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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,336 in Bucharest versus $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,162 in Bucharest versus $2,123 in Cluj-Napoca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,988 in Bucharest versus $2,860 in Cluj-Napoca.

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 4% less than in Cluj-Napoca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bucharest 0% above, Cluj-Napoca 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.58 RON 61.5

$11.53 RON 52.2

17.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 RON 308

$58.1 RON 263

17.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.05 RON 36.43

$8.21 RON 37.15

-1.95%

Cappuccino

$3.40 RON 15.38

$3.37 RON 15.27

0.89%

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

$2.32 RON 10.51

$2.42 RON 10.94

-4.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 RON 10.75

$2.19 RON 9.91

8.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.54 RON 16.01

$3.25 RON 14.72

8.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 RON 18.16

$3.90 RON 17.64

2.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 RON 7.89

$1.74 RON 7.86

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 RON 6.43

$1.33 RON 6.04

6.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 RON 8.74

$1.84 RON 8.32

4.89%

Eggs

$3.54 RON 16.01

$3.24 RON 14.66

9.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.27 RON 41.96

$10.15 RON 45.94

-8.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.13 RON 32.26

$6.89 RON 31.20

3.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.28 RON 55.6

$12.08 RON 54.7

1.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.35 RON 6.12

$1.23 RON 5.57

9.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 RON 7.87

$1.73 RON 7.82

0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 RON 7.99

$1.55 RON 7.03

13.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 RON 10.85

$2.33 RON 10.53

3.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 RON 4.73

$1.02 RON 4.60

2.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 RON 4.35

$0.97 RON 4.39

-1.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 RON 4.15

$1.04 RON 4.70

-11.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 RON 4.10

$0.88 RON 3.99

3.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.38 RON 28.86

$6.53 RON 29.56

-2.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.45 RON 29.20

$7.94 RON 35.92

-18.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 RON 5.52

$1.13 RON 5.10

7.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 RON 8.97

$2.05 RON 9.28

-3.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 RON 5.27

$0.70 RON 3.18

65.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.48 RON 88.2

$23.33 RON 106

-16.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 RON 3.26

$1.00 RON 4.53

-28.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 RON 2.80

$0.89 RON 4.03

-30.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.94 RON 31.39

$9.45 RON 42.76

-26.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 RON 7.76

$1.69 RON 7.64

1.18%

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

$29.0K RON 131.2K

$28.4K RON 128.8K

1.86%

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

$30.3K RON 137.1K

$27.1K RON 122.5K

11.95%

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

$178 RON 804

$161 RON 731

10.12%

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

$9.16 RON 41.46

$9.19 RON 41.58

-0.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.12 RON 50.3

$9.66 RON 43.71

15.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 RON 247

$44.75 RON 203

22.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.04 RON 131

$19.86 RON 89.9

46.22%

Cinema Ticket

$9.27 RON 41.98

$8.25 RON 37.35

12.36%

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

$677 RON 3,064

$491 RON 2,223

37.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K RON 67.2K

$10.8K RON 49.0K

37.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.8 RON 361

$70.9 RON 321

12.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.29 RON 205

$39.43 RON 178

14.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 RON 404

$84.2 RON 381

5.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 RON 494

$99.5 RON 450

9.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$662 RON 2,996

$692 RON 3,133

-4.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$432 RON 1,956

$550 RON 2,489

-21.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 RON 6,135

$1,244 RON 5,632

8.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$841 RON 3,807

$923 RON 4,180

-8.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,857 RON 17.5K

$4,494 RON 20.3K

-14.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,305 RON 10.4K

$3,328 RON 15.1K

-30.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,463 RON 6,624

$1,378 RON 6,239

6.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.1

5.85

21.37%

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

Last update for Bucharest: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $662 in Bucharest and $692 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Bucharest vs $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $232 per month, with Cluj-Napoca 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

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

Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,336 vs $1,387 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bucharest pays 6% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $662 in Bucharest versus $692 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,336 per month in Bucharest versus $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 20% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,336 in Bucharest versus $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Bucharest 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, Bucharest 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 Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.