Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Targu Mures

For one person, living is cheaper in Targu Mures: $938 a month against $1,363 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Targu Mures
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Targu Mures Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,363

/mo nomad

Targu Mures

🇷🇴 Romania

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Targu Mures

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

A single person spends $1,363 per month in Almaty vs $938 in Targu Mures, rent included.

Almaty $1,363
Targu Mures $938

A couple spends around $2,131 per month in Almaty vs $1,461 in Targu Mures, rent included.

Almaty $2,131
Targu Mures $1,461

A family of three spends $2,900 per month in Almaty vs $1,984 in Targu Mures, rent included.

Almaty $2,900
Targu Mures $1,984

Almaty costs about 45% more than Targu Mures, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Almaty sits 1% above the global median, while Targu Mures is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.05 ₸5,899

$9.12 RON 43.15

43.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.44 ₸19.6K

$42.19 RON 200

2.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ₸3,962

$8.00 RON 37.83

9.50%

Cappuccino

$3.32 ₸1,501

$2.17 RON 10.27

53.00%

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

$1.34 ₸607

$1.44 RON 6.83

-6.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₸374

$1.23 RON 5.83

-32.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 ₸1,518

$1.91 RON 9.04

75.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 ₸1,818

$2.26 RON 10.68

77.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ₸747

$1.34 RON 6.34

23.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 ₸421

$1.07 RON 5.07

-13.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 ₸927

$1.45 RON 6.87

41.38%

Eggs

$2.46 ₸1,113

$2.88 RON 13.65

-14.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 ₸5,646

$8.00 RON 37.84

56.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,035

$5.81 RON 27.47

15.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$10.08 RON 47.68

7.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ₸807

$1.00 RON 4.72

78.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$1.33 RON 6.29

69.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 ₸1,299

$1.39 RON 6.59

106.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 ₸1,227

$1.90 RON 9.00

42.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 ₸362

$0.77 RON 3.64

3.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸249

$0.55 RON 2.61

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$0.80 RON 3.79

102.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₸453

$0.77 RON 3.64

29.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$5.84 RON 27.61

-55.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,039

$7.39 RON 34.98

50.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₸572

$1.07 RON 5.06

17.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₸1,120

$1.55 RON 7.32

60.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₸128

$0.66 RON 3.11

-57.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.05 ₸9,970

$25.06 RON 119

-12.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 ₸607

$0.88 RON 4.14

52.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.85 RON 4.04

-24.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.04 ₸4,993

$7.47 RON 35.32

47.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸326

$1.81 RON 8.55

-60.22%

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

$28.1K ₸12.7M

$28.1K RON 133.0K

0.13%

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

$31.8K ₸14.4M

$25.3K RON 119.8K

25.62%

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

$90.5 ₸40.9K

$101 RON 477

-10.18%

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

$10.63 ₸4,805

$9.37 RON 44.35

13.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.12 ₸8,190

$8.19 RON 38.75

121.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 ₸31.2K

$42.30 RON 200

63.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.98 ₸12.2K

$18.38 RON 87.0

46.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 ₸3,062

$6.27 RON 29.67

7.97%

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

$444 ₸200.6K

$1,330 RON 6,291

-66.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K ₸5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 ₸41.5K

$52.3 RON 248

75.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.80 ₸21.6K

$29.80 RON 141

60.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 ₸63.0K

$76.7 RON 363

81.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₸59.4K

$77.4 RON 366

69.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$777 ₸351.2K

$415 RON 1,964

87.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$494 ₸223.4K

$286 RON 1,355

72.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 ₸650.4K

$650 RON 3,077

121.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$905 ₸409.2K

$472 RON 2,232

91.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,470 ₸1.1M

$2,238 RON 10.6K

10.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,517 ₸685.7K

$1,487 RON 7,035

2.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$857 ₸387.2K

$991 RON 4,687

-13.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

7.47

176.44%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 18, 2026

Last update for Targu Mures: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$494 36.3%

Targu Mures

$286 30.5% 42% $208

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$251 18.4%

Targu Mures

$192 20.5% 23.4% $59

Eating Out

Almaty

$204 15%

Targu Mures

$148 15.8% 27.6% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.6%

Targu Mures

$106 11.3% 42.4% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$119 8.8%

Targu Mures

$118 12.6% 0.8% $0.9

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$83 6.1%

Targu Mures

$55 5.8% 33.6% $28

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Targu Mures

$33 3.5% 18.5% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $777 in Almaty versus $415 in Targu Mures. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 16% higher in Targu Mures, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Almaty versus $42.00 in Targu Mures. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $192 – making Targu Mures the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇷🇴 Targu Mures

🕒 Local time

06:50 6:50 AM

03:50 3:50 AM

3 h behind Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

134,290

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Almaty Targu Mures 4,070 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Targu Mures

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

Almaty vs Targu Mures: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 45%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,044 per month in Almaty and $1,408 in Targu Mures. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Targu Mures, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Almaty and $42.00 in Targu Mures. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,363 in Almaty and $938 in Targu Mures. That's a gap of about 45%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Targu Mures, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Almaty at $1,363. In Targu Mures it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Targu Mures – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Targu Mures. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Almaty makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.