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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Brasov versus $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,970 in Brasov versus $2,123 in Cluj-Napoca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,675 in Brasov versus $2,860 in Cluj-Napoca.

Living in Brasov costs roughly 9% less than in Cluj-Napoca, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brasov is 6% below, Cluj-Napoca is 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.18 RON 55.1

$11.53 RON 52.1

5.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.75 RON 225

$58.1 RON 263

-14.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.19 RON 37.02

$8.21 RON 37.10

-0.24%

Cappuccino

$3.47 RON 15.69

$3.37 RON 15.25

2.97%

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

$1.95 RON 8.81

$2.42 RON 10.93

-19.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 RON 9.48

$2.19 RON 9.90

-4.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 RON 14.67

$3.25 RON 14.70

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 RON 15.80

$3.90 RON 17.61

-10.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 RON 6.72

$1.74 RON 7.85

-14.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 RON 6.02

$1.33 RON 6.03

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 RON 7.89

$1.84 RON 8.31

-4.89%

Eggs

$3.39 RON 15.32

$3.24 RON 14.64

4.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 RON 38.38

$10.15 RON 45.88

-16.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 RON 31.46

$6.89 RON 31.15

1.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.91 RON 53.8

$12.08 RON 54.6

-1.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 RON 5.39

$1.23 RON 5.57

-3.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 RON 7.39

$1.73 RON 7.81

-5.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 RON 7.24

$1.55 RON 7.02

3.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 RON 11.43

$2.33 RON 10.51

8.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 RON 4.30

$1.02 RON 4.60

-6.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 RON 4.82

$0.97 RON 4.38

10.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 RON 3.99

$1.04 RON 4.70

-15.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 RON 3.83

$0.88 RON 3.98

-3.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.82 RON 26.30

$6.53 RON 29.52

-10.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.03 RON 40.82

$7.94 RON 35.87

13.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 RON 5.14

$1.13 RON 5.10

0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 RON 7.50

$2.05 RON 9.26

-19.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 RON 4.11

$0.70 RON 3.18

30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.00 RON 85.9

$23.33 RON 105

-18.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 RON 3.47

$1.00 RON 4.52

-23.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.73

$0.89 RON 4.02

-32.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.88 RON 31.10

$9.45 RON 42.70

-27.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 RON 7.20

$1.69 RON 7.63

-5.92%

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

$27.7K RON 125.4K

$28.4K RON 128.6K

-2.49%

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

$27.4K RON 123.9K

$27.1K RON 122.3K

1.28%

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

$167 RON 754

$161 RON 730

3.41%

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

$7.88 RON 35.63

$9.19 RON 41.52

-14.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.28 RON 41.94

$9.66 RON 43.65

-3.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 RON 270

$44.75 RON 202

33.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.86 RON 71.7

$19.86 RON 89.8

-20.14%

Cinema Ticket

$10.84 RON 48.99

$8.25 RON 37.30

31.39%

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

$441 RON 1,995

$491 RON 2,220

-10.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,608 RON 29.9K

$10.8K RON 49.0K

-39.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.8 RON 297

$70.9 RON 320

-7.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.49 RON 192

$39.43 RON 178

7.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.8 RON 433

$84.2 RON 380

13.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.2 RON 440

$99.5 RON 450

-2.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 RON 2,808

$692 RON 3,129

-10.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$419 RON 1,892

$550 RON 2,485

-23.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 RON 4,751

$1,244 RON 5,625

-15.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 RON 3,171

$923 RON 4,174

-24.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,190 RON 14.4K

$4,494 RON 20.3K

-29.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,490 RON 11.3K

$3,328 RON 15.0K

-25.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 RON 4,892

$1,378 RON 6,231

-21.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.7

5.85

31.62%

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

Last update for Brasov: June 1, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Brasov and $692 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 27% 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: $50.0 in Brasov vs $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $232 per month, with Brasov 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

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

Brasov and Cluj-Napoca differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $1,387 including rent). Brasov is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Cluj-Napoca earns 27% 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: $621 in Brasov versus $692 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brasov – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Brasov versus $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Brasov versus $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brasov but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Brasov 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, Brasov 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 Brasov gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.