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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,387 per month in Cluj-Napoca vs $884 in Arad, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,123 per month in Cluj-Napoca vs $1,394 in Arad, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,860 per month in Cluj-Napoca vs $1,904 in Arad, rent included.

Cluj-Napoca costs about 57% more than Arad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Cluj-Napoca sits 3% above the global median, while Arad is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.53 RON 52.1

$9.32 RON 42.13

23.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 263

$35.02 RON 158

65.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.21 RON 37.10

$7.04 RON 31.82

16.62%

Cappuccino

$3.37 RON 15.25

$2.30 RON 10.41

46.52%

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

$2.42 RON 10.93

$1.64 RON 7.39

47.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 RON 9.90

$1.78 RON 8.03

23.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 RON 14.70

$2.04 RON 9.21

59.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 RON 17.61

$2.77 RON 12.54

40.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 RON 7.85

$1.52 RON 6.86

14.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 RON 6.03

$1.26 RON 5.69

5.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 RON 8.31

$1.52 RON 6.87

21.05%

Eggs

$3.24 RON 14.64

$2.92 RON 13.22

10.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 RON 45.88

$8.11 RON 36.64

25.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 RON 31.15

$4.28 RON 19.36

60.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.08 RON 54.6

$8.65 RON 39.08

39.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.57

$1.18 RON 5.33

4.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 RON 7.81

$1.52 RON 6.86

13.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.02

$1.65 RON 7.46

-6.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 RON 10.51

$1.66 RON 7.50

40.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 RON 4.60

$0.80 RON 3.62

27.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.38

$0.91 RON 4.13

6.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 RON 4.70

$1.02 RON 4.60

1.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 RON 3.98

$0.92 RON 4.18

-4.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.53 RON 29.52

$5.84 RON 26.38

11.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.94 RON 35.87

$6.23 RON 28.14

27.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 RON 5.10

$0.99 RON 4.49

14.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 RON 9.26

$1.59 RON 7.19

28.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 RON 3.18

$0.95 RON 4.30

-26.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.33 RON 105

$23.51 RON 106

-0.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 RON 4.52

$0.85 RON 3.86

17.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 RON 4.02

$0.87 RON 3.92

2.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.45 RON 42.70

$8.98 RON 40.57

5.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 RON 7.63

$1.57 RON 7.07

7.64%

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

$28.4K RON 128.6K

$28.1K RON 127.0K

1.24%

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

$27.1K RON 122.3K

$26.6K RON 120.3K

1.68%

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

$161 RON 730

$111 RON 504

44.82%

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

$9.19 RON 41.52

$8.40 RON 37.98

9.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.66 RON 43.65

$7.84 RON 35.46

23.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.75 RON 202

$38.80 RON 175

15.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.86 RON 89.8

$23.06 RON 104

-13.88%

Cinema Ticket

$8.25 RON 37.30

$5.67 RON 25.62

45.50%

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

$491 RON 2,220

$228 RON 1,032

115.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K RON 49.0K

$6,887 RON 31.1K

57.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 RON 320

$40.72 RON 184

74.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.43 RON 178

$38.66 RON 175

1.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 RON 380

$79.9 RON 361

5.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.5 RON 450

$69.5 RON 314

43.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$692 RON 3,129

$320 RON 1,445

116.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 RON 2,485

$221 RON 1,000

148.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 RON 5,625

$564 RON 2,550

120.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$923 RON 4,174

$429 RON 1,938

115.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,494 RON 20.3K

$1,484 RON 6,706

202.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,328 RON 15.0K

$1,097 RON 4,958

203.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,378 RON 6,231

$882 RON 3,986

56.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

6.5

-10.00%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: June 2, 2026

Last update for Arad: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $692 in Cluj-Napoca versus $320 in Arad. 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 56% higher in Cluj-Napoca, 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 $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca versus $35.00 in Arad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $232 vs $187 – making Arad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Cluj-Napoca costs about 57% more than Arad, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,080 per month in Cluj-Napoca and $1,326 in Arad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca and $35.00 in Arad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca and $884 in Arad. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Arad, where all-in costs run around $884, than in Cluj-Napoca at $1,387. In Arad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cluj-Napoca it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arad costs $884 versus $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca. 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 Arad. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cluj-Napoca makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.