Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Cluj-Napoca: $1,382 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Cluj-Napoca
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Cluj-Napoca Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,382

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cluj-Napoca and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,382 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Cluj-Napoca $1,382
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,085 in Cluj-Napoca versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Cluj-Napoca $2,085
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,787 in Cluj-Napoca versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Cluj-Napoca $2,787
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Cluj-Napoca costs roughly 49% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cluj-Napoca 3% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.81 RON 61.0

$20.22 $20.22

-36.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.4 RON 269

$85.0 $85.0

-33.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 RON 44.50

$12.35 $12.35

-24.37%

Cappuccino

$3.73 RON 17.80

$5.47 $5.47

-31.81%

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

$2.33 RON 11.09

$3.82 $3.82

-39.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.95

$2.50 $2.50

-8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 RON 15.22

$8.06 $8.06

-60.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 RON 20.51

$8.99 $8.99

-52.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 RON 7.75

$1.13 $1.13

44.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 RON 7.24

$3.78 $3.78

-59.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 RON 8.35

$3.25 $3.25

-46.15%

Eggs

$3.86 RON 18.40

$4.14 $4.14

-6.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.35 RON 44.57

$13.08 $13.08

-28.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.28 RON 34.70

$14.31 $14.31

-49.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.45 RON 54.6

$15.96 $15.96

-28.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.43 RON 6.83

$4.38 $4.38

-67.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 RON 7.84

$1.45 $1.45

13.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 RON 8.99

$4.54 $4.54

-58.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 RON 11.91

$4.19 $4.19

-40.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.63

$2.63 $2.63

-63.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 RON 4.35

$2.36 $2.36

-61.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 RON 4.68

$1.76 $1.76

-44.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 RON 4.86

$2.16 $2.16

-52.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.12 RON 29.14

$9.81 $9.81

-37.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.37 RON 35.11

$14.72 $14.72

-49.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 RON 6.11

$2.78 $2.78

-53.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 RON 8.22

$3.48 $3.48

-50.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$1.49 $1.49

-48.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.49 RON 145

$40.51 $40.51

-24.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 RON 4.10

$2.67 $2.67

-67.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 RON 4.74

$1.58 $1.58

-36.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.42 RON 40.12

$35.29 $35.29

-76.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 RON 9.22

$0.99 $0.99

94.95%

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

$28.2K RON 134.3K

$35.8K $35.8K

-21.29%

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

$24.9K RON 118.7K

$27.2K $27.2K

-8.36%

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

$157 RON 748

$219 $219

-28.39%

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

$8.59 RON 40.94

$58.0 $58.0

-85.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.79 RON 46.65

$68.4 $68.4

-85.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.00 RON 224

$57.9 $57.9

-18.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.48 RON 107

$14.82 $14.82

51.69%

Cinema Ticket

$9.65 RON 45.99

$14.13 $14.13

-31.71%

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

$591 RON 2,815

$1,509 $1,509

-60.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 RON 46.2K

$21.5K $21.5K

-54.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.2 RON 416

$51.7 $51.7

68.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.80 RON 218

$44.05 $44.05

3.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 RON 480

$85.1 $85.1

18.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 RON 521

$105 $105

3.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$630 RON 3,003

$1,932 $1,932

-67.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$519 RON 2,475

$1,272 $1,272

-59.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 RON 5,540

$3,670 $3,670

-68.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$829 RON 3,951

$2,525 $2,525

-67.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,711 RON 22.5K

$7,617 $7,617

-38.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,394 RON 16.2K

$3,199 $3,199

6.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,223 RON 5,826

$5,105 $5,105

-76.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.79

0.15%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: October 3, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cluj-Napoca

$519 36.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 145% $753

Groceries & Markets

Cluj-Napoca

$235 16.7%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 71.2% $168

Eating Out

Cluj-Napoca

$218 15.5%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 59.4% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cluj-Napoca

$175 12.5%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 97.1% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Cluj-Napoca

$154 11%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 16.6% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Cluj-Napoca

$66 4.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 30% $20

Getting Around

Cluj-Napoca

$39 2.8%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 44.7% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $630 in Cluj-Napoca and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 318% 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: $56.0 in Cluj-Napoca vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $403 per month, with Cluj-Napoca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

06:51 6:51 AM

22:51 10:51 PM

8 h behind Cluj-Napoca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

324,576

974,447

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cluj-Napoca Austin, TX 9,630 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cluj-Napoca
Austin, TX

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

Cluj-Napoca vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cluj-Napoca wins on cost – living expenses run 96% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cluj-Napoca the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 318% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $630 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,382 per month in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 96% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cluj-Napoca runs roughly 33% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,382 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cluj-Napoca but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Cluj-Napoca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cluj-Napoca delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,382 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cluj-Napoca hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cluj-Napoca and Austin, TX 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 Cluj-Napoca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.