Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zărnești and Timisoara

For one person, living is cheaper in Zărnești: $889 a month against $1,158 in Timisoara, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Zărnești
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Zărnești Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Timisoara
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Timisoara Living Index

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Zărnești

🇷🇴 Romania

$889

/mo nomad

Timisoara

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,158

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zărnești and in Timisoara

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $889 in Zărnești versus $1,158 in Timisoara.

Zărnești $889
Timisoara $1,158

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,383 in Zărnești versus $1,757 in Timisoara.

Zărnești $1,383
Timisoara $1,757

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,877 in Zărnești versus $2,355 in Timisoara.

Zărnești $1,877
Timisoara $2,355

Living in Zărnești costs roughly 23% less than in Timisoara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zărnești 34% lower, Timisoara 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.00 RON 42.60

$10.56 RON 49.97

-14.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.40 RON 201

$45.44 RON 215

-6.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.36 RON 39.57

$8.35 RON 39.51

0.12%

Cappuccino

$2.18 RON 10.34

$2.93 RON 13.87

-25.60%

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

$1.46 RON 6.90

$2.14 RON 10.11

-31.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 RON 5.66

$1.66 RON 7.85

-27.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 RON 9.00

$2.70 RON 12.77

-29.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 RON 10.79

$4.27 RON 20.22

-46.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 RON 6.02

$1.39 RON 6.58

-8.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 RON 5.06

$1.21 RON 5.71

-11.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 RON 6.81

$1.33 RON 6.31

8.27%

Eggs

$2.79 RON 13.20

$2.81 RON 13.32

-0.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.89 RON 37.33

$8.37 RON 39.61

-5.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.74 RON 22.42

$6.09 RON 28.81

-22.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 RON 49.21

$11.02 RON 52.2

-5.63%

Apples (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.41

$1.15 RON 5.42

-19.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 RON 6.30

$1.45 RON 6.86

-8.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 RON 6.02

$1.47 RON 6.94

-13.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 RON 6.06

$2.34 RON 11.07

-45.30%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 RON 3.67

$0.74 RON 3.50

5.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 RON 2.45

$0.94 RON 4.44

-44.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 RON 3.80

$0.67 RON 3.17

19.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 RON 3.63

$0.77 RON 3.66

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.15 RON 24.37

$6.17 RON 29.17

-16.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 RON 35.09

$7.52 RON 35.58

-1.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 RON 5.08

$1.15 RON 5.44

-6.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 RON 6.12

$1.76 RON 8.31

-26.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 RON 3.32

$1.02 RON 4.85

-31.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.32 RON 101

$34.21 RON 162

-37.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 RON 4.15

$0.87 RON 4.10

1.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 RON 4.05

$0.82 RON 3.87

4.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.45 RON 35.26

$8.54 RON 40.39

-12.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 RON 7.16

$1.88 RON 8.90

-19.68%

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

$28.5K RON 134.9K

$28.8K RON 136.3K

-1.03%

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

$26.0K RON 122.9K

$24.7K RON 116.8K

5.25%

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

$99.0 RON 468

$168 RON 793

-40.96%

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

$9.28 RON 43.89

$6.42 RON 30.37

44.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.00 RON 37.86

$8.59 RON 40.62

-6.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.82 RON 179

$38.76 RON 183

-2.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 RON 91.9

$15.71 RON 74.3

23.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.24 RON 29.55

$8.26 RON 39.10

-24.46%

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

$429 RON 2,031

$583 RON 2,757

-26.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,733 RON 36.6K

$8,838 RON 41.8K

-12.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.43 RON 210

$73.7 RON 349

-39.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.26 RON 129

$40.19 RON 190

-32.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 RON 326

$76.1 RON 360

-9.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.8 RON 363

$88.5 RON 419

-13.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 RON 2,054

$534 RON 2,528

-18.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 RON 1,258

$366 RON 1,731

-27.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 RON 2,727

$843 RON 3,987

-31.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 RON 2,008

$607 RON 2,872

-30.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,751 RON 8,283

$2,572 RON 12.2K

-31.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,329 RON 6,288

$1,886 RON 8,924

-29.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$510 RON 2,415

$1,147 RON 5,427

-55.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.47

6.88

8.58%

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

Last update for Zărnești: October 18, 2026

Last update for Timisoara: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zărnești

$266 29.9%

Timisoara

$366 31.6% 37.6% $100

Groceries & Markets

Zărnești

$182 20.4%

Timisoara

$204 17.6% 12.1% $22

Eating Out

Zărnești

$148 16.7%

Timisoara

$182 15.7% 22.9% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zărnești

$116 13.1%

Timisoara

$183 15.8% 57.1% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Zărnești

$98 11%

Timisoara

$125 10.8% 28.2% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Zărnești

$50 5.7%

Timisoara

$55 4.8% 9.9% $5

Getting Around

Zărnești

$29 3.3%

Timisoara

$43 3.7% 47.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $434 in Zărnești and $534 in Timisoara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Timisoara pays 125% 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: $42.00 in Zărnești vs $45.00 in Timisoara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $204 per month, with Zărnești cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Zărnești

🇷🇴 Timisoara

🕒 Local time

01:29 1:29 AM

Same time as Zărnești

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,926

319,279

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Zărnești Timisoara 320 km

From you

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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

Zărnești vs Timisoara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zărnești and Timisoara differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($889 vs $1,158 including rent). Zărnești is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 125% lower in Timisoara. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $434 in Zărnești versus $534 in Timisoara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Zărnești – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $45.00 in Timisoara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $889 per month in Zărnești versus $1,158 in Timisoara – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $889 in Zărnești versus $1,158 in Timisoara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zărnești but tight or insufficient in Timisoara. The gap between the two cities makes Zărnești the clear choice for anyone on this 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, Zărnești and Timisoara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Zărnești gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Timisoara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.