Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Timisoara and Kalisz

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalisz: $1,130 a month against $1,197 in Timisoara, rent and utilities included – about $800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Timisoara, Romania
Kalisz, Poland
Timisoara
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,197
/mo nomad
Kalisz
🇵🇱 Poland
$1,130
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Timisoara and in Kalisz

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

A single person spends $1,197 per month in Timisoara vs $1,130 in Kalisz, rent included.

  • Timisoara $1,197
  • Kalisz $1,130

A couple spends around $1,776 per month in Timisoara vs $1,583 in Kalisz, rent included.

  • Timisoara $1,776
  • Kalisz $1,583

A family of three spends $2,354 per month in Timisoara vs $2,036 in Kalisz, rent included.

  • Timisoara $2,354
  • Kalisz $2,036

Timisoara costs about 6% more than Kalisz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Timisoara and Kalisz are more affordable than the global median – Timisoara 12% lower, Kalisz 17% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Timisoara
Kalisz
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.64 RON 51.2
$8.95 zł 35.38
18.88%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.12 RON 222
$30.81 zł 122
49.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.44 RON 40.57
$8.61 zł 34.05
-1.97%
Cappuccino
$3.02 RON 14.52
$3.04 zł 12.00
-0.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 RON 10.59
$2.09 zł 8.26
5.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 RON 7.89
$1.56 zł 6.17
5.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.70 RON 13.00
$2.47 zł 9.78
9.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.10 RON 19.72
$2.58 zł 10.21
58.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Timisoara
Kalisz
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.37 RON 6.60
$0.92 zł 3.62
48.91%
White Bread (500g)
$1.20 RON 5.76
$1.25 zł 4.94
-4.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.38 RON 6.63
$1.62 zł 6.41
-14.81%
Eggs
$2.92 RON 14.02
$2.97 zł 11.74
-1.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.40 RON 40.40
$7.65 zł 30.23
9.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.88 RON 28.28
$4.35 zł 17.18
35.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.89 RON 52.3
$9.03 zł 35.67
20.60%
Apples (1kg)
$1.15 RON 5.53
$1.10 zł 4.36
4.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 RON 7.02
$1.58 zł 6.26
-7.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.40 RON 6.73
$1.51 zł 5.95
-7.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.37 RON 11.40
$3.10 zł 12.24
-23.55%
Potato (1kg)
$0.77 RON 3.71
$0.77 zł 3.06
-
Onion (1kg)
$0.96 RON 4.62
$1.00 zł 3.95
-4.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.64 RON 3.08
$1.26 zł 4.96
-49.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 RON 3.77
$0.55 zł 2.19
41.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.25 RON 30.03
$4.53 zł 17.91
37.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.46 RON 35.89
$7.00 zł 27.66
6.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 RON 5.46
$0.86 zł 3.42
32.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 RON 8.41
$1.43 zł 5.64
22.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Timisoara
Kalisz
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.07 RON 5.14
$1.04 zł 4.09
2.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$33.33 RON 160
$35.17 zł 139
-5.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.84 RON 4.06
$2.06 zł 8.15
-59.22%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.87 RON 4.18
$1.01 zł 3.98
-13.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.40 RON 40.38
$6.27 zł 24.79
33.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.90 RON 9.15
$1.61 zł 6.35
18.01%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.9K RON 138.8K
$30.4K zł 120.2K
-5.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.8K RON 119.0K
$27.1K zł 107.2K
-8.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Timisoara
Kalisz
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$168 RON 806
$184 zł 726
-8.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.72 RON 32.30
$10.22 zł 40.40
-34.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.47 RON 40.71
$17.08 zł 67.5
-50.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Timisoara
Kalisz
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.08 RON 193
$31.20 zł 123
28.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.65 RON 75.2
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.86 RON 37.80
$6.18 zł 24.41
27.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Timisoara
Kalisz
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$583 RON 2,802
$246 zł 972
137.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,900 RON 42.8K
$5,047 zł 19.9K
76.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Timisoara
Kalisz
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$75.7 RON 364
$83.8 zł 331
-9.67%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.89 RON 187
$25.87 zł 102
50.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.5 RON 363
$77.6 zł 307
-2.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 RON 429
$89.0 zł 352
0.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Timisoara
Kalisz
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$568 RON 2,729
$453 zł 1,791
25.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$404 RON 1,941
$354 zł 1,398
14.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$802 RON 3,855
$553 zł 2,187
44.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$600 RON 2,882
$441 zł 1,742
36.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,656 RON 12.8K
$1,956 zł 7,732
35.77%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,847 RON 8,879
$1,462 zł 5,780
26.31%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Timisoara
Kalisz
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,151 RON 5,534
$1,181 zł 4,670
-2.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.88
6.21
10.79%

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

Last update for Timisoara: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kalisz: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Timisoara
$404
Kalisz
$354 12.4% $50
Groceries & Markets
Timisoara
$202
Kalisz
$185 8.4% $17
Eating Out
Timisoara
$184
Kalisz
$166 9.7% $18
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Timisoara
$183
Kalisz
$211 15.3% $28
Clothing & Footwear
Timisoara
$126
Kalisz
$124 1.1% $1.4
Sport & Entertainment
Timisoara
$56
Kalisz
$44 21.9% $12
Getting Around
Timisoara
$43
Kalisz
$46 8.4% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $568 in Timisoara versus $453 in Kalisz. 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 3% higher in Kalisz, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in Timisoara versus $31 in Kalisz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $202 vs $185 – making Kalisz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇷🇴 Timisoara
🇵🇱 Kalisz
🕒 Local time
13:29 1:29 PM
12:29 12:29 PM
1 h behind Timisoara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
319,279
103,997
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.81 RON (1 RON = 0.208 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.95 PLN (1 PLN = 0.253 USD). 1 EUR = 4.4 PLN (1 PLN = 0.227 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Timisoara Kalisz 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Timisoara
  • Kalisz

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 Kalisz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kalisz cheaper than Timisoara?
Yes – Timisoara is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,796 per month in Timisoara and $1,696 in Kalisz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kalisz, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $453 there versus $568 in Timisoara.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 5% less in Timisoara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $583 per month in Timisoara and $246 in Kalisz. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 enough for either Timisoara or Kalisz?
$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,197 in Timisoara and $1,130 in Kalisz, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Timisoara or Kalisz more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Kalisz – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Timisoara or Kalisz?
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.

Timisoara vs other spots: cost of living compared

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