1,037

161.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 RON 1,929

$187 RON 894

115.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$802 RON 3,832

$393 RON 1,876

104.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$600 RON 2,865

$309 RON 1,478

93.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,656 RON 12.7K

$1,477 RON 7,060

79.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,847 RON 8,826

$1,155 RON 5,517

59.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,151 RON 5,501

$985 RON 4,709

16.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.88

6.73

2.23%

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

Last update for Timisoara: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bistrita: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Timisoara

$404 33.7%

Bistrita

$187 22% 53.7% $217

Groceries & Markets

Timisoara

$202 16.9%

Bistrita

$181 21.3% 10.6% $22

Eating Out

Timisoara

$184 15.4%

Bistrita

$124 14.7% 32.3% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Timisoara

$183 15.3%

Bistrita

$187 22% 2% $3.6

Clothing & Footwear

Timisoara

$126 10.5%

Bistrita

$91 10.7% 28% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Timisoara

$56 4.7%

Bistrita

$52 6.1% 6.7% $3.7

Getting Around

Timisoara

$43 3.6%

Bistrita

$27 3.2% 36.5% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $568 in Timisoara versus $217 in Bistrita. 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 17% higher in Timisoara, 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 $46 in Timisoara versus $31 in Bistrita. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $202 vs $181 – making Bistrita the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Timisoara

🇷🇴 Bistrita

🕒 Local time

08:43 8:43 AM

Same time as Timisoara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

319,279

75,076

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Timisoara Bistrita 290 km

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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

Timisoara vs Bistrita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Timisoara costs about 41% more than Bistrita, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,796 per month in Timisoara and $1,273 in Bistrita. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bistrita, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $217 there versus $568 in Timisoara.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Timisoara, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in Timisoara and $31 in Bistrita. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,197 in Timisoara and $849 in Bistrita. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Bistrita – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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