Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Baia Mare

For one person, living is cheaper in Baia Mare: $935 a month against $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Baia Mare
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Baia Mare Living Index

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Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,423

/mo nomad

Baia Mare

🇷🇴 Romania

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cluj-Napoca and in Baia Mare

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca versus $935 in Baia Mare.

Cluj-Napoca $1,423
Baia Mare $935

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,452 in Baia Mare.

Cluj-Napoca $2,126
Baia Mare $1,452

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,830 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,969 in Baia Mare.

Cluj-Napoca $2,830
Baia Mare $1,969

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 52% more expensive than in Baia Mare, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 5% above, Baia Mare is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.10 RON 57.7

$12.65 RON 60.3

-4.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 RON 262

$33.09 RON 158

66.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.61 RON 45.83

$8.19 RON 39.06

17.34%

Cappuccino

$3.83 RON 18.25

$2.08 RON 9.91

84.13%

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

$2.31 RON 11.03

$1.81 RON 8.64

27.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 RON 10.64

$1.39 RON 6.63

60.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 RON 15.86

$1.61 RON 7.67

106.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.21 RON 20.05

$2.16 RON 10.28

94.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 RON 7.84

$1.46 RON 6.96

12.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 RON 6.92

$1.40 RON 6.70

3.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.21

$1.91 RON 9.11

-9.95%

Eggs

$3.78 RON 18.00

$2.83 RON 13.50

33.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.10 RON 43.36

$6.15 RON 29.31

47.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.16 RON 34.12

$7.49 RON 35.68

-4.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.49 RON 54.8

$10.80 RON 51.5

6.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 RON 6.61

$1.10 RON 5.26

26.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 RON 7.54

$1.47 RON 6.99

7.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 RON 9.12

$1.34 RON 6.38

42.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 11.29

$2.75 RON 13.13

-13.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RON 4.39

$0.90 RON 4.30

2.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 RON 4.24

$1.19 RON 5.68

-25.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 RON 4.31

$1.23 RON 5.88

-26.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 RON 4.80

$0.82 RON 3.90

23.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.71

$6.13 RON 29.24

5.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.43 RON 35.43

$4.84 RON 23.07

53.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 RON 5.94

$1.00 RON 4.75

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 RON 8.30

$1.61 RON 7.67

8.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 RON 3.62

$0.71 RON 3.37

7.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.37 RON 212

$14.43 RON 68.8

207.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 RON 3.98

$1.08 RON 5.16

-22.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 RON 4.15

$1.05 RON 5.01

-17.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 RON 39.51

$11.07 RON 52.8

-25.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 RON 9.49

$1.74 RON 8.31

14.37%

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

$28.4K RON 135.2K

$28.6K RON 136.2K

-0.73%

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

$24.8K RON 118.2K

$25.2K RON 120.1K

-1.62%

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

$151 RON 721

$106 RON 507

42.24%

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

$8.04 RON 38.33

$16.31 RON 77.8

-50.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 43.82

$11.53 RON 55.0

-20.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.50 RON 226

$40.97 RON 195

15.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.08 RON 105

$16.25 RON 77.5

35.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.37 RON 44.68

$10.04 RON 47.84

-6.67%

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

$579 RON 2,759

$522 RON 2,488

10.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K RON 57.4K

$5,465 RON 26.1K

120.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.3 RON 416

$37.45 RON 179

133.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 RON 212

$42.17 RON 201

5.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 RON 473

$62.5 RON 298

58.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 RON 510

$74.9 RON 357

42.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$660 RON 3,145

$377 RON 1,799

74.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$535 RON 2,552

$267 RON 1,273

100.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,245 RON 5,936

$603 RON 2,875

106.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 RON 3,890

$461 RON 2,198

76.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,577 RON 21.8K

$2,190 RON 10.4K

109.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,349 RON 16.0K

$1,479 RON 7,051

126.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,297 RON 6,184

$908 RON 4,327

42.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

7.48

-11.10%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: October 25, 2026

Last update for Baia Mare: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cluj-Napoca

$536 37.7%

Baia Mare

$255 27.3% 52.4% $281

Groceries & Markets

Cluj-Napoca

$230 16.2%

Baia Mare

$199 21.3% 13.3% $31

Eating Out

Cluj-Napoca

$218 15.3%

Baia Mare

$175 18.7% 19.5% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cluj-Napoca

$168 11.8%

Baia Mare

$129 13.8% 23.3% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Cluj-Napoca

$152 10.7%

Baia Mare

$97 10.4% 35.8% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Cluj-Napoca

$66 4.6%

Baia Mare

$57 6.1% 13.1% $8.7

Getting Around

Cluj-Napoca

$53 3.7%

Baia Mare

$22 2.3% 59% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $668 in Cluj-Napoca and $368 in Baia Mare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 45% 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: $55 in Cluj-Napoca vs $33 in Baia Mare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $199 per month, with Baia Mare cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Baia Mare

🕒 Local time

12:57 12:57 PM

Same time as Cluj-Napoca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

324,576

123,738

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cluj-Napoca Baia Mare 99 km

From you

Cluj-Napoca
Baia Mare

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 Baia Mare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baia Mare is about 34% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 45% higher in Cluj-Napoca, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $668 in Cluj-Napoca versus $368 in Baia Mare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $577 in Cluj-Napoca versus $520 in Baia Mare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Cluj-Napoca. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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, Cluj-Napoca and Baia Mare are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Baia Mare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.