Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barlad and Cluj-Napoca

For one person, living is cheaper in Barlad: $975 a month against $1,413 in Cluj-Napoca, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Barlad
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Barlad Living Index
68

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

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Barlad

🇷🇴 Romania

$975

/mo nomad

Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,413

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barlad 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 Barlad and in Cluj-Napoca actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $975 per month in Barlad vs $1,413 in Cluj-Napoca, rent included.

Barlad $975
Cluj-Napoca $1,413

A couple spends around $1,521 per month in Barlad vs $2,122 in Cluj-Napoca, rent included.

Barlad $1,521
Cluj-Napoca $2,122

A family of three spends $2,066 per month in Barlad vs $2,831 in Cluj-Napoca, rent included.

Barlad $2,066
Cluj-Napoca $2,831

Barlad is about 31% cheaper than Cluj-Napoca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Barlad sits 28% below the global median, while Cluj-Napoca is 4% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.96 RON 42.41

$12.53 RON 59.3

-28.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.38 RON 196

$54.5 RON 258

-24.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 RON 34.06

$9.73 RON 46.01

-26.00%

Cappuccino

$2.41 RON 11.40

$3.68 RON 17.42

-34.51%

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

$1.85 RON 8.75

$2.31 RON 10.92

-19.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 RON 7.27

$2.31 RON 10.93

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 RON 10.25

$3.22 RON 15.24

-32.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 RON 12.72

$4.26 RON 20.14

-36.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 RON 6.34

$1.63 RON 7.69

-17.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 RON 5.31

$1.43 RON 6.78

-21.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 RON 6.63

$1.82 RON 8.63

-23.08%

Eggs

$3.39 RON 16.02

$3.82 RON 18.08

-11.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.51 RON 35.53

$9.16 RON 43.34

-18.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.22 RON 24.69

$7.08 RON 33.50

-26.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.04 RON 47.49

$11.76 RON 55.7

-14.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.04 RON 4.92

$1.40 RON 6.64

-25.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$1.70 RON 8.03

-4.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 RON 6.54

$1.89 RON 8.96

-26.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 RON 8.31

$2.42 RON 11.43

-27.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.92 RON 4.36

-14.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.65

$0.88 RON 4.15

-12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 3.99

$0.97 RON 4.59

-13.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 RON 4.20

$0.97 RON 4.61

-8.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.64 RON 31.41

$6.21 RON 29.39

6.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 RON 26.38

$7.54 RON 35.66

-25.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 RON 5.68

$1.26 RON 5.96

-4.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 RON 7.67

$1.70 RON 8.05

-4.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 RON 2.40

$0.72 RON 3.42

-29.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.88 RON 94.0

$31.02 RON 147

-35.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 RON 3.42

$0.88 RON 4.17

-18.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 RON 3.46

$0.93 RON 4.40

-21.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.99 RON 33.08

$8.51 RON 40.26

-17.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 RON 8.30

$1.92 RON 9.08

-8.85%

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

$26.5K RON 125.3K

$28.9K RON 136.7K

-8.32%

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

$25.1K RON 118.7K

$24.4K RON 115.2K

2.98%

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

$158 RON 748

$156 RON 739

1.22%

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

$8.87 RON 41.95

$8.74 RON 41.34

1.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.36 RON 39.58

$9.61 RON 45.46

-13.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.02 RON 161

$46.29 RON 219

-26.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.05 RON 85.4

$21.98 RON 104

-17.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.61 RON 31.28

$9.27 RON 43.87

-28.69%

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

$465 RON 2,202

$587 RON 2,775

-20.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,715 RON 36.5K

$9,749 RON 46.1K

-20.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 RON 293

$90.1 RON 426

-31.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.81 RON 165

$46.13 RON 218

-24.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 RON 344

$98.2 RON 465

-25.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.2 RON 408

$110 RON 522

-21.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$407 RON 1,927

$623 RON 2,950

-34.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 RON 1,271

$529 RON 2,502

-49.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$651 RON 3,081

$1,143 RON 5,407

-43.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 RON 2,387

$820 RON 3,881

-38.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,755 RON 8,305

$4,578 RON 21.7K

-61.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,263 RON 5,976

$3,358 RON 15.9K

-62.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,261 RON 5,964

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.97

6.65

4.81%

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

Last update for Barlad: October 17, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barlad

$269 27.6%

Cluj-Napoca

$529 37.5% 96.8% $260

Groceries & Markets

Barlad

$190 19.5%

Cluj-Napoca

$233 16.5% 22.6% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barlad

$175 18%

Cluj-Napoca

$175 12.4% 0.5% $0.8

Eating Out

Barlad

$152 15.6%

Cluj-Napoca

$217 15.3% 42.6% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Barlad

$115 11.8%

Cluj-Napoca

$155 11% 34.8% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Barlad

$47 4.9%

Cluj-Napoca

$65 4.6% 37.2% $18

Getting Around

Barlad

$26 2.7%

Cluj-Napoca

$39 2.8% 50.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $407 in Barlad versus $623 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41.00 in Barlad versus $54.0 in Cluj-Napoca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $233 – making Barlad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Barlad

🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca

🕒 Local time

05:27 5:27 AM

Same time as Barlad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

77,518

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

Barlad Cluj-Napoca 320 km

From you

Barlad
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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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $975 in Barlad, $1,413 in Cluj-Napoca – roughly 45% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,462 per month in Barlad and $2,119 in Cluj-Napoca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 56% less in Barlad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $465 per month in Barlad and $587 in Cluj-Napoca. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Barlad, where all-in costs run around $975, than in Cluj-Napoca at $1,413. In Barlad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cluj-Napoca it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Cluj-Napoca has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $975 in Barlad to $1,413 in Cluj-Napoca. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Barlad. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cluj-Napoca makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.