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: $1,410 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,026 in Botosani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,116 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,551 in Botosani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,823 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,077 in Botosani.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 37% more expensive than Botosani, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 6% above, Botosani is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.57 RON 52.1

$12.10 RON 54.5

-4.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 RON 260

$31.30 RON 141

84.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 RON 35.82

$7.85 RON 35.35

1.27%

Cappuccino

$3.45 RON 15.55

$2.59 RON 11.68

33.20%

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

$2.39 RON 10.77

$1.48 RON 6.68

61.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 RON 9.70

$1.35 RON 6.10

59.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 RON 14.74

$2.01 RON 9.04

62.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 RON 17.66

$2.52 RON 11.33

55.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 RON 7.76

$1.53 RON 6.89

12.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 RON 5.99

$1.32 RON 5.95

0.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 RON 8.14

$1.52 RON 6.82

19.08%

Eggs

$3.23 RON 14.53

$3.27 RON 14.72

-1.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.92 RON 44.67

$8.60 RON 38.73

15.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.93 RON 31.23

$7.18 RON 32.33

-3.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.73 RON 52.8

$10.01 RON 45.09

17.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 RON 5.37

$1.18 RON 5.31

0.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 RON 7.99

$1.50 RON 6.74

18.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.02

$1.35 RON 6.07

15.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 RON 10.81

$2.50 RON 11.25

-4.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 RON 4.57

$0.94 RON 4.24

7.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 RON 4.44

$1.02 RON 4.61

-2.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 RON 4.88

$0.67 RON 3.02

61.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.17

$0.80 RON 3.59

16.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.30 RON 28.37

$5.85 RON 26.33

7.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.74 RON 34.88

$7.16 RON 32.25

8.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 RON 5.22

$1.06 RON 4.76

9.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 RON 9.15

$1.66 RON 7.47

22.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 3.04

$0.66 RON 2.98

1.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.89 RON 103

$29.02 RON 131

-21.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 RON 4.24

$0.67 RON 3.00

40.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 RON 3.65

$0.75 RON 3.38

8.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.22 RON 41.53

$6.89 RON 31.05

33.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 RON 7.71

$1.57 RON 7.07

8.92%

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

$28.2K RON 127.2K

$27.8K RON 125.2K

1.58%

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

$26.2K RON 118.1K

$27.3K RON 122.8K

-3.89%

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

$158 RON 710

$162 RON 727

-2.41%

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

$9.08 RON 40.89

$8.02 RON 36.11

13.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.12 RON 45.59

$8.96 RON 40.34

12.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.69 RON 197

$35.07 RON 158

24.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.27 RON 91.3

$27.12 RON 122

-25.26%

Cinema Ticket

$7.87 RON 35.46

$5.89 RON 26.51

33.62%

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

$491 RON 2,212

$346 RON 1,557

42.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K RON 48.0K

$6,604 RON 29.7K

61.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.4 RON 312

$49.02 RON 221

41.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.78 RON 179

$34.02 RON 153

16.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 RON 383

$69.7 RON 314

22.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 RON 445

$73.5 RON 331

34.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$707 RON 3,184

$403 RON 1,816

75.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 RON 2,495

$283 RON 1,274

95.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 RON 5,737

$520 RON 2,340

145.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$928 RON 4,179

$421 RON 1,896

120.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,811 RON 21.7K

$1,434 RON 6,457

235.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,473 RON 15.6K

$1,068 RON 4,810

225.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,352 RON 6,090

$1,011 RON 4,552

33.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

6.25

-6.40%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: June 15, 2026

Last update for Botosani: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $707 in Cluj-Napoca and $403 in Botosani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 34% 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: $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca vs $31.00 in Botosani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $212 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 37% in total monthly costs ($1,410 vs $1,026 including rent). Botosani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Cluj-Napoca pays 34% more on average, 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: $707 in Cluj-Napoca versus $403 in Botosani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $491 in Cluj-Napoca versus $346 in Botosani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Cluj-Napoca. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,026 in Botosani versus $1,410 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 37% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.