Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Timisoara and Alba Iulia

For one person, living is cheaper in Alba Iulia: $901 a month against $1,197 in Timisoara, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Timisoara
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Timisoara Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Alba Iulia
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Alba Iulia Living Index

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Timisoara

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,197

/mo nomad

Alba Iulia

🇷🇴 Romania

$901

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Timisoara 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 Timisoara and in Alba Iulia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,197 in Timisoara versus $901 in Alba Iulia.

Timisoara $1,197
Alba Iulia $901

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,776 in Timisoara versus $1,378 in Alba Iulia.

Timisoara $1,776
Alba Iulia $1,378

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,354 in Timisoara versus $1,855 in Alba Iulia.

Timisoara $2,354
Alba Iulia $1,855

Living in Timisoara is roughly 33% more expensive than in Alba Iulia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Timisoara 12% lower, Alba Iulia 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.64 RON 50.7

$8.60 RON 40.97

23.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.12 RON 220

$30.98 RON 148

48.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.44 RON 40.21

$5.88 RON 28.01

43.54%

Cappuccino

$3.02 RON 14.39

$2.28 RON 10.86

32.46%

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

$2.20 RON 10.50

$1.75 RON 8.36

25.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 RON 7.82

$1.48 RON 7.07

10.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 RON 12.88

$1.97 RON 9.37

37.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.55

$2.04 RON 9.70

100.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 RON 6.54

$1.23 RON 5.86

11.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 RON 5.71

$1.08 RON 5.16

11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 RON 6.57

$1.43 RON 6.80

-3.50%

Eggs

$2.92 RON 13.90

$2.69 RON 12.82

8.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.40 RON 40.04

$7.53 RON 35.85

11.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 RON 28.03

$6.03 RON 28.72

-2.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.89 RON 51.9

$10.80 RON 51.5

0.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 RON 5.48

$0.92 RON 4.40

25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 RON 6.96

$1.31 RON 6.23

11.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 RON 6.67

$1.26 RON 6.00

11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 11.30

$2.33 RON 11.10

1.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.67

$0.72 RON 3.41

6.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 RON 4.58

$0.59 RON 2.81

62.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$0.87 RON 4.14

-26.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 RON 3.74

$0.61 RON 2.90

27.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.25 RON 29.76

$5.18 RON 24.67

20.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 RON 35.57

$4.28 RON 20.38

74.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 RON 5.41

$1.12 RON 5.32

1.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 RON 8.34

$1.27 RON 6.06

37.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 RON 5.10

$0.75 RON 3.57

42.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.33 RON 159

$16.98 RON 80.9

96.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 RON 4.02

$0.64 RON 3.03

31.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 RON 4.14

$0.63 RON 3.00

38.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.40 RON 40.02

$4.47 RON 21.28

87.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 RON 9.06

$1.50 RON 7.14

26.67%

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

$28.9K RON 137.6K

$28.8K RON 137.2K

0.30%

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

$24.8K RON 117.9K

$23.7K RON 113.1K

4.27%

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

$168 RON 799

$125 RON 593

34.71%

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

$6.72 RON 32.02

$7.31 RON 34.81

-8.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.47 RON 40.35

$9.01 RON 42.91

-5.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.08 RON 191

$29.55 RON 141

35.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.65 RON 74.5

$30.83 RON 147

-49.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.86 RON 37.46

$5.09 RON 24.23

54.42%

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

$583 RON 2,777

$435 RON 2,074

33.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,900 RON 42.4K

$6,969 RON 33.2K

27.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.7 RON 361

$38.02 RON 181

99.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.89 RON 185

$23.94 RON 114

62.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 RON 359

$73.8 RON 352

2.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 RON 426

$61.7 RON 294

44.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$568 RON 2,705

$296 RON 1,410

91.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 RON 1,923

$283 RON 1,348

42.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$802 RON 3,820

$612 RON 2,916

31.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$600 RON 2,856

$478 RON 2,278

25.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,656 RON 12.7K

$1,643 RON 7,826

61.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,847 RON 8,800

$1,401 RON 6,674

31.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,151 RON 5,485

$903 RON 4,303

27.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.88

6.97

-1.29%

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

Last update for Timisoara: October 25, 2026

Last update for Alba Iulia: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Timisoara

$404 33.7%

Alba Iulia

$283 31.4% 29.9% $121

Groceries & Markets

Timisoara

$202 16.9%

Alba Iulia

$185 20.5% 8.8% $18

Eating Out

Timisoara

$184 15.4%

Alba Iulia

$141 15.6% 23.5% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Timisoara

$183 15.3%

Alba Iulia

$141 15.6% 23% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Timisoara

$126 10.5%

Alba Iulia

$89 9.9% 29.3% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Timisoara

$56 4.7%

Alba Iulia

$40 4.4% 28.8% $16

Getting Around

Timisoara

$43 3.6%

Alba Iulia

$24 2.6% 44.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $568 in Timisoara and $296 in Alba Iulia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Timisoara pays 27% 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: $46 in Timisoara vs $31 in Alba Iulia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $202 vs $185 per month, with Alba Iulia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Timisoara

🇷🇴 Alba Iulia

🕒 Local time

17:55 5:55 PM

Same time as Timisoara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

319,279

63,536

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Timisoara Alba Iulia 180 km

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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

Timisoara vs Alba Iulia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alba Iulia is about 25% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 27% higher in Timisoara, 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: $568 in Timisoara versus $296 in Alba Iulia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,197 per month in Timisoara versus $901 in Alba Iulia – Alba Iulia is about 25% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Alba Iulia runs roughly 49% less than in Timisoara. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $901 in Alba Iulia versus $1,197 in Timisoara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Alba Iulia but tight or insufficient in Timisoara. 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, Timisoara and Alba Iulia are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Alba Iulia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Timisoara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.