Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calamba and Miercurea Ciuc

For one person, living is cheaper in Calamba: $518 a month against $735 in Miercurea Ciuc, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Calamba
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Calamba Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Miercurea Ciuc
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Miercurea Ciuc Living Index

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Calamba

🇵🇭 Philippines

$518

/mo nomad

Miercurea Ciuc

🇷🇴 Romania

$735

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calamba and in Miercurea Ciuc

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Calamba and in Miercurea Ciuc actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $518 in Calamba versus $735 in Miercurea Ciuc.

Calamba $518
Miercurea Ciuc $735

Estimated couple costs with rent: $764 in Calamba versus $1,172 in Miercurea Ciuc.

Calamba $764
Miercurea Ciuc $1,172

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,010 in Calamba versus $1,609 in Miercurea Ciuc.

Calamba $1,010
Miercurea Ciuc $1,609

Living in Calamba costs roughly 30% less than in Miercurea Ciuc, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Calamba 62% lower, Miercurea Ciuc 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 ₱247

$6.29 RON 29.78

-37.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.02 ₱757

$20.86 RON 98.7

-42.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.82 ₱178

$6.10 RON 28.85

-53.77%

Cappuccino

$1.79 ₱113

$1.72 RON 8.14

4.07%

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

$0.56 ₱35.44

$1.61 RON 7.63

-65.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.06

$1.39 RON 6.55

-76.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 ₱59.5

$2.02 RON 9.56

-53.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ₱97.7

$1.94 RON 9.18

-20.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ₱101

$1.36 RON 6.45

17.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₱70.1

$1.14 RON 5.41

-2.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.0

$1.33 RON 6.28

-27.07%

Eggs

$2.00 ₱126

$3.39 RON 16.03

-41.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.20 ₱327

$7.97 RON 37.72

-34.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ₱214

$4.57 RON 21.61

-25.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.80 ₱491

$7.97 RON 37.72

-2.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ₱145

$0.71 RON 3.37

225.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.9

$1.49 RON 7.05

3.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 ₱151

$1.49 RON 7.04

61.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 ₱66.9

$2.48 RON 11.75

-57.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ₱109

$0.66 RON 3.10

162.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 ₱112

$0.66 RON 3.10

169.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ₱38.68

$0.40 RON 1.91

52.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.10

$0.66 RON 3.11

-25.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₱184

$5.08 RON 24.05

-42.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.87 ₱558

$5.18 RON 24.52

71.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₱60.3

$0.95 RON 4.49

1.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ₱132

$1.28 RON 6.04

64.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 RON 3.91

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.11 RON 99.9

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱51.9

$0.97 RON 4.59

-15.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.75

$0.85 RON 4.03

-70.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 ₱119

$8.57 RON 40.54

-78.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 ₱58.7

$1.68 RON 7.96

-44.64%

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

$21.1K ₱1.3M

$24.9K RON 117.8K

-15.15%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$24.6K RON 116.4K

-22.71%

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

$139 ₱8,759

$114 RON 540

21.84%

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

$17.36 ₱1,093

$5.37 RON 25.39

223.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 ₱1,502

$5.08 RON 24.05

369.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.21 RON 148

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.57 RON 50.0

Cinema Ticket

$5.04 ₱317

$4.77 RON 22.55

5.66%

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

$130 ₱8,193

$446 RON 2,109

-70.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱668.9K

$6,729 RON 31.8K

57.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.54 ₱1,797

$42.42 RON 201

-32.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.73 ₱1,242

$16.62 RON 78.6

18.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.0 ₱4,468

$68.6 RON 325

3.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.3 ₱3,482

$82.9 RON 392

-33.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$185 RON 878

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$155 RON 731

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 RON 1,957

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 RON 1,750

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,476 RON 6,982

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,363 RON 6,447

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$260 ₱16.4K

$691 RON 3,270

-62.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.85

-1.46%

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

Last update for Calamba: October 12, 2026

Last update for Miercurea Ciuc: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calamba

$180 34.8%

Miercurea Ciuc

$125 17% 30.9% $56

Groceries & Markets

Calamba

$175 33.7%

Miercurea Ciuc

$176 23.9% 0.8% $1.3

Clothing & Footwear

Calamba

$79 15.2%

Miercurea Ciuc

$95 12.9% 20.7% $16

Eating Out

Calamba

$73 14%

Miercurea Ciuc

$115 15.7% 58.4% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Calamba

$10 * 1.9%

Miercurea Ciuc

$41 5.5% 304% $31

Getting Around

Calamba

$2.1 * 0.4%

Miercurea Ciuc

$30 4% 1326% $28

Accommodation & Living

Calamba

- * 0%

Miercurea Ciuc

$155 21%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Miercurea Ciuc pays 166% 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: $12.00 in Calamba vs $21.00 in Miercurea Ciuc for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $176 per month, with Calamba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Calamba

🇷🇴 Miercurea Ciuc

🕒 Local time

19:36 7:36 PM

14:36 2:36 PM

5 h behind Calamba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

539,671

38,966

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Calamba Miercurea Ciuc 9,270 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Calamba
Miercurea Ciuc

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

Calamba vs Miercurea Ciuc: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calamba wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Miercurea Ciuc. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Calamba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 166% lower in Miercurea Ciuc. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Miercurea Ciuc. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $518 per month in Calamba versus $735 in Miercurea Ciuc – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Calamba gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Calamba and Miercurea Ciuc 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 Calamba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Miercurea Ciuc. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.