Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zalau and Tbilisi

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.

42

Cost of Living Index in Zalau
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Zalau Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Zalau

🇷🇴 Romania

$871

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zalau and in Tbilisi

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

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

Zalau $871
Tbilisi $1,278

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

Zalau $1,330
Tbilisi $2,017

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

Zalau $1,789
Tbilisi $2,755

Zalau is about 32% cheaper than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.46 RON 35.55

$11.62 ₾30.10

-35.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.98 RON 162

$38.41 ₾99.5

-11.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 RON 25.39

$9.74 ₾25.22

-45.28%

Cappuccino

$2.12 RON 10.12

$3.56 ₾9.22

-40.45%

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

$1.52 RON 7.23

$1.08 ₾2.80

40.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 RON 5.83

$0.56 ₾1.46

117.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.65 RON 7.88

$2.73 ₾7.06

-39.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 RON 11.25

$3.13 ₾8.09

-24.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 RON 6.34

$2.14 ₾5.55

-37.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 RON 5.25

$0.75 ₾1.95

46.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.85

$1.80 ₾4.66

-31.67%

Eggs

$1.97 RON 9.41

$2.80 ₾7.26

-29.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 RON 38.36

$9.43 ₾24.43

-14.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.58 RON 26.58

$7.00 ₾18.12

-20.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.27 RON 48.94

$12.69 ₾32.86

-19.07%

Apples (1kg)

$0.87 RON 4.14

$1.63 ₾4.22

-46.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 RON 6.03

$1.84 ₾4.78

-31.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 RON 6.88

$1.97 ₾5.09

-26.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 RON 8.64

$2.47 ₾6.39

-26.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 RON 3.13

$0.75 ₾1.95

-12.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 RON 2.59

$0.67 ₾1.74

-19.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 RON 2.92

$1.41 ₾3.66

-56.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 RON 3.37

$0.72 ₾1.86

-1.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.07 RON 24.15

$3.51 ₾9.09

44.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.27 RON 25.14

$7.89 ₾20.42

-33.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 RON 4.89

$1.70 ₾4.41

-39.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 RON 5.42

$2.37 ₾6.13

-51.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$0.38 ₾0.98

128.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 RON 105

$15.29 ₾39.60

44.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 RON 5.86

$1.19 ₾3.08

3.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 RON 5.83

$0.74 ₾1.91

64.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.42 RON 59.2

$11.89 ₾30.79

4.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 RON 7.26

$1.46 ₾3.78

4.11%

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

$28.5K RON 135.8K

$25.0K ₾64.7K

14.03%

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

$25.4K RON 121.2K

$22.8K ₾59.1K

11.40%

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

$102 RON 486

$88.1 ₾228

15.76%

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

$4.14 RON 19.71

$12.71 ₾32.90

-67.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.31 RON 30.06

$19.79 ₾51.2

-68.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.74 RON 156

$64.3 ₾166

-49.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.10 RON 95.8

$19.17 ₾49.63

4.85%

Cinema Ticket

$5.35 RON 25.49

$6.65 ₾17.21

-19.55%

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

$433 RON 2,062

$371 ₾961

16.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,275 RON 39.4K

$9,163 ₾23.7K

-9.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 RON 246

$102 ₾265

-49.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.85 RON 142

$39.65 ₾103

-24.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.6 RON 274

$118 ₾306

-51.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.2 RON 301

$120 ₾310

-47.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$381 RON 1,814

$690 ₾1,786

-44.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 RON 1,369

$461 ₾1,194

-37.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 RON 2,925

$1,362 ₾3,526

-54.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$457 RON 2,179

$897 ₾2,323

-49.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,910 RON 9,104

$2,277 ₾5,896

-16.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,369 RON 6,526

$1,378 ₾3,567

-0.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$615 RON 2,930

$710 ₾1,838

-13.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

12.53

-45.33%

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

Last update for Zalau: November 3, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zalau

$287 33%

Tbilisi

$461 36.1% 60.6% $174

Groceries & Markets

Zalau

$179 20.5%

Tbilisi

$235 18.4% 31.6% $56

Eating Out

Zalau

$125 14.4%

Tbilisi

$191 15% 53% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zalau

$112 12.9%

Tbilisi

$121 9.4% 7.3% $8.2

Clothing & Footwear

Zalau

$91 10.5%

Tbilisi

$171 13.4% 87.8% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Zalau

$43 5%

Tbilisi

$78 6.1% 78.6% $34

Getting Around

Zalau

$33 3.8%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7% 34% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $381 in Zalau versus $690 in Tbilisi. 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 $34 in Zalau versus $38 in Tbilisi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $179 vs $235 – making Zalau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Zalau

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

14:57 2:57 PM

16:57 4:57 PM

2 h ahead of Zalau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,202

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.345 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 4.77 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.9 GEL (1 GEL = 0.345 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Zalau
Tbilisi

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

Zalau vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,306 per month in Zalau and $1,918 in Tbilisi. 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 $34 in Zalau and $38 in Tbilisi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $871 in Zalau and $1,278 in Tbilisi. 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.