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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,384 per month in Cluj-Napoca vs $1,024 in Barlad, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,092 per month in Cluj-Napoca vs $1,576 in Barlad, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,800 per month in Cluj-Napoca vs $2,129 in Barlad, rent included.

Cluj-Napoca costs about 35% more than Barlad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Cluj-Napoca sits 3% above the global median, while Barlad is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 RON 50.4

$9.70 RON 42.10

19.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.4 RON 245

$45.51 RON 198

24.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.91 RON 34.31

$7.98 RON 34.64

-0.88%

Cappuccino

$3.52 RON 15.29

$2.64 RON 11.47

33.33%

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

$2.40 RON 10.42

$2.00 RON 8.70

20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 RON 9.54

$1.76 RON 7.63

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 RON 13.63

$2.27 RON 9.87

38.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 RON 17.10

$2.74 RON 11.88

43.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 RON 7.79

$1.54 RON 6.67

16.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 RON 5.62

$1.23 RON 5.33

4.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 RON 8.14

$1.73 RON 7.53

8.67%

Eggs

$3.37 RON 14.63

$3.39 RON 14.70

-0.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 RON 44.33

$8.67 RON 37.63

17.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.27 RON 31.57

$6.76 RON 29.33

7.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.10 RON 52.5

$10.20 RON 44.27

18.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 RON 5.40

$1.13 RON 4.92

9.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 RON 7.77

$1.54 RON 6.69

16.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 RON 7.11

$1.60 RON 6.96

2.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 RON 10.42

$1.93 RON 8.36

24.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.09

$0.83 RON 3.59

13.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 RON 3.96

$0.97 RON 4.21

-6.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 RON 4.48

$0.87 RON 3.77

18.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 RON 4.12

$0.77 RON 3.33

23.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 RON 28.43

$5.76 RON 25.01

13.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.75 RON 33.65

$7.89 RON 34.26

-1.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 RON 4.86

$1.07 RON 4.63

4.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 RON 8.91

$1.71 RON 7.40

19.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.07

$0.70 RON 3.04

1.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.87 RON 99.2

$19.64 RON 85.2

16.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 RON 4.29

$0.71 RON 3.09

39.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 RON 3.63

$0.73 RON 3.19

15.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 RON 39.39

$6.81 RON 29.57

33.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 RON 7.29

$1.53 RON 6.65

9.80%

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

$28.6K RON 123.9K

$28.3K RON 122.8K

0.88%

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

$26.5K RON 115.2K

$27.2K RON 118.2K

-2.49%

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

$158 RON 685

$152 RON 659

3.92%

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

$9.15 RON 39.69

$7.89 RON 34.24

15.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.13 RON 43.97

$9.04 RON 39.25

12.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.86 RON 190

$41.38 RON 180

5.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.09 RON 87.2

$19.08 RON 82.8

5.29%

Cinema Ticket

$8.10 RON 35.17

$6.87 RON 29.81

17.90%

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

$479 RON 2,080

$424 RON 1,840

13.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K RON 46.2K

$7,014 RON 30.4K

51.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 RON 299

$67.3 RON 292

2.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.64 RON 172

$38.54 RON 167

2.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 RON 363

$75.4 RON 327

10.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.6 RON 428

$93.8 RON 407

5.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 RON 3,056

$393 RON 1,705

79.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$565 RON 2,451

$295 RON 1,280

91.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 RON 5,569

$578 RON 2,510

121.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$930 RON 4,037

$445 RON 1,933

108.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,717 RON 20.5K

$2,024 RON 8,782

133.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,404 RON 14.8K

$1,552 RON 6,737

119.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,404 RON 6,093

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

6.56

-10.82%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: April 21, 2026

Last update for Barlad: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $704 in Cluj-Napoca versus $393 in Barlad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Cluj-Napoca versus $46 in Barlad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $211 – making Barlad 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 Barlad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,384 in Cluj-Napoca, $1,024 in Barlad – roughly 35% apart. Cluj-Napoca costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,077 per month in Cluj-Napoca and $1,535 in Barlad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 16% less in Barlad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $479 per month in Cluj-Napoca and $424 in Barlad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Barlad, where all-in costs run around $1,024, than in Cluj-Napoca at $1,384. In Barlad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cluj-Napoca it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Cluj-Napoca has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,024 in Barlad to $1,384 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 Barlad. 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.