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: $1,361 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,032 in Botosani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,124 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,552 in Botosani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,887 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,071 in Botosani.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 32% more expensive than in Botosani, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 2% above, Botosani is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.38 RON 51.7

$12.10 RON 55.0

-5.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.6 RON 262

$31.49 RON 143

82.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.94 RON 36.09

$8.18 RON 37.20

-2.93%

Cappuccino

$3.53 RON 16.06

$2.59 RON 11.80

36.29%

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

$2.37 RON 10.79

$1.53 RON 6.95

54.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 RON 9.65

$1.39 RON 6.34

52.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 RON 14.23

$2.01 RON 9.16

55.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 RON 18.27

$2.49 RON 11.31

61.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 RON 8.05

$1.48 RON 6.72

19.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 RON 5.94

$1.28 RON 5.81

2.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 RON 8.25

$1.51 RON 6.86

19.87%

Eggs

$3.34 RON 15.17

$3.25 RON 14.76

2.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.83 RON 44.70

$8.46 RON 38.45

16.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.27 RON 33.06

$7.05 RON 32.05

3.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 54.5

$9.91 RON 45.04

21.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.59

$1.19 RON 5.41

3.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 RON 8.05

$1.44 RON 6.54

22.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.09

$1.41 RON 6.41

10.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 RON 10.74

$2.51 RON 11.40

-5.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.29

$0.95 RON 4.30

-1.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.41

$1.03 RON 4.69

-5.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 RON 4.96

$0.67 RON 3.04

62.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 RON 4.19

$0.83 RON 3.76

10.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 29.27

$5.86 RON 26.62

9.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 RON 34.27

$6.77 RON 30.79

11.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.31

$1.09 RON 4.97

7.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 RON 8.91

$1.73 RON 7.84

13.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 3.04

$0.67 RON 3.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.24 RON 106

$29.07 RON 132

-20.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 RON 4.49

$0.71 RON 3.21

39.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 RON 3.73

$0.71 RON 3.23

15.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.11 RON 41.43

$6.98 RON 31.73

30.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 RON 7.66

$1.58 RON 7.18

6.96%

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

$28.4K RON 129.3K

$28.3K RON 128.5K

0.63%

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

$27.0K RON 122.9K

$28.3K RON 128.8K

-4.62%

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

$158 RON 720

$165 RON 751

-4.18%

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

$8.72 RON 39.66

$8.19 RON 37.23

6.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.91 RON 45.08

$9.10 RON 41.39

8.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.33 RON 197

$33.89 RON 154

27.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.21 RON 91.9

$27.17 RON 124

-25.62%

Cinema Ticket

$7.86 RON 35.75

$5.80 RON 26.38

35.52%

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

$492 RON 2,239

$352 RON 1,602

39.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K RON 47.7K

$6,540 RON 29.7K

60.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 RON 318

$49.42 RON 225

41.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.01 RON 186

$34.84 RON 158

17.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 RON 383

$68.4 RON 311

23.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 RON 460

$72.1 RON 328

40.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 RON 3,236

$401 RON 1,824

77.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 RON 2,491

$286 RON 1,300

91.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 RON 5,762

$526 RON 2,393

140.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$940 RON 4,275

$420 RON 1,912

123.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,857 RON 22.1K

$1,412 RON 6,419

244.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,404 RON 15.5K

$1,028 RON 4,673

231.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,325 RON 6,024

$973 RON 4,423

36.18%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Botosani: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $712 in Cluj-Napoca and $401 in Botosani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 36% 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 $233 vs $210 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 32% in total monthly costs ($1,361 vs $1,032 including rent). Botosani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 36% 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: $712 in Cluj-Napoca versus $401 in Botosani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $492 in Cluj-Napoca versus $352 in Botosani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Cluj-Napoca. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,032 in Botosani versus $1,361 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 32% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.