Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Targu Mures and Almaty

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.

46

Cost of Living Index in Targu Mures
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Targu Mures Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Targu Mures

🇷🇴 Romania

$938

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,363

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Targu Mures $938
Almaty $1,363

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

Targu Mures $1,461
Almaty $2,131

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

Targu Mures $1,984
Almaty $2,900

Targu Mures is about 31% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.12 RON 43.15

$13.05 ₸5,899

-30.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.19 RON 200

$43.44 ₸19.6K

-2.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 RON 37.83

$8.76 ₸3,962

-8.68%

Cappuccino

$2.17 RON 10.27

$3.32 ₸1,501

-34.64%

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

$1.44 RON 6.83

$1.34 ₸607

7.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 RON 5.83

$0.83 ₸374

48.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 RON 9.04

$3.36 ₸1,518

-43.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 RON 10.68

$4.02 ₸1,818

-43.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 RON 6.34

$1.65 ₸747

-18.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 RON 5.07

$0.93 ₸421

15.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 RON 6.87

$2.05 ₸927

-29.27%

Eggs

$2.88 RON 13.65

$2.46 ₸1,113

17.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.00 RON 37.84

$12.49 ₸5,646

-35.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 RON 27.47

$6.71 ₸3,035

-13.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.08 RON 47.68

$10.85 ₸4,905

-7.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.00 RON 4.72

$1.78 ₸807

-43.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 RON 6.29

$2.25 ₸1,018

-40.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 RON 6.59

$2.87 ₸1,299

-51.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 RON 9.00

$2.71 ₸1,227

-29.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.64

$0.80 ₸362

-3.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 RON 2.61

$0.55 ₸249

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 RON 3.79

$1.62 ₸732

-50.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 RON 3.64

$1.00 ₸453

-23.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 RON 27.61

$2.58 ₸1,167

126.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.39 RON 34.98

$11.15 ₸5,039

-33.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 RON 5.06

$1.26 ₸572

-15.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 RON 7.32

$2.48 ₸1,120

-37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 RON 3.11

$0.28 ₸128

135.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.06 RON 119

$22.05 ₸9,970

13.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 RON 4.14

$1.34 ₸607

-34.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 RON 4.04

$0.64 ₸288

32.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 RON 35.32

$11.04 ₸4,993

-32.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 RON 8.55

$0.72 ₸326

151.39%

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

$28.1K RON 133.0K

$28.1K ₸12.7M

-0.13%

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

$25.3K RON 119.8K

$31.8K ₸14.4M

-20.39%

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

$101 RON 477

$90.5 ₸40.9K

11.33%

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

$9.37 RON 44.35

$10.63 ₸4,805

-11.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.19 RON 38.75

$18.12 ₸8,190

-54.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.30 RON 200

$69.0 ₸31.2K

-38.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.38 RON 87.0

$26.98 ₸12.2K

-31.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 RON 29.67

$6.77 ₸3,062

-7.39%

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

$1,330 RON 6,291

$444 ₸200.6K

199.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K ₸5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 RON 248

$91.9 ₸41.5K

-43.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.80 RON 141

$47.80 ₸21.6K

-37.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.7 RON 363

$139 ₸63.0K

-44.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.4 RON 366

$131 ₸59.4K

-41.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 RON 1,964

$777 ₸351.2K

-46.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 RON 1,355

$494 ₸223.4K

-42.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$650 RON 3,077

$1,439 ₸650.4K

-54.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 RON 2,232

$905 ₸409.2K

-47.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,238 RON 10.6K

$2,470 ₸1.1M

-9.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,487 RON 7,035

$1,517 ₸685.7K

-1.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$991 RON 4,687

$857 ₸387.2K

15.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.47

20.65

-63.83%

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

Last update for Targu Mures: October 20, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Targu Mures

$286 30.5%

Almaty

$494 36.3% 72.5% $208

Groceries & Markets

Targu Mures

$192 20.5%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 30.6% $59

Eating Out

Targu Mures

$148 15.8%

Almaty

$204 15% 38.1% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Targu Mures

$118 12.6%

Almaty

$119 8.8% 0.8% $0.9

Clothing & Footwear

Targu Mures

$106 11.3%

Almaty

$185 13.6% 73.7% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Targu Mures

$55 5.8%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 50.5% $28

Getting Around

Targu Mures

$33 3.5%

Almaty

$28 2% 15.6% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $415 in Targu Mures versus $777 in Almaty. 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 $42.00 in Targu Mures versus $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $192 vs $251 – making Targu Mures the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Targu Mures

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

03:06 3:06 AM

06:06 6:06 AM

3 h ahead of Targu Mures

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

134,290

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

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).

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).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Targu Mures
Almaty

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

Targu Mures vs Almaty: 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 $1,408 per month in Targu Mures and $2,044 in Almaty. 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 $42.00 in Targu Mures and $43.00 in Almaty. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $938 in Targu Mures and $1,363 in Almaty. 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.