Alexandria vs Smederevo

Alexandria is a small Danube port town of 40 thousand where a one-bedroom in the center runs $315/mo and a single adult can live on roughly $422/mo, which is remarkable even against an average net salary of just $846/mo. The catch is that this is not an expat hub: the expat community is effectively nonexistent, English proficiency is limited, and the nearest airport is 48 km away, so you are trading convenience and company for very cheap rent. Digital nomads should look elsewhere, since the Romania Digital Nomad Visa demands $3,700/mo in income, more than four times what a comfortable life here costs. Come for the low cost of living and the 84/100 expat score, not for a built-in social scene.

A one-bedroom in central Bucharest runs about $508 a month, roughly a third of what the same unit costs in a mid-size US downtown. Add a flat 10% income tax and $659 in monthly living costs, and a modest remote salary stretches far. The digital nomad visa requires at least USD 3,700 per month, setting a bar above median local earnings but below typical upper‑middle income levels in many source countries. Worth it if you clear that bar and can live without a large English-speaking expat network.