Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alba Iulia and Donegal

For one person, living is cheaper in Alba Iulia: $902 a month against $1,863 in Donegal, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Alba Iulia
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Alba Iulia Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Donegal
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Donegal Living Index

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Alba Iulia

🇷🇴 Romania

$902

/mo nomad

Donegal

🇮🇪 Ireland

$1,863

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alba Iulia and in Donegal

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Alba Iulia and in Donegal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $902 in Alba Iulia versus $1,863 in Donegal.

Alba Iulia $902
Donegal $1,863

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,372 in Alba Iulia versus $2,765 in Donegal.

Alba Iulia $1,372
Donegal $2,765

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,841 in Alba Iulia versus $3,667 in Donegal.

Alba Iulia $1,841
Donegal $3,667

Living in Alba Iulia costs roughly 52% less than in Donegal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Alba Iulia is 33% below, Donegal is 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.42 RON 39.84

$19.68 €17.51

-57.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.94 RON 146

$83.5 €74.2

-62.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 RON 26.85

$5.74 €5.10

-1.22%

Cappuccino

$2.16 RON 10.24

$2.82 €2.51

-23.40%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 RON 8.32

$1.64 €1.46

7.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 RON 6.85

$1.09 €0.97

33.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 RON 9.50

$7.14 €6.35

-71.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 RON 10.10

$6.57 €5.84

-67.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$1.66 €1.48

-25.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 RON 5.15

$1.81 €1.61

-39.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 RON 7.07

$1.79 €1.59

-16.76%

Eggs

$2.67 RON 12.65

$3.44 €3.06

-22.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.53 RON 35.62

$7.68 €6.83

-1.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.82 RON 27.54

$12.63 €11.23

-53.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.61 RON 50.2

$13.21 €11.75

-19.68%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 RON 4.52

$2.22 €1.97

-56.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 RON 6.38

$1.60 €1.42

-15.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 RON 5.77

$1.32 €1.18

-7.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 RON 11.06

$4.21 €3.74

-44.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 RON 3.38

$1.38 €1.22

-48.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 RON 2.75

$2.71 €2.41

-78.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 RON 3.89

$1.29 €1.15

-36.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 RON 3.04

$1.95 €1.74

-67.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.31 RON 25.13

$20.30 €18.06

-73.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.21 RON 19.90

$17.04 €15.15

-75.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 RON 5.29

$3.02 €2.69

-62.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 RON 5.75

$2.82 €2.51

-56.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.38

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.66 RON 78.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 RON 2.98

$5.45 €4.84

-88.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 RON 3.21

$1.44 €1.28

-52.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.55 RON 21.51

$67.3 €59.8

-93.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 RON 7.22

$1.93 €1.72

-20.73%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.1K RON 133.1K

$38.1K €33.9K

-26.27%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$24.3K RON 115.1K

$37.8K €33.6K

-35.63%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$123 RON 583

$163 €145

-24.31%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$7.40 RON 35.00

$20.94 €18.62

-64.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.34 RON 44.20

$44.19 €39.30

-78.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.80 RON 136

$54.8 €48.73

-47.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.03 RON 147

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 RON 23.57

$10.97 €9.76

-54.60%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$442 RON 2,090

$832 €740

-46.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,914 RON 32.7K

$2,191 €1,949

215.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.88 RON 184

$72.4 €64.4

-46.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.97 RON 113

$36.92 €32.84

-35.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.6 RON 348

$77.1 €68.5

-4.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.0 RON 303

$94.3 €83.9

-32.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$293 RON 1,386

$1,108 €985

-73.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 RON 1,367

$830 €738

-65.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 RON 2,938

$1,641 €1,459

-62.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 RON 2,243

$1,266 €1,126

-62.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,602 RON 7,578

$1,679 €1,493

-4.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,414 RON 6,688

$1,137 €1,011

24.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$904 RON 4,278

$4,191 €3,728

-78.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.97

3.6

93.61%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Alba Iulia: October 11, 2026

Last update for Donegal: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Alba Iulia

$289 32%

Donegal

$830 44.5% 187% $541

Groceries & Markets

Alba Iulia

$184 20.3%

Donegal

$321 17.3% 75.2% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alba Iulia

$140 15.5%

Donegal

$228 12.2% 62.8% $88

Eating Out

Alba Iulia

$137 15.2%

Donegal

$268 14.4% 95.1% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Alba Iulia

$90 10%

Donegal

$126 6.8% 40.1% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Alba Iulia

$39 4.3%

Donegal

$77 4.1% 98% $38

Getting Around

Alba Iulia

$24 2.6%

Donegal

$13 * 0.7% 46.2% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $293 in Alba Iulia and $1,108 in Donegal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Donegal pays 364% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $31.00 in Alba Iulia vs $83.0 in Donegal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $184 vs $321 per month, with Alba Iulia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Alba Iulia

🇮🇪 Donegal

🕒 Local time

14:32 2:32 PM

12:32 12:32 PM

2 h behind Alba Iulia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,536

2,600

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Alba Iulia Donegal 2,420 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Alba Iulia
Donegal

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Alba Iulia vs Donegal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alba Iulia is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 106% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 364% lower in Donegal. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $293 in Alba Iulia versus $1,108 in Donegal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Donegal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $902 per month in Alba Iulia versus $1,863 in Donegal – a 106% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $902 in Alba Iulia versus $1,863 in Donegal, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Alba Iulia but tight or insufficient in Donegal. The gap between the two cities makes Alba Iulia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Alba Iulia and Donegal are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Alba Iulia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 106% less than in Donegal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.