Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iasi and Zalau

For one person, living is cheaper in Zalau: $871 a month against $1,263 in Iasi, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Iasi
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Iasi Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Zalau
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Zalau Living Index

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Iasi

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,263

/mo nomad

Zalau

🇷🇴 Romania

$871

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Iasi and in Zalau

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

A single person spends $1,263 per month in Iasi vs $871 in Zalau, rent included.

Iasi $1,263
Zalau $871

A couple spends around $1,842 per month in Iasi vs $1,330 in Zalau, rent included.

Iasi $1,842
Zalau $1,330

A family of three spends $2,420 per month in Iasi vs $1,789 in Zalau, rent included.

Iasi $2,420
Zalau $1,789

Iasi costs about 45% more than Zalau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Iasi and Zalau are more affordable than the global median – Iasi 7% lower, Zalau 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.47 RON 50.0

$7.46 RON 35.64

40.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 RON 200

$33.98 RON 162

23.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.95 RON 33.20

$5.33 RON 25.45

30.39%

Cappuccino

$2.85 RON 13.61

$2.12 RON 10.14

34.43%

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

$2.15 RON 10.29

$1.52 RON 7.25

41.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 RON 8.70

$1.22 RON 5.85

49.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 RON 15.28

$1.65 RON 7.90

93.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 RON 17.61

$2.36 RON 11.27

56.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 RON 7.35

$1.33 RON 6.36

15.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.54

$1.10 RON 5.27

24.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 RON 9.67

$1.23 RON 5.86

64.23%

Eggs

$3.32 RON 15.86

$1.97 RON 9.43

68.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.45 RON 40.37

$8.05 RON 38.45

4.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 RON 31.75

$5.58 RON 26.65

19.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.72 RON 46.43

$10.27 RON 49.06

-5.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.37 RON 6.56

$0.87 RON 4.15

57.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 RON 7.90

$1.26 RON 6.04

30.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 RON 7.70

$1.44 RON 6.90

11.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 RON 10.12

$1.81 RON 8.66

17.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.79

$0.66 RON 3.14

19.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 RON 4.29

$0.54 RON 2.60

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 RON 5.25

$0.61 RON 2.93

80.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 RON 4.57

$0.71 RON 3.38

35.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.24 RON 29.80

$5.07 RON 24.21

23.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.93 RON 33.10

$5.27 RON 25.20

31.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 RON 6.24

$1.03 RON 4.90

27.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 RON 9.76

$1.14 RON 5.43

78.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 RON 3.82

$0.87 RON 4.14

-8.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.14 RON 130

$22.03 RON 105

23.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 RON 3.85

$1.23 RON 5.87

-34.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 RON 3.87

$1.22 RON 5.84

-33.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 RON 39.19

$12.42 RON 59.3

-33.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 RON 8.91

$1.52 RON 7.28

22.37%

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

$28.2K RON 134.5K

$28.5K RON 136.1K

-1.16%

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

$26.0K RON 124.4K

$25.4K RON 121.5K

2.38%

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

$181 RON 863

$102 RON 487

77.04%

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

$7.23 RON 34.54

$4.14 RON 19.76

74.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.61 RON 41.14

$6.31 RON 30.13

36.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.50 RON 208

$32.74 RON 156

32.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.04 RON 76.6

$20.10 RON 96.1

-20.20%

Cinema Ticket

$8.57 RON 40.96

$5.35 RON 25.55

60.19%

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

$399 RON 1,908

$433 RON 2,067

-7.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,646 RON 36.5K

$8,275 RON 39.5K

-7.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.6 RON 352

$51.6 RON 246

42.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.27 RON 188

$29.85 RON 143

31.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.7 RON 448

$57.6 RON 275

62.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 RON 427

$63.2 RON 302

41.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$544 RON 2,597

$381 RON 1,818

42.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$444 RON 2,119

$287 RON 1,372

54.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 RON 3,896

$614 RON 2,932

32.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 RON 3,074

$457 RON 2,184

40.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,831 RON 13.5K

$1,910 RON 9,125

48.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,851 RON 8,845

$1,369 RON 6,542

35.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,142 RON 5,456

$615 RON 2,937

85.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.18

6.85

4.82%

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

Last update for Iasi: November 1, 2026

Last update for Zalau: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iasi

$444 35.1%

Zalau

$287 33% 35.3% $156

Groceries & Markets

Iasi

$217 17.1%

Zalau

$179 20.5% 17.5% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iasi

$196 15.6%

Zalau

$112 12.9% 42.8% $84

Eating Out

Iasi

$178 14.1%

Zalau

$125 14.4% 29.7% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Iasi

$133 10.5%

Zalau

$91 10.5% 31.7% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Iasi

$61 4.8%

Zalau

$43 5% 28.4% $17

Getting Around

Iasi

$35 2.8%

Zalau

$33 3.8% 6.7% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $544 in Iasi versus $381 in Zalau. 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 86% higher in Iasi. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42 in Iasi versus $34 in Zalau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $217 vs $179 – making Zalau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Iasi

🇷🇴 Zalau

🕒 Local time

15:35 3:35 PM

Same time as Iasi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

290,422

56,202

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Iasi Zalau 340 km

From you

Iasi
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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

Iasi vs Zalau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,263 in Iasi, $871 in Zalau – Zalau comes out roughly 31% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,895 per month in Iasi and $1,306 in Zalau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zalau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $381 there versus $544 in Iasi.

Public transport costs about 19% less in Zalau. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $399 per month in Iasi and $433 in Zalau. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zalau, where all-in costs run around $871, than in Iasi at $1,263. In Zalau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Iasi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Iasi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $871 in Zalau to $1,263 in Iasi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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