Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Timisoara and Carei

For one person, living is cheaper in Carei: $979 a month against $1,197 in Timisoara, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Carei
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Carei Living Index

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Timisoara

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,197

/mo nomad

Carei

🇷🇴 Romania

$979

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Timisoara and in Carei

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

A single person spends $1,197 per month in Timisoara vs $979 in Carei, rent included.

Timisoara $1,197
Carei $979

A couple spends around $1,776 per month in Timisoara vs $1,490 in Carei, rent included.

Timisoara $1,776
Carei $1,490

A family of three spends $2,354 per month in Timisoara vs $2,001 in Carei, rent included.

Timisoara $2,354
Carei $2,001

Timisoara costs about 22% more than Carei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Timisoara and Carei are more affordable than the global median – Timisoara 12% lower, Carei 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.64 RON 51.0

$8.79 RON 42.15

21.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.12 RON 221

$41.52 RON 199

11.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.44 RON 40.47

$7.23 RON 34.67

16.74%

Cappuccino

$3.02 RON 14.49

$2.34 RON 11.24

29.06%

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

$2.20 RON 10.56

$1.83 RON 8.79

20.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 RON 7.87

$1.53 RON 7.36

7.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 RON 12.96

$2.17 RON 10.40

24.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.68

$2.60 RON 12.47

57.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 RON 6.59

$1.44 RON 6.93

-4.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 RON 5.75

$1.10 RON 5.27

9.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 RON 6.62

$1.44 RON 6.90

-4.17%

Eggs

$2.92 RON 13.99

$2.88 RON 13.80

1.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.40 RON 40.30

$8.00 RON 38.39

5.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 RON 28.21

$5.94 RON 28.50

-1.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.89 RON 52.2

$10.02 RON 48.05

8.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 RON 5.51

$1.14 RON 5.46

0.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 RON 7.00

$1.46 RON 7.01

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 RON 6.71

$1.44 RON 6.93

-2.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 11.38

$1.90 RON 9.12

24.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.70

$0.79 RON 3.80

-2.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 RON 4.61

$0.79 RON 3.78

21.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 RON 3.07

$0.87 RON 4.17

-26.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 RON 3.76

$0.77 RON 3.69

1.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.25 RON 29.96

$5.77 RON 27.65

8.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 RON 35.80

$6.08 RON 29.15

22.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 RON 5.45

$1.06 RON 5.10

7.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 RON 8.39

$1.52 RON 7.29

15.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 RON 5.13

$0.77 RON 3.68

38.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.33 RON 160

$21.46 RON 103

55.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 RON 4.05

$0.73 RON 3.49

15.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 RON 4.17

$0.76 RON 3.63

14.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.40 RON 40.28

$7.15 RON 34.28

17.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 RON 9.12

$1.80 RON 8.66

5.56%

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

$28.9K RON 138.5K

$28.3K RON 135.6K

2.15%

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

$24.8K RON 118.7K

$25.2K RON 120.8K

-1.77%

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

$168 RON 804

$136 RON 650

23.69%

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

$6.72 RON 32.23

$7.77 RON 37.25

-13.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.47 RON 40.61

$7.99 RON 38.32

6.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.08 RON 192

$38.09 RON 183

5.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.65 RON 75.0

$20.41 RON 97.9

-23.32%

Cinema Ticket

$7.86 RON 37.70

$6.91 RON 33.14

13.75%

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

$583 RON 2,795

$435 RON 2,085

34.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,900 RON 42.7K

$6,871 RON 32.9K

29.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.7 RON 363

$58.7 RON 281

29.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.89 RON 186

$33.58 RON 161

15.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 RON 362

$75.8 RON 363

-0.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 RON 428

$83.3 RON 400

7.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$568 RON 2,723

$383 RON 1,837

48.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 RON 1,936

$291 RON 1,394

38.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$802 RON 3,845

$602 RON 2,889

33.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$600 RON 2,875

$448 RON 2,147

33.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,656 RON 12.7K

$1,832 RON 8,784

44.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,847 RON 8,857

$1,366 RON 6,548

35.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,151 RON 5,520

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.88

6.97

-1.29%

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

Last update for Timisoara: October 25, 2026

Last update for Carei: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Timisoara

$404 33.7%

Carei

$291 29.7% 28% $113

Groceries & Markets

Timisoara

$202 16.9%

Carei

$193 19.8% 4.5% $9.1

Eating Out

Timisoara

$184 15.4%

Carei

$150 15.3% 18.6% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Timisoara

$183 15.3%

Carei

$151 15.5% 17.2% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Timisoara

$126 10.5%

Carei

$113 11.6% 10% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Timisoara

$56 4.7%

Carei

$52 5.3% 7% $3.9

Getting Around

Timisoara

$43 3.6%

Carei

$29 3% 32.1% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $568 in Timisoara versus $383 in Carei. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in Timisoara versus $42 in Carei. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $202 vs $193 – making Carei the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Timisoara

🇷🇴 Carei

🕒 Local time

09:10 9:10 AM

Same time as Timisoara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

319,279

25,911

💱 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

On the map

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Timisoara Carei 230 km

From you

Timisoara
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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 Carei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Timisoara costs about 22% more than Carei, 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 $1,469 in Carei. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Carei, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $383 there versus $568 in Timisoara.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Timisoara, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in Timisoara and $42 in Carei. 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 $979 in Carei. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Carei – 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.

For expats, Carei is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 18% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.