Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alba Iulia and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Alba Iulia: $901 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Alba Iulia, Romania
Tbilisi, Georgia
Alba Iulia
🇷🇴 Romania
$901
/mo nomad
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,269
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Tbilisi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $901 in Alba Iulia versus $1,269 in Tbilisi.

  • Alba Iulia $901
  • Tbilisi $1,269

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,378 in Alba Iulia versus $2,016 in Tbilisi.

  • Alba Iulia $1,378
  • Tbilisi $2,016

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,855 in Alba Iulia versus $2,763 in Tbilisi.

  • Alba Iulia $1,855
  • Tbilisi $2,763

Living in Alba Iulia costs roughly 29% less than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Alba Iulia 34% lower, Tbilisi 7% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Alba Iulia
Tbilisi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.60 RON 40.97
$11.63 ₾30.10
-26.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$30.98 RON 148
$37.83 ₾97.9
-18.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.88 RON 28.01
$9.66 ₾25.01
-39.13%
Cappuccino
$2.28 RON 10.86
$3.57 ₾9.25
-36.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 RON 8.36
$1.08 ₾2.78
62.04%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.48 RON 7.07
$0.56 ₾1.45
164.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.97 RON 9.37
$2.62 ₾6.79
-24.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 RON 9.70
$3.04 ₾7.86
-32.89%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Alba Iulia
Tbilisi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.23 RON 5.86
$2.17 ₾5.61
-43.32%
White Bread (500g)
$1.08 RON 5.16
$0.80 ₾2.06
35.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.43 RON 6.80
$1.74 ₾4.52
-17.82%
Eggs
$2.69 RON 12.82
$2.83 ₾7.32
-4.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.53 RON 35.85
$9.31 ₾24.10
-19.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.03 RON 28.72
$6.52 ₾16.87
-7.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.80 RON 51.5
$12.95 ₾33.54
-16.60%
Apples (1kg)
$0.92 RON 4.40
$1.68 ₾4.34
-45.24%
Banana (1kg)
$1.31 RON 6.23
$1.85 ₾4.80
-29.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.26 RON 6.00
$1.97 ₾5.11
-36.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.33 RON 11.10
$2.42 ₾6.26
-3.72%
Potato (1kg)
$0.72 RON 3.41
$0.82 ₾2.12
-12.20%
Onion (1kg)
$0.59 RON 2.81
$0.74 ₾1.91
-20.27%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.87 RON 4.14
$1.34 ₾3.47
-35.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.61 RON 2.90
$0.77 ₾2.01
-20.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 RON 24.67
$3.57 ₾9.25
45.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.28 RON 20.38
$7.67 ₾19.86
-44.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.12 RON 5.32
$1.70 ₾4.39
-34.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 RON 6.06
$2.40 ₾6.21
-47.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Alba Iulia
Tbilisi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.75 RON 3.57
$0.40 ₾1.05
87.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$16.98 RON 80.9
$15.23 ₾39.43
11.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.64 RON 3.03
$1.14 ₾2.95
-43.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.63 RON 3.00
$0.78 ₾2.02
-19.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.47 RON 21.28
$11.83 ₾30.62
-62.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.50 RON 7.14
$1.45 ₾3.75
3.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.8K RON 137.2K
$24.6K ₾63.6K
17.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.7K RON 113.1K
$22.3K ₾57.8K
6.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Alba Iulia
Tbilisi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$125 RON 593
$88.8 ₾230
40.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.31 RON 34.81
$13.12 ₾33.98
-44.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.01 RON 42.91
$19.67 ₾50.9
-54.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Alba Iulia
Tbilisi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.55 RON 141
$64.1 ₾166
-53.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$30.83 RON 147
$19.04 ₾49.30
61.92%
Cinema Ticket
$5.09 RON 24.23
$7.12 ₾18.44
-28.51%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Alba Iulia
Tbilisi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$435 RON 2,074
$375 ₾972
15.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,969 RON 33.2K
$10.5K ₾27.1K
-33.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Alba Iulia
Tbilisi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$38.02 RON 181
$104 ₾268
-63.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$23.94 RON 114
$39.26 ₾102
-39.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$73.8 RON 352
$117 ₾304
-37.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$61.7 RON 294
$122 ₾315
-49.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Alba Iulia
Tbilisi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$296 RON 1,410
$695 ₾1,800
-57.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$283 RON 1,348
$451 ₾1,168
-37.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$612 RON 2,916
$1,355 ₾3,508
-54.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$478 RON 2,278
$906 ₾2,346
-47.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,643 RON 7,826
$2,295 ₾5,942
-28.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,401 RON 6,674
$1,345 ₾3,482
4.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Alba Iulia
Tbilisi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$903 RON 4,303
$664 ₾1,720
35.95%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.97
12.62
-44.77%

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

Last update for Alba Iulia: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Alba Iulia
$283
Tbilisi
$451 59.4% $168
Groceries & Markets
Alba Iulia
$185
Tbilisi
$234 26.7% $49
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Alba Iulia
$141
Tbilisi
$122 13.7% $19
Eating Out
Alba Iulia
$141
Tbilisi
$191 35.5% $50
Clothing & Footwear
Alba Iulia
$89
Tbilisi
$172 93.5% $83
Sport & Entertainment
Alba Iulia
$40
Tbilisi
$78 97.1% $39
Getting Around
Alba Iulia
$24
Tbilisi
$22 7.8% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $296 in Alba Iulia and $695 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alba Iulia pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31 in Alba Iulia vs $38 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $185 vs $234 per month, with Alba Iulia cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇷🇴 Alba Iulia
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🕒 Local time
17:05 5:05 PM
19:05 7:05 PM
2 h ahead of Alba Iulia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
63,536
1,241,700 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.76 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.346 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Alba Iulia Tbilisi 1,760 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Alba Iulia
  • Tbilisi

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 Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Alba Iulia cheaper than Tbilisi?
Alba Iulia is about 29% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Alba Iulia or Tbilisi?
Average pay runs 36% higher in Alba Iulia, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Alba Iulia and Tbilisi?
Rent for a central apartment: $296 in Alba Iulia versus $695 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Alba Iulia and in Tbilisi?
All in, you’ll spend $901 per month in Alba Iulia versus $1,269 in Tbilisi – Alba Iulia is about 29% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Tbilisi runs roughly 10% less than in Alba Iulia. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Alba Iulia or in Tbilisi?
At $901 in Alba Iulia versus $1,269 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Alba Iulia but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Alba Iulia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Alba Iulia or in Tbilisi?
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.
Which city is safer, Alba Iulia or Tbilisi?
Safety-wise, Alba Iulia and Tbilisi are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Alba Iulia vs other spots: cost of living compared

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