Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasov and Cluj-Napoca

For one person, living is cheaper in Brasov: $1,310 a month against $1,406 in Cluj-Napoca, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Brasov
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Brasov Living Index
68

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

Jump to prices

Brasov

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,310

/mo nomad

Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,310 in Brasov versus $1,406 in Cluj-Napoca.

Brasov $1,310
Cluj-Napoca $1,406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,115 in Brasov versus $2,113 in Cluj-Napoca.

Brasov $2,115
Cluj-Napoca $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,920 in Brasov versus $2,819 in Cluj-Napoca.

Brasov $2,920
Cluj-Napoca $2,819

Living in Brasov costs roughly 7% less than in Cluj-Napoca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brasov is 3% below, Cluj-Napoca is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.91 RON 51.6

$12.77 RON 60.4

-14.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 RON 249

$54.8 RON 259

-3.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 RON 35.42

$9.60 RON 45.41

-21.98%

Cappuccino

$3.58 RON 16.93

$3.63 RON 17.18

-1.38%

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

$2.42 RON 11.43

$2.31 RON 10.92

4.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 RON 10.44

$2.33 RON 11.01

-5.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.16 RON 14.97

$3.27 RON 15.47

-3.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 RON 15.76

$4.27 RON 20.21

-22.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 RON 7.21

$1.53 RON 7.26

-0.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 RON 6.71

$1.51 RON 7.13

-5.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.42

$1.81 RON 8.55

-1.66%

Eggs

$3.60 RON 17.01

$3.86 RON 18.28

-6.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.75 RON 41.39

$9.15 RON 43.28

-4.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.95 RON 32.87

$7.28 RON 34.45

-4.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.48 RON 59.1

$11.73 RON 55.5

6.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.48 RON 7.00

$1.42 RON 6.70

4.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.30

$1.69 RON 8.00

-8.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.68

$1.95 RON 9.21

-16.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 RON 12.91

$2.39 RON 11.30

14.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 RON 3.60

$0.94 RON 4.44

-19.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 RON 4.30

$0.90 RON 4.26

1.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 RON 4.27

$0.90 RON 4.25

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 RON 3.79

$1.01 RON 4.79

-20.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.97 RON 28.23

$6.11 RON 28.89

-2.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.53 RON 35.63

$7.36 RON 34.84

2.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 RON 5.81

$1.29 RON 6.08

-4.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 RON 8.57

$1.77 RON 8.38

2.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 RON 5.05

$0.70 RON 3.29

52.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.18 RON 110

$30.67 RON 145

-24.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 RON 2.98

$0.89 RON 4.22

-29.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 RON 2.94

$0.92 RON 4.37

-32.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.56 RON 31.05

$8.39 RON 39.71

-21.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 RON 9.08

$1.90 RON 9.00

1.05%

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

$28.2K RON 133.3K

$28.0K RON 132.5K

0.60%

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

$26.1K RON 123.6K

$24.8K RON 117.2K

5.40%

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

$179 RON 849

$153 RON 725

17.04%

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

$7.73 RON 36.56

$8.59 RON 40.64

-10.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.82 RON 41.74

$9.77 RON 46.24

-9.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.8 RON 269

$46.15 RON 218

23.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.60 RON 64.4

$22.53 RON 107

-39.64%

Cinema Ticket

$9.13 RON 43.19

$9.32 RON 44.09

-2.04%

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

$450 RON 2,131

$587 RON 2,780

-23.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,955 RON 32.9K

$9,476 RON 44.8K

-26.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 RON 242

$88.5 RON 419

-42.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 RON 165

$45.73 RON 216

-23.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 RON 356

$101 RON 479

-25.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.7 RON 424

$108 RON 512

-17.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$676 RON 3,197

$622 RON 2,941

8.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 RON 2,235

$524 RON 2,480

-9.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 RON 6,228

$1,147 RON 5,429

14.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 RON 4,980

$806 RON 3,816

30.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,079 RON 14.6K

$4,709 RON 22.3K

-34.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,386 RON 11.3K

$3,348 RON 15.8K

-28.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,102 RON 5,212

$1,234 RON 5,837

-10.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

6.8

5.88%

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

Last update for Brasov: 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

Brasov

$472 36.1%

Cluj-Napoca

$524 37.3% 10.9% $52

Groceries & Markets

Brasov

$228 17.4%

Cluj-Napoca

$234 16.7% 2.6% $5.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasov

$196 15%

Cluj-Napoca

$172 12.2% 12.4% $24

Eating Out

Brasov

$194 14.8%

Cluj-Napoca

$218 15.5% 12.6% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Brasov

$113 8.6%

Cluj-Napoca

$155 11% 36.9% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Brasov

$75 5.7%

Cluj-Napoca

$65 4.6% 13.7% $10

Getting Around

Brasov

$31 2.4%

Cluj-Napoca

$39 2.8% 25% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $676 in Brasov and $622 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 12% 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: $53.0 in Brasov vs $55.0 in Cluj-Napoca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $228 vs $234 per month, with Brasov cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Brasov

🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca

🕒 Local time

08:21 8:21 AM

Same time as Brasov

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

253,200

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

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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 7% in total monthly costs ($1,310 vs $1,406 including rent). Brasov is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 12% 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: $676 in Brasov versus $622 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 $53.0 versus $55.0 in Cluj-Napoca. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,310 per month in Brasov versus $1,406 in Cluj-Napoca – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,310 in Brasov versus $1,406 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 7% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.