Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Cluj-Napoca

For one person, living is cheaper in Cluj-Napoca: $1,382 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
68

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

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,382

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,568 per month in Cape Town vs $1,382 in Cluj-Napoca, rent included.

Cape Town $1,568
Cluj-Napoca $1,382

A couple spends around $2,438 per month in Cape Town vs $2,085 in Cluj-Napoca, rent included.

Cape Town $2,438
Cluj-Napoca $2,085

A family of three spends $3,307 per month in Cape Town vs $2,787 in Cluj-Napoca, rent included.

Cape Town $3,307
Cluj-Napoca $2,787

Cape Town costs about 13% more than Cluj-Napoca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Cape Town and Cluj-Napoca sit above the global median – Cape Town by 17%, Cluj-Napoca by 3%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 R 195

$12.81 RON 61.0

-8.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 772

$56.4 RON 269

-17.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 R 98.9

$9.34 RON 44.50

-36.19%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 41.01

$3.73 RON 17.80

-33.78%

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

$1.33 R 22.03

$2.33 RON 11.09

-42.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 17.08

$2.30 RON 10.95

-55.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.98

$3.19 RON 15.22

-5.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.8

$4.30 RON 20.51

-14.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 23.08

$1.63 RON 7.75

-14.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.70

$1.52 RON 7.24

-21.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 R 35.02

$1.75 RON 8.35

20.57%

Eggs

$3.01 R 49.84

$3.86 RON 18.40

-22.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 149

$9.35 RON 44.57

-4.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

$7.28 RON 34.70

-8.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R 154

$11.45 RON 54.6

-18.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.28

$1.43 RON 6.83

27.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.47

$1.64 RON 7.84

15.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.98

$1.89 RON 8.99

-7.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.59

$2.50 RON 11.91

-16.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.78

$0.97 RON 4.63

59.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.65

$0.91 RON 4.35

63.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.53

$0.98 RON 4.68

32.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.29

$1.02 RON 4.86

13.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.5

$6.12 RON 29.14

-39.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 101

$7.37 RON 35.11

-17.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.97

$1.28 RON 6.11

8.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.51

$1.73 RON 8.22

27.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 25.11

$0.77 RON 3.66

96.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,011

$30.49 RON 145

99.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.38

$0.86 RON 4.10

-26.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.42

$1.00 RON 4.74

53.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.8

$8.42 RON 40.12

-42.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.22

$1.93 RON 9.22

-18.13%

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

$35.5K R 588.7K

$28.2K RON 134.3K

25.97%

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

$31.7K R 526.6K

$24.9K RON 118.7K

27.49%

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

$116 R 1,930

$157 RON 748

-25.88%

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

$28.37 R 471

$8.59 RON 40.94

230.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 675

$9.79 RON 46.65

315.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 810

$47.00 RON 224

3.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 185

$22.48 RON 107

-50.49%

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

$9.65 RON 45.99

-8.50%

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

$261 R 4,336

$591 RON 2,815

-55.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 111.2K

$9,697 RON 46.2K

-30.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 919

$87.2 RON 416

-36.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 535

$45.80 RON 218

-29.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,949

$101 RON 480

16.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,775

$109 RON 521

-2.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.8K

$630 RON 3,003

61.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.9K

$519 RON 2,475

37.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.9K

$1,163 RON 5,540

54.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.1K

$829 RON 3,951

60.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.7K

$4,711 RON 22.5K

-50.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.1K

$3,394 RON 16.2K

-55.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.1K

$1,223 RON 5,826

33.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

6.8

61.32%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Cluj-Napoca

$519 36.9% 27.4% $196

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Cluj-Napoca

$235 16.7% 5.8% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Cluj-Napoca

$175 12.5% 5.4% $10

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11%

Cluj-Napoca

$218 15.5% 25.7% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Cluj-Napoca

$154 11% 9.8% $14

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Cluj-Napoca

$39 2.8% 47.7% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Cluj-Napoca

$66 4.7% 0.3% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,015 in Cape Town versus $630 in Cluj-Napoca. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 34% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Cape Town versus $56.0 in Cluj-Napoca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $235 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca

🕒 Local time

07:38 7:38 AM

08:38 8:38 AM

1 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

324,576

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.03 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.59 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.03 USD). 1 EUR = 18.6 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.77 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Cluj-Napoca 8,990 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Cluj-Napoca

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

Cape Town vs Cluj-Napoca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 13% more than Cluj-Napoca, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,352 per month in Cape Town and $2,074 in Cluj-Napoca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cluj-Napoca, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,568 in Cape Town and $1,382 in Cluj-Napoca. That's a gap of about 13%.

Public transport costs about 100% less in Cluj-Napoca. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cluj-Napoca, where all-in costs run around $1,382, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Cluj-Napoca it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cluj-Napoca costs $1,382 versus $1,568 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cluj-Napoca. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.