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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,501 in Cluj-Napoca versus $943 in Botosani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,224 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,370 in Botosani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,946 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,797 in Botosani.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 59% more expensive than in Botosani, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 10% above, Botosani is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.94 RON 59.3

$8.58 RON 39.30

50.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.1 RON 257

$29.25 RON 134

91.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.60 RON 43.98

$7.58 RON 34.71

26.65%

Cappuccino

$3.89 RON 17.81

$2.26 RON 10.36

72.12%

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

$2.51 RON 11.52

$1.47 RON 6.73

70.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 RON 11.31

$1.25 RON 5.73

97.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 RON 15.19

$1.99 RON 9.12

66.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 RON 20.62

$2.37 RON 10.86

89.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 RON 7.72

$1.41 RON 6.48

19.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 RON 7.00

$1.11 RON 5.08

37.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 RON 8.75

$1.46 RON 6.69

30.82%

Eggs

$3.87 RON 17.74

$2.95 RON 13.51

31.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 RON 45.19

$7.43 RON 34.05

32.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.54 RON 34.56

$6.06 RON 27.77

24.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 RON 54.7

$9.26 RON 42.41

28.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.51 RON 6.93

$1.03 RON 4.74

46.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 RON 8.13

$1.32 RON 6.06

34.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 RON 8.84

$1.46 RON 6.67

32.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 RON 12.11

$1.93 RON 8.84

36.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.28

$0.80 RON 3.68

17.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 RON 4.56

$0.57 RON 2.63

75.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 RON 4.59

$0.90 RON 4.14

11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 RON 4.64

$0.79 RON 3.61

27.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.50 RON 29.78

$6.02 RON 27.57

7.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.62 RON 34.89

$6.89 RON 31.58

10.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 RON 6.11

$1.13 RON 5.19

17.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 RON 8.14

$1.62 RON 7.43

9.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 RON 3.67

$0.79 RON 3.63

1.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.77 RON 146

$31.20 RON 143

1.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 RON 4.40

$0.79 RON 3.61

21.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 RON 4.65

$0.74 RON 3.38

36.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 RON 40.32

$7.92 RON 36.28

11.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 RON 8.74

$1.75 RON 8.01

9.14%

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

$30.0K RON 137.3K

$28.3K RON 129.5K

6.04%

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

$26.3K RON 120.5K

$26.4K RON 121.1K

-0.54%

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

$164 RON 753

$104 RON 479

57.38%

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

$9.04 RON 41.43

$7.84 RON 35.94

15.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.32 RON 47.28

$8.55 RON 39.17

20.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.47 RON 222

$33.62 RON 154

44.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.56 RON 108

$23.89 RON 109

-1.38%

Cinema Ticket

$9.86 RON 45.15

$5.36 RON 24.55

83.96%

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

$618 RON 2,833

$332 RON 1,523

86.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K RON 47.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.0 RON 426

$47.50 RON 218

95.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.70 RON 219

$31.05 RON 142

53.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 RON 472

$66.3 RON 304

55.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 RON 515

$68.9 RON 315

63.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 RON 2,962

$403 RON 1,846

60.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$542 RON 2,483

$293 RON 1,343

84.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 RON 5,407

$557 RON 2,551

111.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$847 RON 3,882

$396 RON 1,816

113.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,823 RON 22.1K

$1,414 RON 6,479

240.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,511 RON 16.1K

$1,063 RON 4,868

230.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,333 RON 6,108

$1,001 RON 4,583

33.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.57

3.50%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: September 14, 2026

Last update for Botosani: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $647 in Cluj-Napoca and $403 in Botosani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 33% 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 $29.00 in Botosani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $191 per month, with Botosani cheaper across the board.

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 Botosani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cluj-Napoca and Botosani differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($1,501 vs $943 including rent). Botosani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 33% 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: $647 in Cluj-Napoca versus $403 in Botosani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $618 in Cluj-Napoca versus $332 in Botosani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Cluj-Napoca. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $943 in Botosani versus $1,501 in Cluj-Napoca, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Botosani but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Botosani the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Botosani 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 Botosani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.