Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Bacau

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacau: $916 a month against $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Bacau
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Bacau Living Index

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Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,423

/mo nomad

Bacau

🇷🇴 Romania

$916

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cluj-Napoca and in Bacau

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 Bacau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,423 per month in Cluj-Napoca vs $916 in Bacau, rent included.

Cluj-Napoca $1,423
Bacau $916

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Cluj-Napoca vs $1,552 in Bacau, rent included.

Cluj-Napoca $2,126
Bacau $1,552

A family of three spends $2,830 per month in Cluj-Napoca vs $2,189 in Bacau, rent included.

Cluj-Napoca $2,830
Bacau $2,189

Cluj-Napoca costs about 55% more than Bacau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cluj-Napoca sits 5% above the global median, while Bacau is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.58 RON 60.5

$14.19 RON 68.2

-11.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 RON 263

$84.6 RON 407

-35.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.59 RON 46.11

$7.24 RON 34.80

32.46%

Cappuccino

$3.78 RON 18.15

$2.04 RON 9.81

85.29%

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

$2.30 RON 11.07

$2.01 RON 9.64

14.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RON 10.68

$1.87 RON 8.98

18.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 RON 15.94

$2.47 RON 11.88

34.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 RON 20.17

$3.34 RON 16.03

25.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 RON 7.70

$1.18 RON 5.68

35.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 RON 6.93

$0.70 RON 3.35

105.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 RON 8.14

$1.69 RON 8.12

Eggs

$3.76 RON 18.05

$3.47 RON 16.67

8.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.07 RON 43.57

$7.68 RON 36.91

18.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.14 RON 34.30

$5.33 RON 25.61

33.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.46 RON 55.1

$8.30 RON 39.88

38.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 RON 6.66

$1.10 RON 5.27

26.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 RON 7.60

$1.48 RON 7.12

6.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 RON 9.04

$1.49 RON 7.14

26.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 11.38

$1.83 RON 8.80

29.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RON 4.43

$0.72 RON 3.48

27.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 RON 4.32

$0.68 RON 3.29

32.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 RON 4.34

$0.75 RON 3.58

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 RON 4.84

$0.72 RON 3.45

40.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.42 RON 30.86

$5.35 RON 25.71

20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.41 RON 35.62

$5.25 RON 25.24

41.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 RON 5.98

$1.02 RON 4.90

22.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 RON 8.31

$1.17 RON 5.64

47.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 RON 3.65

$0.70 RON 3.35

8.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.23 RON 213

$29.15 RON 140

51.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 RON 4.01

$0.61 RON 2.94

37.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 RON 4.62

$0.65 RON 3.12

47.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.27 RON 39.74

$6.72 RON 32.31

23.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 RON 9.32

$1.78 RON 8.55

8.99%

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

$28.3K RON 136.1K

$28.9K RON 138.9K

-1.96%

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

$24.7K RON 118.9K

$24.8K RON 119.4K

-0.41%

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

$151 RON 725

$106 RON 509

42.37%

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

$8.44 RON 40.55

$7.47 RON 35.90

12.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.16 RON 44.04

$4.63 RON 22.25

97.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.36 RON 228

$25.29 RON 122

87.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.01 RON 106

$15.98 RON 76.8

37.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.35 RON 44.95

$6.09 RON 29.25

53.53%

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

$577 RON 2,774

$589 RON 2,830

-1.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,450 RON 45.4K

$4,986 RON 24.0K

89.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 RON 419

$85.0 RON 409

2.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.26 RON 213

$31.98 RON 154

38.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 RON 475

$60.3 RON 290

63.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 RON 513

$83.2 RON 400

28.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$668 RON 3,212

$416 RON 1,999

60.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 RON 2,575

$236 RON 1,135

126.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 RON 5,895

$549 RON 2,636

123.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$807 RON 3,881

$405 RON 1,945

99.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,568 RON 22.0K

$1,805 RON 8,673

153.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,342 RON 16.1K

$1,229 RON 5,905

171.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,241 RON 5,962

$936 RON 4,501

32.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

6.97

-4.59%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bacau: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cluj-Napoca

$536 37.7%

Bacau

$236 25.8% 55.9% $300

Groceries & Markets

Cluj-Napoca

$230 16.2%

Bacau

$177 19.3% 23.2% $53

Eating Out

Cluj-Napoca

$218 15.3%

Bacau

$194 21.2% 10.8% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cluj-Napoca

$168 11.8%

Bacau

$118 12.9% 29.9% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Cluj-Napoca

$152 10.7%

Bacau

$117 12.8% 22.7% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Cluj-Napoca

$66 4.6%

Bacau

$37 4.1% 43.3% $29

Getting Around

Cluj-Napoca

$53 3.7%

Bacau

$36 3.9% 32.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $668 in Cluj-Napoca versus $416 in Bacau. 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 32% 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 $55 in Cluj-Napoca versus $85 in Bacau. Groceries tell a different story – $230 in Cluj-Napoca vs $177 in Bacau – so Bacau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Bacau

🕒 Local time

20:41 8:41 PM

Same time as Cluj-Napoca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

324,576

144,307

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.208 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 RON = 0.208 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cluj-Napoca Bacau 250 km

From you

Cluj-Napoca
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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 Bacau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cluj-Napoca is pricier by about 55%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,134 per month in Cluj-Napoca and $1,373 in Bacau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $416 there versus $668 in Cluj-Napoca.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Cluj-Napoca and $85 in Bacau. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca and $916 in Bacau. That’s a gap of about 55%.

It depends on your priorities. Cluj-Napoca has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $916 in Bacau to $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Bacau. 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.