Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alexandria and Cluj-Napoca

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandria: $859 a month against $1,406 in Cluj-Napoca, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria
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Alexandria Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Cluj-Napoca
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Cluj-Napoca Living Index

Jump to prices

Alexandria

🇷🇴 Romania

$859

/mo nomad

Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alexandria and in Cluj-Napoca

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Alexandria versus $1,406 in Cluj-Napoca.

Alexandria $859
Cluj-Napoca $1,406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,320 in Alexandria versus $2,113 in Cluj-Napoca.

Alexandria $1,320
Cluj-Napoca $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,781 in Alexandria versus $2,819 in Cluj-Napoca.

Alexandria $1,781
Cluj-Napoca $2,819

Living in Alexandria costs roughly 39% less than in Cluj-Napoca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Alexandria is 36% below, Cluj-Napoca is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 RON 39.26

$12.77 RON 60.4

-35.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.10 RON 142

$54.8 RON 259

-45.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.24 RON 34.24

$9.60 RON 45.41

-24.58%

Cappuccino

$1.62 RON 7.68

$3.63 RON 17.18

-55.37%

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

$1.76 RON 8.34

$2.31 RON 10.92

-23.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 RON 7.03

$2.33 RON 11.01

-36.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 RON 9.99

$3.27 RON 15.47

-35.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 RON 11.66

$4.27 RON 20.21

-42.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 RON 6.56

$1.53 RON 7.26

-9.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 RON 3.78

$1.51 RON 7.13

-47.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 RON 5.21

$1.81 RON 8.55

-39.23%

Eggs

$2.16 RON 10.23

$3.86 RON 18.28

-44.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.98 RON 23.57

$9.15 RON 43.28

-45.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.30 RON 20.35

$7.28 RON 34.45

-40.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 RON 36.31

$11.73 RON 55.5

-34.61%

Apples (1kg)

$0.88 RON 4.16

$1.42 RON 6.70

-38.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 RON 5.57

$1.69 RON 8.00

-30.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 RON 4.61

$1.95 RON 9.21

-49.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.98 RON 4.62

$2.39 RON 11.30

-59.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 RON 3.33

$0.94 RON 4.44

-25.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 RON 2.87

$0.90 RON 4.26

-32.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 RON 3.40

$0.90 RON 4.25

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 RON 4.06

$1.01 RON 4.79

-14.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 RON 25.69

$6.11 RON 28.89

-11.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.15 RON 24.38

$7.36 RON 34.84

-30.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 RON 4.34

$1.29 RON 6.08

-28.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 RON 5.10

$1.77 RON 8.38

-38.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.70 RON 3.29

-14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.28 RON 200

$30.67 RON 145

37.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 RON 2.07

$0.89 RON 4.22

-50.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 RON 1.91

$0.92 RON 4.37

-56.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 RON 25.97

$8.39 RON 39.71

-34.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$1.90 RON 9.00

-9.47%

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

$16.1K RON 76.2K

$28.0K RON 132.5K

-42.50%

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

$23.1K RON 109.4K

$24.8K RON 117.2K

-6.70%

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

$115 RON 545

$153 RON 725

-24.87%

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

$5.18 RON 24.53

$8.59 RON 40.64

-39.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.60 RON 35.96

$9.77 RON 46.24

-22.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.6 RON 277

$46.15 RON 218

26.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.59 RON 116

$22.53 RON 107

9.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.36 RON 30.10

$9.32 RON 44.09

-31.76%

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

$308 RON 1,459

$587 RON 2,780

-47.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,663 RON 31.5K

$9,476 RON 44.8K

-29.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 RON 245

$88.5 RON 419

-41.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.37 RON 106

$45.73 RON 216

-51.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.2 RON 299

$101 RON 479

-37.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.0 RON 303

$108 RON 512

-40.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$319 RON 1,511

$622 RON 2,941

-48.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 RON 1,127

$524 RON 2,480

-54.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 RON 2,731

$1,147 RON 5,429

-49.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$419 RON 1,981

$806 RON 3,816

-48.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,235 RON 5,842

$4,709 RON 22.3K

-73.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$778 RON 3,679

$3,348 RON 15.8K

-76.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$844 RON 3,995

$1,234 RON 5,837

-31.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.73

6.8

-1.03%

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

Last update for Alexandria: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alexandria

$238 27.7%

Cluj-Napoca

$524 37.3% 120% $286

Groceries & Markets

Alexandria

$148 17.2%

Cluj-Napoca

$234 16.7% 58% $86

Eating Out

Alexandria

$136 15.8%

Cluj-Napoca

$218 15.5% 60.2% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alexandria

$128 14.9%

Cluj-Napoca

$172 12.2% 34.2% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Alexandria

$91 10.5%

Cluj-Napoca

$155 11% 70.7% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Alexandria

$71 8.3%

Cluj-Napoca

$65 4.6% 9.1% $6.5

Getting Around

Alexandria

$47 5.5%

Cluj-Napoca

$39 2.8% 17.4% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $319 in Alexandria and $622 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 46% 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: $30.00 in Alexandria vs $55.0 in Cluj-Napoca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $148 vs $234 per month, with Alexandria cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Alexandria

🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca

🕒 Local time

10:22 10:22 AM

Same time as Alexandria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

45,434

324,576

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Alexandria Cluj-Napoca 340 km

From you

Alexandria
Cluj-Napoca

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

Alexandria vs Cluj-Napoca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandria wins on cost – living expenses run 64% lower than in Cluj-Napoca. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alexandria the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 46% lower in Cluj-Napoca. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $319 in Alexandria versus $622 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $859 per month in Alexandria versus $1,406 in Cluj-Napoca – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Alexandria runs roughly 38% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $859 in Alexandria versus $1,406 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Alexandria but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Alexandria delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $859 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Alexandria hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Alexandria and Cluj-Napoca are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Alexandria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.