Cost of Living Comparison Between As-salimiyah and Cluj-Napoca Cost of Living Comparison Between As-salimiyah and Cluj-Napoca

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,437 per month in As-salimiyah vs $1,384 in Cluj-Napoca, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,311 per month in As-salimiyah vs $2,092 in Cluj-Napoca, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in As-salimiyah vs $2,800 in Cluj-Napoca, rent included.

As-salimiyah costs about 4% more than Cluj-Napoca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both As-salimiyah and Cluj-Napoca sit above the global median – As-salimiyah by 7%, Cluj-Napoca by 3%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.01 KWD 3.08

$11.62 RON 50.4

-13.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.09 KWD 13.58

$56.4 RON 245

-21.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.99 KWD 2.46

$7.91 RON 34.31

1.01%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 KWD 0.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 KWD 1.12

Cappuccino

$5.78 KWD 1.78

$3.52 RON 15.29

64.20%

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

$0.67 KWD 0.21

$2.40 RON 10.42

-72.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 KWD 0.11

$2.20 RON 9.54

-84.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 RON 13.63

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 RON 17.10

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 KWD 0.46

$1.80 RON 7.79

-16.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 KWD 0.27

$1.29 RON 5.62

-31.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 KWD 0.51

$1.88 RON 8.14

-12.23%

Eggs

$2.01 KWD 0.62

$3.37 RON 14.63

-40.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.02 KWD 1.55

$10.21 RON 44.33

-50.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.36 KWD 1.96

$7.27 RON 31.57

-12.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.53 KWD 3.24

$12.10 RON 52.5

-12.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 KWD 0.61

$1.24 RON 5.40

59.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 KWD 0.50

$1.79 RON 7.77

-10.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 KWD 0.49

$1.64 RON 7.11

-2.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 KWD 0.42

$2.40 RON 10.42

-42.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 KWD 0.38

$0.94 RON 4.09

31.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 KWD 0.27

$0.91 RON 3.96

-4.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 KWD 0.48

$1.03 RON 4.48

51.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 KWD 0.15

$0.95 RON 4.12

-48.42%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.27 KWD 1.01

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 KWD 0.41

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 KWD 0.93

$6.55 RON 28.43

-54.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.75 RON 33.65

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 RON 4.86

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 RON 8.91

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 KWD 0.34

$0.71 RON 3.07

56.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.42 KWD 14.91

$22.87 RON 99.2

111.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 KWD 0.98

$0.99 RON 4.29

221.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.18 KWD 0.98

$0.84 RON 3.63

278.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.21 KWD 4.99

$9.08 RON 39.39

78.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.32 KWD 0.10

$1.68 RON 7.29

-80.95%

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

$21.2K KWD 6,520

$28.6K RON 123.9K

-25.86%

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

$19.6K KWD 6,042

$26.5K RON 115.2K

-26.11%

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

$38.70 KWD 11.92

$158 RON 685

-75.47%

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

$18.40 KWD 5.67

$9.15 RON 39.69

101.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.31 KWD 7.80

$10.13 RON 43.97

149.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.4 KWD 28.46

$43.86 RON 190

110.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$65.3 KWD 20.11

$20.09 RON 87.2

224.94%

Cinema Ticket

$8.43 KWD 2.60

$8.10 RON 35.17

4.07%

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

$277 KWD 85.4

$479 RON 2,080

-42.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,540 KWD 2,014

$10.6K RON 46.2K

-38.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.35 KWD 12.74

$68.8 RON 299

-39.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 KWD 13.28

$39.64 RON 172

8.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.9 KWD 26.78

$83.6 RON 363

3.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.2 KWD 21.01

$98.6 RON 428

-30.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$953 KWD 293

$704 RON 3,056

35.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 KWD 223

$565 RON 2,451

28.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,875 KWD 578

$1,283 RON 5,569

46.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 KWD 422

$930 RON 4,037

47.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,717 RON 20.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,404 RON 14.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,846 KWD 876

$1,404 RON 6,093

102.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.14

5.85

22.05%

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

Last update for As-salimiyah: April 19, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $953 in As-salimiyah versus $704 in Cluj-Napoca. 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 103% higher in As-salimiyah, 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 $44 in As-salimiyah versus $56 in Cluj-Napoca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $167 vs $236 – making As-salimiyah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

As-salimiyah vs Cluj-Napoca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – As-salimiyah is pricier by about 4%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,155 per month in As-salimiyah and $2,077 in Cluj-Napoca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cluj-Napoca, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,437 in As-salimiyah and $1,384 in Cluj-Napoca. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 112% less in Cluj-Napoca. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cluj-Napoca, where all-in costs run around $1,384, than in As-salimiyah at $1,437. In Cluj-Napoca it covers expenses comfortably, while in As-salimiyah it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cluj-Napoca – 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 Cluj-Napoca. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, As-salimiyah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.