Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Alba Iulia

For one person, living is cheaper in Alba Iulia: $902 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Alba Iulia
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Alba Iulia Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Alba Iulia

🇷🇴 Romania

$902

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Alba Iulia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $902 in Alba Iulia.

Austin, TX $2,663
Alba Iulia $902

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,372 in Alba Iulia.

Austin, TX $4,133
Alba Iulia $1,372

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,841 in Alba Iulia.

Austin, TX $5,603
Alba Iulia $1,841

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 195% more expensive than in Alba Iulia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Alba Iulia is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$8.42 RON 39.84

146.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$30.94 RON 146

173.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.67 RON 26.85

117.28%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.16 RON 10.24

160.65%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.76 RON 8.32

111.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.45 RON 6.85

72.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.01 RON 9.50

300.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.13 RON 10.10

323.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.23 RON 5.80

-8.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.09 RON 5.15

244.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.49 RON 7.07

118.79%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.67 RON 12.65

56.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$7.53 RON 35.62

71.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$5.82 RON 27.54

143.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$10.61 RON 50.2

52.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$0.96 RON 4.52

351.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.35 RON 6.38

8.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.22 RON 5.77

269.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.34 RON 11.06

85.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.71 RON 3.38

263.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.58 RON 2.75

305.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.82 RON 3.89

117.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.64 RON 3.04

246.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$5.31 RON 25.13

86.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$4.21 RON 19.90

258.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.12 RON 5.29

160.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.22 RON 5.75

183.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.71 RON 3.38

109.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$16.66 RON 78.8

150.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.63 RON 2.98

333.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.68 RON 3.21

144.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$4.55 RON 21.51

675.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.53 RON 7.22

-37.91%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$28.1K RON 133.1K

28.17%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$24.3K RON 115.1K

11.30%

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

$229 $229

$123 RON 583

85.87%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$7.40 RON 35.00

702.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$9.34 RON 44.20

648.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$28.80 RON 136

98.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$31.03 RON 147

-47.37%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$4.98 RON 23.57

186.75%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$442 RON 2,090

240.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$6,914 RON 32.7K

210.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$38.88 RON 184

35.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$23.97 RON 113

82.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$73.6 RON 348

15.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$64.0 RON 303

61.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$293 RON 1,386

551.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$289 RON 1,367

340.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$621 RON 2,938

490.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$474 RON 2,243

435.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,602 RON 7,578

375.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,414 RON 6,688

123.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$904 RON 4,278

466.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.97

-2.58%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Alba Iulia: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Alba Iulia

$289 32% 77.3% $985

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Alba Iulia

$184 20.3% 54.6% $221

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Alba Iulia

$140 15.5% 60.9% $218

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Alba Iulia

$137 15.2% 61.1% $216

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Alba Iulia

$90 10% 29.5% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Alba Iulia

$39 4.3% 54.8% $47

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Alba Iulia

$24 2.6% 59.9% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $293 in Alba Iulia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 466% 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $31.00 in Alba Iulia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $184 per month, with Alba Iulia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇷🇴 Alba Iulia

🕒 Local time

11:33 11:33 AM

19:33 7:33 PM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

63,536

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

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).

RON to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Alba Iulia 9,680 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Alba Iulia

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

Austin, TX vs Alba Iulia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alba Iulia is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 195% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 466% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $293 in Alba Iulia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $902 in Alba Iulia – a 195% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Alba Iulia runs roughly 150% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $902 in Alba Iulia versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Alba Iulia but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. 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, Austin, TX and Alba Iulia 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 195% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.