Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Zalau

For one person, living is cheaper in Zalau: $871 a month against $1,278 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
Learn more

Tbilisi Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Zalau
Learn more

Zalau Living Index

Jump to prices

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,278

/mo nomad

Zalau

🇷🇴 Romania

$871

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi 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 Tbilisi and in Zalau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Tbilisi vs $871 in Zalau, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,278
Zalau $871

A couple spends around $2,017 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,330 in Zalau, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,017
Zalau $1,330

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,789 in Zalau, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,755
Zalau $1,789

Tbilisi costs about 47% more than Zalau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Tbilisi and Zalau are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 5% lower, Zalau 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 ₾30.07

$7.46 RON 35.64

55.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.41 ₾99.4

$33.98 RON 162

13.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 ₾25.20

$5.33 RON 25.45

82.74%

Cappuccino

$3.56 ₾9.21

$2.12 RON 10.14

67.92%

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

$1.08 ₾2.80

$1.52 RON 7.25

-28.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.46

$1.22 RON 5.85

-54.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 ₾7.05

$1.65 RON 7.90

65.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ₾8.09

$2.36 RON 11.27

32.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ₾5.55

$1.33 RON 6.36

60.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$1.10 RON 5.27

-31.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.66

$1.23 RON 5.86

46.34%

Eggs

$2.80 ₾7.25

$1.97 RON 9.43

42.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 ₾24.41

$8.05 RON 38.45

17.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 ₾18.10

$5.58 RON 26.65

25.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 ₾32.84

$10.27 RON 49.06

23.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ₾4.22

$0.87 RON 4.15

87.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.77

$1.26 RON 6.04

46.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.09

$1.44 RON 6.90

36.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 ₾6.39

$1.81 RON 8.66

36.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$0.66 RON 3.14

13.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.74

$0.54 RON 2.60

24.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 ₾3.66

$0.61 RON 2.93

131.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.86

$0.71 RON 3.38

1.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.09

$5.07 RON 24.21

-30.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 ₾20.40

$5.27 RON 25.20

49.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.41

$1.03 RON 4.90

65.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₾6.12

$1.14 RON 5.43

107.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾0.98

$0.87 RON 4.14

-56.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₾39.57

$22.03 RON 105

-30.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₾3.08

$1.23 RON 5.87

-3.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.22 RON 5.84

-39.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.89 ₾30.76

$12.42 RON 59.3

-4.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₾3.77

$1.52 RON 7.28

-3.95%

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

$25.0K ₾64.6K

$28.5K RON 136.1K

-12.30%

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

$22.8K ₾59.1K

$25.4K RON 121.5K

-10.23%

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

$88.1 ₾228

$102 RON 487

-13.61%

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

$12.71 ₾32.87

$4.14 RON 19.76

207.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.79 ₾51.2

$6.31 RON 30.13

213.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 ₾166

$32.74 RON 156

96.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.17 ₾49.60

$20.10 RON 96.1

-4.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ₾17.20

$5.35 RON 25.55

24.30%

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

$371 ₾961

$433 RON 2,067

-14.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,163 ₾23.7K

$8,275 RON 39.5K

10.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾264

$51.6 RON 246

98.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.65 ₾103

$29.85 RON 143

32.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾306

$57.6 RON 275

105.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 ₾310

$63.2 RON 302

89.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 ₾1,785

$381 RON 1,818

81.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 ₾1,193

$287 RON 1,372

60.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 ₾3,524

$614 RON 2,932

121.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 ₾2,321

$457 RON 2,184

96.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₾5,892

$1,910 RON 9,125

19.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,378 ₾3,565

$1,369 RON 6,542

0.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$710 ₾1,837

$615 RON 2,937

15.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.53

6.85

82.92%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Zalau: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$461 36.1%

Zalau

$287 33% 37.7% $174

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$235 18.4%

Zalau

$179 20.5% 24% $56

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Zalau

$125 14.4% 34.7% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$171 13.4%

Zalau

$91 10.5% 46.8% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.4%

Zalau

$112 12.9% 6.8% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.1%

Zalau

$43 5% 44% $34

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Zalau

$33 3.8% 51.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $690 in Tbilisi 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 15% higher in Tbilisi, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $34 in Zalau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $179 – making Zalau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇷🇴 Zalau

🕒 Local time

17:21 5:21 PM

15:21 3:21 PM

2 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

56,202

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.345 EUR

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.9 GEL (1 GEL = 0.345 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 4.78 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Zalau 1,820 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Zalau

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

Tbilisi vs Zalau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Tbilisi, $871 in Zalau – Zalau comes out roughly 32% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,918 per month in Tbilisi 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 $690 in Tbilisi.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi and $34 in Zalau. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Tbilisi and $871 in Zalau. That makes Zalau about 32% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zalau, where all-in costs run around $871, than in Tbilisi at $1,278. In Zalau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Tbilisi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $871 in Zalau to $1,278 in Tbilisi. 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, Tbilisi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.