Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Timisoara and Calafat

For one person, living is cheaper in Calafat: $1,016 a month against $1,196 in Timisoara, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Timisoara, Romania
Calafat, Romania
Timisoara
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,196
/mo nomad
Calafat
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,016
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Timisoara and in Calafat

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

A single person spends $1,196 per month in Timisoara vs $1,016 in Calafat, rent included.

  • Timisoara $1,196
  • Calafat $1,016

A couple spends around $1,774 per month in Timisoara vs $1,499 in Calafat, rent included.

  • Timisoara $1,774
  • Calafat $1,499

A family of three spends $2,351 per month in Timisoara vs $1,982 in Calafat, rent included.

  • Timisoara $2,351
  • Calafat $1,982

Timisoara costs about 18% more than Calafat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Timisoara and Calafat are more affordable than the global median – Timisoara 12% lower, Calafat 25% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Timisoara
Calafat
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.33 RON 49.11
$7.35 RON 34.96
40.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.09 RON 219
$38.38 RON 182
20.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.41 RON 39.98
$7.21 RON 34.26
16.64%
Cappuccino
$2.93 RON 13.93
$2.14 RON 10.15
36.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 RON 10.33
$1.44 RON 6.83
50.69%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.71 RON 8.12
$0.87 RON 4.12
96.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.00 RON 14.26
$1.08 RON 5.12
177.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.23 RON 20.12
$1.83 RON 8.72
131.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Timisoara
Calafat
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 RON 6.70
$1.12 RON 5.31
25.89%
White Bread (500g)
$1.25 RON 5.93
$0.76 RON 3.63
64.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.40 RON 6.65
$1.35 RON 6.40
3.70%
Eggs
$2.93 RON 13.91
$2.33 RON 11.07
25.75%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.76 RON 41.65
$6.69 RON 31.81
30.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.04 RON 28.72
$6.35 RON 30.16
-4.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.96 RON 52.1
$6.24 RON 29.64
75.64%
Apples (1kg)
$1.18 RON 5.59
$1.01 RON 4.80
16.83%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 RON 7.29
$1.49 RON 7.08
2.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.48 RON 7.03
$1.28 RON 6.06
15.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.27 RON 10.81
$1.44 RON 6.85
57.64%
Potato (1kg)
$0.74 RON 3.54
$0.60 RON 2.86
23.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.00 RON 4.75
$0.75 RON 3.57
33.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.68 RON 3.23
$0.69 RON 3.28
-1.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 RON 3.65
$0.71 RON 3.38
8.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.39 RON 30.36
$5.31 RON 25.22
20.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.22 RON 34.30
$6.27 RON 29.80
15.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 RON 5.42
$0.88 RON 4.16
29.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 RON 8.16
$1.45 RON 6.91
18.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Timisoara
Calafat
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.07 RON 5.07
$0.75 RON 3.55
42.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$33.97 RON 161
$22.34 RON 106
52.06%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.87 RON 4.13
$0.53 RON 2.53
64.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.81 RON 3.84
$0.51 RON 2.42
58.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.63 RON 41.00
$9.77 RON 46.44
-11.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.93 RON 9.16
$1.51 RON 7.16
27.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.9K RON 137.6K
$25.5K RON 121.0K
13.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.8K RON 118.0K
$25.5K RON 121.2K
-2.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Timisoara
Calafat
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$169 RON 805
$214 RON 1,018
-20.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.44 RON 30.63
$7.55 RON 35.90
-14.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.53 RON 40.52
$6.33 RON 30.07
34.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Timisoara
Calafat
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.38 RON 192
$37.82 RON 180
6.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.17 RON 76.9
$19.06 RON 90.6
-15.16%
Cinema Ticket
$7.59 RON 36.06
$7.40 RON 35.17
2.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Timisoara
Calafat
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$590 RON 2,802
$412 RON 1,960
42.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,457 RON 40.2K
$8,151 RON 38.7K
3.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Timisoara
Calafat
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.2 RON 343
$63.5 RON 302
13.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.04 RON 186
$42.04 RON 200
-7.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.0 RON 380
$84.2 RON 400
-5.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.5 RON 425
$83.5 RON 397
7.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Timisoara
Calafat
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$576 RON 2,738
$380 RON 1,806
51.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$399 RON 1,897
$294 RON 1,399
35.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$825 RON 3,923
$617 RON 2,931
33.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$591 RON 2,808
$468 RON 2,223
26.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,651 RON 12.6K
$1,910 RON 9,080
38.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,911 RON 9,085
$1,190 RON 5,658
60.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Timisoara
Calafat
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,212 RON 5,759
$812 RON 3,860
49.20%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.88
6
14.67%

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

Last update for Timisoara: November 1, 2026

Last update for Calafat: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Timisoara
$399
Calafat
$294 26.3% $105
Groceries & Markets
Timisoara
$205
Calafat
$165 19.8% $41
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Timisoara
$184
Calafat
$228 23.8% $44
Eating Out
Timisoara
$182
Calafat
$124 31.7% $58
Clothing & Footwear
Timisoara
$126
Calafat
$123 2.7% $3.4
Sport & Entertainment
Timisoara
$56
Calafat
$53 5.3% $2.9
Getting Around
Timisoara
$43
Calafat
$28 34.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $576 in Timisoara versus $380 in Calafat. 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 49% higher in Timisoara. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in Timisoara versus $38 in Calafat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $205 vs $165 – making Calafat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇷🇴 Timisoara
🇷🇴 Calafat
🕒 Local time
03:36 3:36 AM
03:36 3:36 AM
Same time as Timisoara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
319,279
18,500
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 4.75 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

On the map
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  • Timisoara Calafat 240 km
From you
  • Timisoara
  • Calafat

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 Calafat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Timisoara and in Calafat compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,196 in Timisoara, $1,016 in Calafat – Calafat comes out roughly 15% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Timisoara compared to Calafat?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,794 per month in Timisoara and $1,523 in Calafat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Timisoara and Calafat?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Calafat, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $380 there versus $576 in Timisoara.
Which city is more expensive overall: Timisoara or Calafat?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,196 in Timisoara and $1,016 in Calafat. That makes Calafat about 15% cheaper.
How do commuting costs compare in Timisoara and in Calafat?
Public transport costs about 34% less in Calafat. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How far does $2,000 go in Timisoara compared to Calafat?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,196 in Timisoara and $1,016 in Calafat, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Timisoara or Calafat?
Families tend to lean toward Calafat – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Timisoara or Calafat safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between Timisoara and Calafat?
If budget matters most, go with Calafat. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Timisoara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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