Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Timisoara and Lugoj

For one person, living is cheaper in Lugoj: $769 a month against $1,196 in Timisoara, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Lugoj
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Lugoj Living Index

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Timisoara

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,196

/mo nomad

Lugoj

🇷🇴 Romania

$769

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Timisoara and in Lugoj

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,196 in Timisoara versus $769 in Lugoj.

Timisoara $1,196
Lugoj $769

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,774 in Timisoara versus $1,201 in Lugoj.

Timisoara $1,774
Lugoj $1,201

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,351 in Timisoara versus $1,633 in Lugoj.

Timisoara $2,351
Lugoj $1,633

Living in Timisoara is roughly 56% more expensive than in Lugoj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Timisoara 12% lower, Lugoj 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.33 RON 49.11

$9.18 RON 43.61

12.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.09 RON 219

$33.57 RON 160

37.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.41 RON 39.98

$5.17 RON 24.60

62.67%

Cappuccino

$2.93 RON 13.93

$1.75 RON 8.30

67.43%

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

$2.17 RON 10.33

$1.54 RON 7.31

40.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 RON 8.12

$1.51 RON 7.17

13.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.00 RON 14.26

$2.05 RON 9.75

46.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 RON 20.12

$1.94 RON 9.24

118.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 RON 6.70

$1.60 RON 7.61

-11.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 RON 5.93

$0.97 RON 4.62

28.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 RON 6.65

$0.65 RON 3.09

115.38%

Eggs

$2.93 RON 13.91

$1.28 RON 6.07

128.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.76 RON 41.65

$3.36 RON 15.99

160.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.04 RON 28.72

$3.89 RON 18.47

55.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.96 RON 52.1

$4.23 RON 20.09

159.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 RON 5.59

$1.02 RON 4.87

15.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 RON 7.29

$1.24 RON 5.89

23.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 RON 7.03

$1.66 RON 7.89

-10.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 RON 10.81

$0.62 RON 2.94

266.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 RON 3.54

$0.66 RON 3.11

12.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 RON 4.75

$0.66 RON 3.12

51.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 RON 3.23

$0.90 RON 4.27

-24.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 RON 3.65

$0.61 RON 2.90

26.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.39 RON 30.36

$4.85 RON 23.04

31.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.22 RON 34.30

$4.31 RON 20.48

67.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 RON 5.42

$1.20 RON 5.70

-5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 RON 8.16

$1.72 RON 8.19

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 RON 5.07

$0.60 RON 2.86

78.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.97 RON 161

$21.22 RON 101

60.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$0.88 RON 4.17

-1.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 RON 3.84

$0.87 RON 4.14

-6.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.63 RON 41.00

$8.34 RON 39.66

3.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 RON 9.16

$1.91 RON 9.08

1.05%

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

$28.9K RON 137.6K

$28.5K RON 135.5K

1.58%

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

$24.8K RON 118.0K

$24.9K RON 118.3K

-0.26%

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

$169 RON 805

$52.6 RON 250

221.82%

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

$6.44 RON 30.63

$8.27 RON 39.30

-22.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.53 RON 40.52

$9.56 RON 45.46

-10.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.38 RON 192

$21.04 RON 100

91.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.17 RON 76.9

$25.03 RON 119

-35.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.59 RON 36.06

$9.48 RON 45.07

-19.94%

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

$590 RON 2,802

$584 RON 2,776

0.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,457 RON 40.2K

$12.4K RON 59.1K

-32.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 RON 343

$88.5 RON 421

-18.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.04 RON 186

$43.68 RON 208

-10.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 RON 380

$97.1 RON 462

-17.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 RON 425

$106 RON 502

-15.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 RON 2,738

$182 RON 867

215.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$399 RON 1,897

$212 RON 1,009

88.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 RON 3,923

$312 RON 1,482

164.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$591 RON 2,808

$314 RON 1,494

88.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,651 RON 12.6K

$1,320 RON 6,272

100.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,911 RON 9,085

$1,057 RON 5,022

80.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,212 RON 5,759

$919 RON 4,368

31.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.88

6.65

3.46%

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

Last update for Timisoara: November 1, 2026

Last update for Lugoj: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Timisoara

$399 33.4%

Lugoj

$212 27.6% 46.8% $187

Groceries & Markets

Timisoara

$205 17.2%

Lugoj

$130 16.9% 36.6% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Timisoara

$184 15.4%

Lugoj

$70 9.2% 61.8% $114

Eating Out

Timisoara

$182 15.2%

Lugoj

$136 17.7% 25.2% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Timisoara

$126 10.6%

Lugoj

$151 19.6% 19.3% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Timisoara

$56 4.7%

Lugoj

$40 5.2% 28% $16

Getting Around

Timisoara

$43 3.6%

Lugoj

$29 3.8% 33.1% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $576 in Timisoara and $182 in Lugoj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Timisoara pays 32% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46 in Timisoara vs $34 in Lugoj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $130 per month, with Lugoj cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Timisoara

🇷🇴 Lugoj

🕒 Local time

03:49 3:49 AM

Same time as Timisoara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

319,279

49,742

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Timisoara Lugoj 53 km

From you

Timisoara
Lugoj

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 Lugoj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,196 in Timisoara and $769 in Lugoj, so Lugoj is about 36% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 32% higher in Timisoara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $576 in Timisoara versus $182 in Lugoj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,196 per month in Timisoara versus $769 in Lugoj – Lugoj is about 36% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Lugoj runs roughly 38% less than in Timisoara. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Timisoara and Lugoj are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Lugoj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Timisoara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.