How much does it cost? Living in Timișoara as a Digital Nomad

With its quality of life, access to culture, a great range of fantastic coworking spaces, affordable places to stay and, of course, high-speed internet, Timișoara is one of the best places for digital nomads in Europe.

To help give you an idea, we have shared a breakdown of the cost of living here in this carousel post.

1. Where to live in Timisoara

From €515 a month

Let’s start with apartments. Timișoara is a compact city with one of the best public transport systems in Europe, and it’s very affordable, so you do not have to be right in the heart of the city. If you like to be within walking distance of all the main squares like Piața Victoriei and the Opera House, then Cetate, aka the city centre, is perfect. You will find a bunch of upscale holiday apartments to rent here, like VISAJ Downtown (Strada Florimund Mercy 7), just two minutes’ walk from Piața Unirii in a historic Secession-style building. They have 5 individually designed apartments with full kitchens, spacious rooms and bathrooms, plus washer-dryer facilities, so this is perfect for a short stay.

If you are keen to stay just outside the centre, then I would highly recommend the Josefin district, one of the best-preserved neighbourhoods of the city. If budgets permit, choose the Hotel Iosefin Residence – spacious apartments, big kitchen and nice beds, from €60 a night. If you are looking for something more long term. highly recommend the Carol Residence: eight apartments, all with kitchenettes, dishwashers and espresso makers. There is air conditioning too, which is handy for warm summer days. Rates are very reasonable and start from around €26 a night.

2. Coworking spaces in Timisoara

Devplant was our main coworking space during our stay and we loved working here. The location is perfect, very central. The coworking space is huge, spread over 1,000 square metres in a historic building downtown, with standing desks, hammocks, lots of green potted plants that give it a warm feeling, comfy sofas to relax in with a book and a huge, spacious kitchen to prepare meals. Hot desks are around 100 lei (€20) a day and a fixed dedicated desk is from 900 lei, about €181 a month. They offer free trial days, so ask.

We also had the chance to work for a day from Cowork Timișoara, the city’s biggest and oldest coworking brand, at Calea Aradului 11, across from the main shopping centre, Iulius Town. The space is great, the wifi great, there’s a great coffee machine plus a small kitchenette to prepare your meals. The founders are also great champions of the local tech startup scene, with events like Startup Weekend and Startup Survivor, so if you are in the startup scene and want to connect with local actors, this is the coworking space for you. Day passes start from about €20, week passes from €99 and monthly passes from €210. Free coffee and drinking water, access to meeting rooms and printing are included.

Then you have Faber. Located in a beautifully rehabilitated industrial warehouse along the Bega River in the historic Fabric district, this community-focused creative arts hub is perfect for creatives who are looking for a place with light. We loved the outdoor terrace and the Ambasada social bistro/café, which is a great place for food and drinks. Housed in shipping containers, they have an on-site Makerspace equipped with 3D printers and laser cutters. They also host a bunch of great events and exhibitions.

3. Gyms in Timisoara

Our monthly membership fee for Stay Fit Gym was 265 RON, around €53. It was pricey, a luxury, but a necessary one to take care of our health and mind when travelling long-term on the road.

Stay Fit Gym in the Bega Shopping Center was perfectly located, just across from our coworking space, Devplant. Spread over 2,000 square metres, this is a very well-equipped gym with a great range of equipment, plus lots of power and squat racks and deadlift platforms, so it’s perfect for those into weight training. There is a small sauna in the changing rooms, plus showers.

4. Getting a data only sim card

You can get local data packages of up to 200 GB of data with a local operator like Gigi for just €5 a month.

5. How much a public transport ticket in Timisoara cost?

A 60-minute ticket is 5 lei (around €1) and a day pass 18 lei (€3.60). A 30-day all-lines pass at 160 lei (€32) covers trams, trolleybuses, buses and even the Bega boats.

6. An authentic local bite

If you are looking for some authentic fast food before a night out in town, then you cannot go wrong with the lively Lera’s Bistro: Serbian grilled food, affordable and fast. Get the pljeskavica (25 RON), a Balkan-style burger, or ćevapčići (27 RON). They also do a nice veggie sandwich for 22 RON (cașcaval cheese with pesto and tomato salad). The fries (12 RON, a huge portion, perfect for sharing) are a must. Plus, they serve cold draught Timișoreana beer (400ml) for 11 lei, which might be the cheapest draught beer in the centre of Timișoara.

7. Lunch options

Located right across from Devplant coworking space, Milan Bakery was our go-to for their plăcintă cu ciuperci, aka mushroom pies, and their cozonac cu mac, a poppy seed roll. Both are very delicious and start from just 5 lei (€1).

La Focacceria, which does sliced focaccia-style pizza with a variety of delicious toppings ranging from tomato and stracchino cheese to melanzane and even potatoes with rosemary, is also nice for a quick bite (prices vary from 15–29 RON).

There’s also a Carrefour supermarket in the basement of the Bega Shopping Center if you want sandwiches, fruit or veggies to make a salad.

For something a little nicer, we would suggest Homemade, which really feels like dining in a local’s home. The food here, true to its name, is homemade and tasty. Their veggie meatballs with mashed potatoes and black pepper sauce are comfort food at its best (63 RON, €12), while Sabrina enjoyed the duck breast with orange sauce, baked pumpkin purée, broccoli and beetroot jam with horseradish (102 RON, €20). Both were excellent dishes.

8. How much does a beer cost in Timisoara?

A pint of beer will cost around 15 lei in the city centre (around €3), with the most affordable beer (400ml) at Lera’s Bistro for 11 lei (€2.20).

9. Cost of a cup of coffee in Timisoara

A coffee in Timișoara generally costs between 10 RON and 25 RON (approx. €2 to €5), depending on whether you have a regular or speciality coffee.

10. Theatre and Cinema tickets in Timisoara

At 35 lei (€6.50), German State Theatre Timișoara is one of the most affordable theatre tickets in Europe while movie tickets start from 20 lei ( around €4 )

11. Grocery bill

We spent €266 on our monthly groceries, which might seem a little high, but we love cooking a lot of our meals. Our only regret was that we did not visit the farmers’ market outside Parcul Stadion Dan Păltinișanu, which was incredible in terms of the quality of produce, and the prices were much more affordable compared to any local market. You will find everything from fresh veg and fruit to honey, cheese, bread and other fine foods. The market is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays.