Cost Of Living For a Student in Timisoara 2025

Average monthly spending for students in Timisoara

How much money does a student need in a month to survive in Timisoara?

Students in Timisoara spend around 4,700 RON per month on average. Depending on the lifestyle, a student can survive with a monthly budget as low as 720 RON or as high as 31,000 RON. Location is a very important factor and has a huge influence on expenditure and budget.

How do students spend their money in Timisoara?

We asked thousands of students about their spending habits and expenditure break down.

Housing and accomodation expenditure for students

Students in Timisoara typically spend from 14% to 25% of their total monthly expenditure on housing with 19% being the average. The average monthly spend on housing is 1,100 RON with expenditure ranging from 170 RON to 7,500 RON. This cost mainly goes for rent but it also includes other accommodation-related expenses.

Electricity, utilities, energy, water, internet, and mobile expenditure for students

Utility expenditure like electricity, water, and gas in Timisoara ranges from 4% to 10% of total expenses with 6% being the average for most students. The average monthly cost of utilities is 190 RON with 29 RON and 1,200 RON being the upper and lower limits for a student of four.

Transport, fuel, and commute expenditure for students

Fuel consumption and cost of transport depend heavily on whether a student resides near school and work, but roughly speaking a student would expect to spend from 50 RON to 2,200 RON in a month on commuting with 330 RON being the norm for most students. This means that money spent on transport constitutes about 4% of total spending on average but can go as low as 4% or as high as 10%.

Food, groceries, and basic shopping expenditure for students

The average outlay on groceries and basic houshold items for a typical student in a month in Timisoara is 930 RON. The cost of groceries can range between 140 RON to 6,200 RON. Students spend on average about 23% on food and groceries with upper and lower bounds of 17% and 27% respectively.

Healthcare and medical services expenditure for students

Students in Timisoara allocate 6% to 12% of their total monthly expenditure to healthcare including health insurance and out-of-pocket medical expenses. The average spending on medical services and clinic visits is around 9%. The range of medical expenses range from 43 RON to 1,900 RON with 280 RON being the norm for most students.

Leisure and shopping expenditure for students

This category mostly contains discretionary or non-essential expenses but also some non-discretionary spending like furniture for example. The monthly expenses range from 36 RON to 1,600 RON with 230 RON being the average. Speaking of percentages, that equates to 2% to 7% of total expenses with an average of 3% for most students.

Education and schooling expenditure for students

Spending on education can vary drastically between different students. On average, education constitutes 18% of the monthly expenditure of students with 11% and 23% being the lower and upper bounds respectively. The average reported education cost is 890 RON per month with 140 RON being the minimum spent amount and 5,900 RON being the maximum.

A typical and healthy budgeting structure

The 50/30/20 rule

Spending among different people can vary significantly based on factors such as their income, lifestyle, location, and personal preferences. A commonly used guideline for budgeting is the 50/30/20 rule, which suggests allocating your income into three main categories in the following percentages.

• 50% for needs and financial obligations

  This category includes essential expenses like housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, and healthcare.

• 30% for wants and discretionary spending

  This category covers discretionary spending on non-essential items, such as dining out, entertainment, travel, and other lifestyle choices.

• 20% for savings and emergency fund

  This is the percentage that must be allocated to savings, emergency funds, and retirement accounts.

About financial planning, money management, and household budgeting

Affordable living in Timisoara

Income and cost of living compatibility

We asked students one simple question and recorded their answers.

Is it affordable or economical to live in Timisoara?

Around 63% of surveyed students think that living in Timisoara is affordable with proper budgeting while 37% reported that it is just too expensive and not affordable even with frugality and thriftness.

Low-cost alternatives in Timisoara

People are always looking for ways to cut down expenses and reduce expenditures. The hallmark of any affordable place is the availability of discount stores, bargain deals, smart or secondhand shopping, refurbished items, and couponing. We asked students how easily cost-cutting is and the answers were distributed as follows:

Plenty of low-cost options53%

Few low-cost options47%

Based on the survey, 53% of the students living in Timisoara have no problem finding low-cost alternatives to support a frugal lifestyle while 47% think that thriftness is difficult due to scarcity in discount markets and secondhand outlets.

Emergency Funds For Students

An emergency fund is a financial safety net comprised of easily accessible savings set aside to cover unexpected expenses or financial emergencies, typically amounting to three to six months' worth of living expenses. We asked students of Timisoara whether they have an emergency fund and the answers were as follows.

Yes58%

No42%

Based on the survey, 42% of the students living in Timisoara said that they don't have an emergency fund while 58% said that they do.

Financial Literacy in Romania

Financial literacy is the knowledge of concepts and principles related to personal finance that allow individuals to make informed decisions regarding their money such as budgeting, saving, investing, borrowing, managing debt, financial risk management, and planning.

