Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Bistrita

For one person, living is cheaper in Bistrita: $849 a month against $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Bistrita
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Bistrita Living Index

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Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,423

/mo nomad

Bistrita

🇷🇴 Romania

$849

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,423 per month in Cluj-Napoca vs $849 in Bistrita, rent included.

Cluj-Napoca $1,423
Bistrita $849

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Cluj-Napoca vs $1,284 in Bistrita, rent included.

Cluj-Napoca $2,126
Bistrita $1,284

A family of three spends $2,830 per month in Cluj-Napoca vs $1,720 in Bistrita, rent included.

Cluj-Napoca $2,830
Bistrita $1,720

Cluj-Napoca costs about 68% more than Bistrita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cluj-Napoca sits 5% above the global median, while Bistrita is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.58 RON 60.1

$6.29 RON 30.05

100.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 RON 262

$31.15 RON 149

76.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.59 RON 45.85

$6.30 RON 30.09

52.22%

Cappuccino

$3.78 RON 18.05

$2.22 RON 10.61

70.27%

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

$2.30 RON 11.01

$1.63 RON 7.79

41.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RON 10.62

$1.35 RON 6.47

64.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 RON 15.85

$2.06 RON 9.83

61.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 RON 20.06

$3.17 RON 15.13

32.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 RON 7.66

$1.23 RON 5.86

30.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 RON 6.89

$1.05 RON 5.03

37.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 RON 8.09

$1.04 RON 4.97

62.50%

Eggs

$3.76 RON 17.95

$2.57 RON 12.30

46.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.07 RON 43.33

$6.21 RON 29.69

46.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.14 RON 34.11

$5.99 RON 28.64

19.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.46 RON 54.7

$11.03 RON 52.7

3.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 RON 6.62

$0.87 RON 4.17

59.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 RON 7.55

$1.44 RON 6.90

9.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 RON 8.99

$1.55 RON 7.41

21.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 11.32

$2.02 RON 9.66

17.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RON 4.40

$0.76 RON 3.63

21.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 RON 4.29

$0.64 RON 3.07

40.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 RON 4.32

$1.03 RON 4.92

-12.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 RON 4.81

$0.63 RON 2.99

60.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.42 RON 30.68

$5.37 RON 25.64

19.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.41 RON 35.42

$5.38 RON 25.73

37.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 RON 5.95

$0.91 RON 4.34

37.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 RON 8.27

$1.07 RON 5.12

61.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 RON 3.63

$0.44 RON 2.09

72.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.23 RON 211

$21.03 RON 101

110.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 RON 3.99

$0.69 RON 3.32

21.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 RON 4.60

$0.74 RON 3.55

29.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.27 RON 39.51

$7.35 RON 35.13

12.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 RON 9.26

$1.54 RON 7.35

25.97%

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

$28.3K RON 135.4K

$27.3K RON 130.6K

3.67%

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

$24.7K RON 118.2K

$24.1K RON 115.2K

2.64%

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

$151 RON 721

$175 RON 835

-13.70%

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

$8.44 RON 40.32

$5.75 RON 27.46

46.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.16 RON 43.79

$6.00 RON 28.67

52.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.36 RON 226

$39.70 RON 190

19.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.01 RON 105

$30.80 RON 147

-28.54%

Cinema Ticket

$9.35 RON 44.70

$6.19 RON 29.59

51.05%

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

$577 RON 2,758

$305 RON 1,457

89.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,450 RON 45.2K

$8,850 RON 42.3K

6.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 RON 416

$37.24 RON 178

133.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.26 RON 211

$26.70 RON 128

65.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 RON 472

$63.0 RON 301

56.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 RON 510

$74.2 RON 354

43.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$668 RON 3,193

$217 RON 1,037

207.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 RON 2,560

$187 RON 894

186.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 RON 5,861

$393 RON 1,876

212.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$807 RON 3,859

$309 RON 1,478

161.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,568 RON 21.8K

$1,477 RON 7,060

209.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,342 RON 16.0K

$1,155 RON 5,517

189.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,241 RON 5,928

$985 RON 4,709

25.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

6.73

-1.19%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bistrita: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cluj-Napoca

$536 37.7%

Bistrita

$187 22% 65.1% $349

Groceries & Markets

Cluj-Napoca

$230 16.2%

Bistrita

$181 21.3% 21.3% $49

Eating Out

Cluj-Napoca

$218 15.3%

Bistrita

$124 14.7% 42.9% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cluj-Napoca

$168 11.8%

Bistrita

$187 22% 10.7% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Cluj-Napoca

$152 10.7%

Bistrita

$91 10.7% 40.3% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Cluj-Napoca

$66 4.6%

Bistrita

$52 6.1% 21.2% $14

Getting Around

Cluj-Napoca

$53 3.7%

Bistrita

$27 3.2% 48.6% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $668 in Cluj-Napoca versus $217 in Bistrita. 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 26% 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 $31 in Bistrita. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $181 – making Bistrita the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Bistrita

🕒 Local time

08:42 8:42 AM

Same time as Cluj-Napoca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

324,576

75,076

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Cluj-Napoca Bistrita 80 km

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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 Bistrita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cluj-Napoca costs about 68% more than Bistrita, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from 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 $2,134 per month in Cluj-Napoca and $1,273 in Bistrita. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bistrita, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $217 there versus $668 in Cluj-Napoca.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Cluj-Napoca, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Cluj-Napoca and $31 in Bistrita. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca and $849 in Bistrita. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Bistrita – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Bistrita. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cluj-Napoca makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.