Focsani vs Ourem

Focsani is a cheap place to live and not much else, with a cost of living index of 35/100 and a one-bedroom outside the center at $294/mo, but the average local net salary of $685/mo means most residents are not living comfortably. The expat scores tell the real story: 83/100 overall and 83/100 for FIRE, yet only 60/100 for retirees and 57/100 for digital nomads, who face limited English proficiency, a very few expat community, and a 200 km haul to OTP. If you want a quiet, safe, low-cost base in Centru and you can work remotely on a foreign salary, Focsani works; if you need local wages, a social scene, or quick flights, look elsewhere.

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.