Cost of Living Comparison Between Botosani and Cluj-Napoca Cost of Living Comparison Between Botosani and Cluj-Napoca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,024 in Botosani versus $1,375 in Cluj-Napoca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,541 in Botosani versus $2,092 in Cluj-Napoca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,059 in Botosani versus $2,808 in Cluj-Napoca.

Living in Botosani costs roughly 26% less than in Cluj-Napoca, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Botosani is 24% below, Cluj-Napoca is 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.42 RON 54.2

$11.48 RON 50.1

8.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.60 RON 133

$57.9 RON 253

-47.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 RON 34.67

$8.25 RON 35.98

-3.64%

Cappuccino

$2.60 RON 11.32

$3.53 RON 15.40

-26.35%

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

$1.49 RON 6.48

$2.33 RON 10.16

-36.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 RON 5.91

$2.22 RON 9.67

-39.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 RON 9.08

$3.19 RON 13.92

-34.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 RON 11.30

$3.90 RON 16.98

-33.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 RON 6.39

$1.72 RON 7.52

-14.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 RON 5.59

$1.31 RON 5.70

-2.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 RON 6.89

$1.89 RON 8.26

-16.40%

Eggs

$3.29 RON 14.33

$3.23 RON 14.10

1.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 RON 38.59

$9.79 RON 42.69

-9.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 RON 30.16

$7.15 RON 31.19

-3.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.93 RON 43.28

$11.97 RON 52.2

-17.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.13 RON 4.91

$1.23 RON 5.37

-8.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 RON 6.23

$1.77 RON 7.72

-19.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 RON 6.18

$1.62 RON 7.07

-12.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 RON 10.47

$2.37 RON 10.34

1.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.22

$0.97 RON 4.21

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 RON 4.64

$0.93 RON 4.06

13.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 RON 3.14

$1.04 RON 4.52

-30.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 RON 3.45

$0.87 RON 3.78

-9.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.80 RON 25.28

$6.51 RON 28.40

-10.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.93 RON 30.20

$7.79 RON 33.97

-11.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 RON 4.72

$1.17 RON 5.08

-7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 RON 7.20

$1.96 RON 8.53

-15.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.09

$0.67 RON 2.93

5.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 RON 123

$23.34 RON 102

20.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 RON 3.06

$1.00 RON 4.36

-30.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 RON 3.12

$0.82 RON 3.57

-12.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 RON 30.61

$9.52 RON 41.50

-26.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 RON 6.84

$1.64 RON 7.14

-4.27%

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

$28.5K RON 124.1K

$28.3K RON 123.5K

0.48%

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

$27.3K RON 119.2K

$26.9K RON 117.1K

1.82%

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

$166 RON 726

$158 RON 688

5.58%

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

$8.13 RON 35.43

$8.92 RON 38.87

-8.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.23 RON 40.25

$10.05 RON 43.81

-8.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.09 RON 149

$43.60 RON 190

-21.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.85 RON 117

$20.27 RON 88.4

32.46%

Cinema Ticket

$5.88 RON 25.66

$7.93 RON 34.56

-25.85%

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

$343 RON 1,496

$490 RON 2,136

-29.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,539 RON 28.5K

$10.5K RON 45.8K

-37.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.97 RON 214

$70.7 RON 308

-30.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.71 RON 151

$40.62 RON 177

-14.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 RON 305

$85.1 RON 371

-17.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 RON 314

$99.6 RON 434

-27.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 RON 1,727

$719 RON 3,135

-44.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$291 RON 1,267

$558 RON 2,432

-47.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$512 RON 2,230

$1,274 RON 5,554

-59.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 RON 1,864

$951 RON 4,144

-55.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,491 RON 6,501

$4,661 RON 20.3K

-68.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,090 RON 4,754

$3,361 RON 14.7K

-67.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,024 RON 4,463

$1,415 RON 6,171

-27.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

5.85

6.84%

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

Last update for Botosani: April 26, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $396 in Botosani and $719 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 38% 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: $31.00 in Botosani vs $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $232 per month, with Botosani cheaper across the board.

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

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

Botosani and Cluj-Napoca differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,024 vs $1,375 including rent). Botosani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Cluj-Napoca earns 38% less. 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: $396 in Botosani versus $719 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $343 in Botosani versus $490 in Cluj-Napoca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Cluj-Napoca. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,024 in Botosani versus $1,375 in Cluj-Napoca, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Botosani but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Botosani 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, Botosani 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 Botosani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.