If you’re considering relocating to Timisoara, but you’re not 100% sure it is the right thing to do, I will help you a bit by listing the Pros and Cons of living in Timisoara.
It always helps to know the good, the bad and the ugly before committing to making a permanent move and this article has been written with the help of Bianca, who was born and raised in Timisoara. And you can never beat the insights a local has!
Now, before jumping straight into the list of Pros and Cons, we should know that Timisoara is one of Romania’s largest cities.
It’s an important cultural and economic center, with plenty of opportunities for people looking to call it their home.
Located in the Western part of Romania, it offers quick connections to Serbia and Hungary, as well as other cities in the country, including via air as the Timisoara airport has direct flights to Bucharest and hopefully other destinations as well.
With all these in mind, let’s take a look at the Pros and Cons of living in Timisoara!
Pros of living in Timisoara
Let’s start with the good things about living in Timisoara, since these are the ones that matter the most.
1. Important University center
There’s a university for every profile and specialization in Timisoara. That’s why it’s one of the most important University centers in Romania.
As a result, there’s always a young and fresh vibe in the city, with plenty of lower-priced accommodation options, specifically suited for students. Of course, anybody can take advantage of those!
2. Career growth opportunities
Timisoara is also a huge economic center. There are tons of well-paid jobs for all working classes and lots of opportunities for career development as many of the world’s largest corporations have offices in Timisoara.
To name just a few of the biggest companies in Timisoara, we have Google, Microsoft, Ubisoft, IBM and Continental (plus many more).
There are also great opportunities here for entrepreneurs who can launch their own business to a market that is still developing.
3. Frequent cultural events
A big cultural center in Romania, with the National Opera House (and theater) and with the “Banatul” Philharmonic, cultural events are organized here all-year-round.
From theater, concerts, open-air cinema nights and other artistic representations to stand-up comedy, magic shows and food festivals, you’ll have something happening in Timisoara at all times.
It’s no surprise that Timisoara was chosen to be the European Capital of Culture in 2023.
4. Green everywhere
One of the things that I appreciate the most about Timisoara – and I am sure you will feel the same – is how green everything is around you.
Literally. Green spaces, trees at every step and on every sidewalk. It’s a great way to ensure breathable air with all the traffic in Timisoara, no matter in what neighborhood you choose to live in.
5. Beautiful promenade areas
What’s more romantic than walking on the bridges or sides of Bega River, with beautiful sunset views?
Plus some other amazing promenade areas such as Iulius Gardens, the city center (Victoria, Libertatii and Unirii Squares) or the zoological garden.
These are definitely great areas to choose your accommodation in when visiting for a few days or settling in longer term in the city.
6. Plenty of bars & restaurants
Along with the promenade areas come the great bars and pubs. There are tons of amazing restaurants, cake shops, pubs and bars to choose from, with the widest choices of atmosphere & cuisine.
Plus the two big shopping malls which are also important in every Romanian city, Timisoara included.
7. A park for every age
Not only green spaces, but huge, beautiful parks too.
Many of them.
There’s the Children’s Park “Ion Creanga”, The Roses Park, The Central Park, “Queen Mary” Park, plus hundreds of local parks at the back of the blocks of flats.
This means that you have a nice opportunity to connect with nature, spend out some time outside and even socialize with fellow expats or locals.
8. There’s also night life in Timisoara
There are some pretty amazing and well-known night clubs and bars in Timisoara. Including the ones from the side of Bega River (such as Fratelli), and those known throughout the country (such as Epic and Heaven).
9. Over 6 swimming pools
This is a pro that makes Timisoara a great city to live in even during summer. If you can’t make it to the seaside, you can still enjoy great atmosphere and swimming pools in over six swimming pools.
10. Great public and private transportation
For public transport, there are electric scooters, bikes, ships, and there’s a total of 54 trams, buses and trolleybuses, with plenty of courses usually at a 10-minute frequency, in every direction and area of the city.
The private sector offers multiple taxi companies, as well as Uber and Bolt rides for low prices.
11. Clean and safe
You’ll see people cleaning the streets every morning. And all streets publicly illuminated during night, with police going on patrols in central areas all day long. So, it’s clean and safe, day and night, on the streets of Timisoara.
Cons of living in Timisoara
Of course, it’s not all Pros when it comes to living in Timisoara – so let’s check out the cons below.
1. High rental costs
Unfortunately, high demand encourages high costs. It’s not cheap to rent an apartment in Timisoara, especially during the fall, when the University starts and the demand is very high amongst students.
But lucky golden tickets are always available, if you have patience to look for them.
Romania – Timisoara included – is still one of the cheapest countries in the EU when it comes to rental costs, but the prices have been going up constantly over the past several years and they don’t seem to slow down.
It’s just how it is in the rest of the world and Timisoara is just keeping up pace.
2. There’s pollution
It’s not that the air is not breathable or that you’ll see smoke everywhere. You won’t. But neither is the air, with all the traffic, as clean or fresh as you’ll find in a village or up in the mountains.
However, I am tempted to say that, despite the pollution, the air is better than it is in other cities in Romania, like Bucharest and probably much better than that in the major cities of the world.
3. It’s quite noisy
Unless you live in a house or in a quite peripheric area, Timisoara is noisy. Traffic day and night, people parking their cars in front of the block of flats, constant movement. Not a quiet city – but you’ll get used to it.
4. Traffic may slow you down seriously
Although the traffic is not as congested as in Bucharest for example, it’s still a big city.
Therefore, it may take you up to one hour and even more, to get from one side of the city to the other, with public transport.
It’s not the best feeling to wake up two hours before your program starts at work, to make sure you’re not late because of the distance and traffic.
But, again, since you’re moving here and you probably have more choices than others, make sure to find a place close to work in order to get rid of this Con.
5. Limited amount of English-only schools
While Timisoara offers a large amount of state kindergartens and schools, as well as a decent amount of private education opportunities, you don’t have a lot to choose from when it comes to English-only schools.
I am sure that this thing will improve over the years as demand also increases, but right now, if you want to continue educating your kids in an English language school in Timisoara, you won’t have many options.
Conclusion
I think that the pros outweigh the cons of living in Timisoara by far, and even though the high costs for accommodation are not convenient, they’re not such a deal breaker considering the career growth opportunities and well-paid jobs you have here.
Plus, the amazing cultural events, promenade areas, parks and green spaces will make you forget about all the noise and quite polluted air.
Now, having all the pros and cons listed above, I’m sure it will be a lot easier for you to compare them and decide whether Timisoara is a good fit for your expectations, lifestyle and preferences.
So, would you like to live in Timisoara? If so, have you found any other pros or cons that I haven’t included in the list above? If so, let me know about your experiences and thoughts in the comments section below.
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I think the noise is just something we have to get used to in this world nowadays with the population explosion. You have to give up so many things to live off the grid, especially easy access to healthcare which can make or break you. I like the sound of Timisoara though, I think l would like it, especially the cultural events.
To me, the fact that it’s less chaotic than Bucharest is, is a big Pro 🙂