Financial Leteracy62%

We asked student guardians and parents in Timisoara whether they acquired any adequate personal financial training in their lives. Approximately 38% of the people who participated in the survey said that they are not well informed about the topics of budgeting, saving, etc., and just manage things based on their own experience, while 62% said that they know about the general principles of personal finance from sources other than their own experience.

Difficulty in Budgeting and Financial Planning

We wanted to understand whether students of Romania have problems or difficulties in managing their expenditures and savings so we asked people one simple question: do you struggle with your personal finances? 41% of the participants reported that they indeed struggle in creating budgets and in organizing their finances while 59% said that they have everything under control.

Struggles with finance41%

Easily manages finances59%

Housing costs, accommodation, and housing affordability in Timisoara

Rent Cost in Timisoara

Monthly Rent Prices

Studio apartment monthly rent cost

820 RON

1,200 RON

3,300 RON

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$180

$270

$710

1-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost

1,200 RON

2,000 RON

4,900 RON

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$270

$430

$1,100

2-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost

1,600 RON

2,500 RON

6,500 RON

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$360

$540

$1,400

3-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost

2,000 RON

3,300 RON

8,900 RON

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$430

$710

$1,900

Furnished apartment monthly rent cost

3,900 RON

9,800 RON

20,000 RON

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$860

$2,100

$4,300

Townhouse monthly rent cost

3,300 RON

4,900 RON

14,000 RON

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$710

$1,100

$3,100

House monthly rent cost

3,900 RON

9,800 RON

20,000 RON

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$860

$2,100

$4,300

Villa monthly rent cost

4,900 RON

12,000 RON

20,000 RON

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1,100

$2,700

$4,300

The monthly rental cost of a studio apartment in Timisoara ranges between 820 RON and 3,300 RON, meanwhile the cost of monthly rental of a one-bedroom apartment can be anywhere from 1,200 RON to 4,900 RON. Two-bedroom rentals rate ranges between 1,600 RON and 6,500 RON per month. The monthly rental for a three-bedroom apartment ranges from 2,000 RON to 8,900 RON. The average rent of a townhouse in Timisoara is around 4,900 RON while house rental costs can be as high as 9,800 RON per month. Finally, if you want to rent a villa, expect to pay anywhere from 4,900 RON to 20,000 RON per month.

Apartment and house prices in Timisoara

Cost of buying a property

Studio apartment price

160,000 RON

250,000 RON

490,000 RON

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$36,000

$54,000

$110,000

1-bedroom apartment price

200,000 RON

330,000 RON

1.2M RON

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$43,000

$71,000

$270,000

2-bedroom apartment price

330,000 RON

980,000 RON

2M RON

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$71,000

$210,000

$430,000

3-bedroom apartment price

1.1M RON

1.6M RON

4.9M RON

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$240,000

$360,000

$1.1M

Townhouse price

1.4M RON

3.3M RON

12M RON

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$310,000

$710,000

$2.7M

House price

1.6M RON

9.8M RON

14M RON

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$360,000

$2.1M

$3.1M

Villa price

2M RON

11M RON

16M RON

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$430,000

$2.4M

$3.6M

The average price of a studio apartment in Timisoara can range from 160,000 RON to 490,000 RON depending on location. One bedroom cost can be anywhere from 200,000 RON to 1.2M RON. A villa can cost you 11M RON on average with prices ranging from 2M RON to 16M RON.

House / apartment prices to income ratio

Property prices in Timisoara can be x110 to x197 multiples of the monthly income depending on the property and the income of the person. On average, property prices are approximately x110 multiples of the average monthly salary in Timisoara.

Rent to income ratio

The average rent-to-income ratio in Timisoara is around 30%. This means that people pay 30% of their income for rent. Those figures can range from 21% to 39% depending on the salary, location, and type of property.

Housing affordability index

The housing affordability index measures how affordable accommodation is in a particular place. This can measured in multiple ways, the most common being housing expenditure to total expenditure ratio and the rent to income ratio. The housing expenditure ratio is a figure reported by individuals on the percentage they allocate for housing. Rent to income ratio is calculated by dividing the average monthly rent by the average income. Because these values are both percentages, we can find their average and get the best of the two worlds.

Property Taxes

Real estate owners pay property taxes to local tax authorities, which are determined by the assessed value of their property. Typically, these taxes are paid once a year. Property tax funds contribute to community development, financing infrastructure improvements, public services, and local education initiatives.

Home Maintenance Costs

Home maintenance costs encompass various expenses associated with the upkeep and repair of a residence. These expenditures include regular tasks such as lawn care, pest control, and HVAC system servicing, as well as occasional repairs and renovations like fixing leaks, painting, or replacing appliances.

Urban vs. rural living costs

Urban living typically entails higher housing and transportation costs due to demand and limited space, while rural areas generally offer lower housing expenses but may have higher prices for goods and services. The differnce in rental rates between urban areas and rural areas can be as high as 300% in some cases.

Monthly costs and expenses of energy and basic utilities in Timisoara

Energy, electricity, water, gas, internet, and mobile cost in Timisoara

Utility Bill Cost / Electricity + Water + Gas / Student

29 RON

190 RON

1,200 RON

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$6.2

$41

$270

Internet and cable cost

52 RON

100 RON

140 RON

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$11

$23

$30

Mobile phone bill and charges

41 RON

69 RON

210 RON

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$9

$15

$45

The average monthly energy and water consumption of students is around 190 RON. The cost of internet and WiFi ranges from 52 RON to 140 RON with 100 RON being the average internet bill. Finally, the average monthly mobile charges is around 69 RON but can range between 41 RON and 210 RON depending on consumption. Mobile charges include both calling minutes as well as data packages.

Energy / Utility expense to income ratio

The average utility-to-income ratio in Timisoara is around 4.7%. This means that people pay 4.7% of their income for energy, water, internet, and mobile charges. Those figures can range from 1.9% to 8.4% depending on salary and location.

Food Prices, Dining Expenses, and Grocery Costs in Timisoara

Prices and cost of goods and services in Timisoara

Dining out, food, and beverages costs. Price variations for common food items.

Fast food combo meal price

10 RON

21 RON

34 RON

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$2.3

$4.5

$7.5

The average price of a regular combo meal at a fast food outlet or chain like McDonald's, Pizzahut, or KFC in Timisoara is approximatly 21 RON with meal cost ranging from 10 RON to 34 RON. The typical combo meal consists of a burger, french fries, and a drink.

Restaurant meal for one price

34 RON

50 RON

100 RON

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$7.3

$11

$22

If you are planning to have a nice meal at a mid-range restaurant, expect to pay anywhere between 34 RON and 100 RON with 50 RON being the average price of a plate for one person at a regular restaurant in Timisoara.

Fine dining meal for one price

67 RON

100 RON

400 RON

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$15

$22

$88

The price range of a meal at fine-dining restaurant is 67 RON to 400 RON with the average cost being 100 RON for one person. This is what you would expect to pay a top-tier diner in Timisoara.

Beverage prices, cappuccino, latte etc..

8.6 RON

14 RON

21 RON

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1.9

$3

$4.5

The average price of a regular beverage like cappuccino or latte at Starbucks, Costa, or similar coffee shops and cafes in Timisoara is around 14 RON. Price ranges between 8.6 RON and 21 RON depending on the type of beverage, the size, and optional add-ons.

Grocery and market costs

Large bottle of milk price

6.9 RON

8.3 RON

10 RON

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1.5

$1.8

$2.3

The average price of a large bottle of milk in Timisoara is 8.3 RON. The maximum what you would pay for milk is 10 RON and the minimum being 6.9 RON depending on the brand of milk and other properties.

12 eggs price

5.2 RON

6.9 RON

10 RON

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1.1

$1.5

$2.3

A dozen eggs costs around 6.9 RON on average with 5.2 RON and 10 RON being the lower and upper limits respectively.

Fresh whole chicken price

12 RON

15 RON

22 RON

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$2.6

$3.3

$4.7

The price range of a fresh whole chicken in Timisoara is between 12 RON and 22 RON depending on the size of the chicken and whether it is oraganic or not. The average price is approximatly 15 RON.

Pack of beef price

14 RON

21 RON

41 RON

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$3

$4.5

$9

The price of a regular pack of beef or meat is around 21 RON. A pack of beef contains around 1Kg or 1lb depending on packing.

Medium bag of rice price

5.6 RON

7.6 RON

11 RON

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1.2

$1.7

$2.4

A bag of rice in Timisoara costs around 7.6 RON on average with prices rangeing between 5.6 RON and 11 RON depending on the brand and quality.

Bag of tomatos price

2.1 RON

2.8 RON

5.2 RON

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$0.45

$0.60

$1.1

A bag of tomatoes costs anywhere from 2.1 RON to 5.2 RON. A bag of tomatoes denotes 1Kg or 1lb depending on location.

Bag of apples price

3.7 RON

4.8 RON

8 RON

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$0.81

$1.1

$1.7

A bag of apples costs 4.8 RON on average. A bag of apples denotes 1Kg or 1lb depending on location.

Grocery and food expenditure to income ratio

The average grocery-to-income ratio in Timisoara is around 24%. This means that students spend 24% of their income on grocery and basic household items. The expenditure can range from 17% to 30% depending on salary and location.

Expenditure on food and grocery for students