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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,488 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,222 in Braila.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,213 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,827 in Braila.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,938 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,431 in Braila.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 22% more expensive than in Braila, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 8% above, Braila is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.48 RON 61.0

$19.83 RON 89.8

-32.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.1 RON 259

$42.10 RON 191

35.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 RON 45.59

$9.44 RON 42.76

6.67%

Cappuccino

$3.92 RON 17.74

$2.76 RON 12.51

42.03%

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

$2.47 RON 11.21

$2.09 RON 9.46

18.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 RON 11.17

$1.88 RON 8.52

31.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 RON 15.23

$1.74 RON 7.90

93.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 RON 20.21

$2.25 RON 10.20

98.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 RON 7.87

$1.89 RON 8.57

-7.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 RON 7.21

$1.51 RON 6.83

5.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 RON 8.41

$1.57 RON 7.13

18.47%

Eggs

$3.90 RON 17.67

$3.48 RON 15.78

12.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 RON 43.87

$9.18 RON 41.58

5.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.78 RON 35.26

$7.83 RON 35.47

-0.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 RON 54.8

$9.69 RON 43.86

24.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 RON 6.73

$1.04 RON 4.72

43.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 RON 8.11

$1.55 RON 7.03

15.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 RON 8.90

$1.40 RON 6.33

40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 RON 11.65

$1.21 RON 5.47

112.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 RON 4.53

$0.88 RON 3.98

13.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 RON 4.75

$0.77 RON 3.48

36.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 RON 4.69

$0.76 RON 3.46

35.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 RON 4.68

$0.83 RON 3.75

24.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 RON 30.60

$6.67 RON 30.20

1.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 RON 34.16

$6.54 RON 29.61

15.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 RON 5.83

$1.07 RON 4.85

20.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 RON 8.42

$1.60 RON 7.25

16.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 RON 3.60

$0.67 RON 3.05

17.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.36 RON 147

$16.43 RON 74.4

96.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 RON 4.15

$1.08 RON 4.91

-14.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 RON 4.42

$0.78 RON 3.53

25.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.12 RON 41.30

$7.39 RON 33.48

23.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 RON 8.63

$1.59 RON 7.22

20.13%

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

$29.3K RON 132.8K

$28.1K RON 127.3K

4.26%

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

$26.1K RON 118.4K

$31.0K RON 140.6K

-15.80%

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

$165 RON 745

$147 RON 665

12.13%

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

$8.94 RON 40.48

$9.07 RON 41.06

-1.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.16 RON 46.02

$13.37 RON 60.5

-24.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.99 RON 226

$34.83 RON 158

43.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.35 RON 106

$15.61 RON 70.7

49.58%

Cinema Ticket

$9.93 RON 44.99

$7.83 RON 35.46

26.82%

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

$624 RON 2,827

$390 RON 1,767

60.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K RON 45.3K

$9,029 RON 40.9K

10.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.8 RON 425

$106 RON 479

-11.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.38 RON 224

$62.9 RON 285

-21.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 RON 468

$98.4 RON 446

4.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 RON 530

$128 RON 581

-8.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 RON 3,065

$407 RON 1,843

66.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 RON 2,524

$321 RON 1,453

73.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 RON 5,413

$566 RON 2,564

111.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$844 RON 3,824

$462 RON 2,093

82.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,864 RON 22.0K

$2,017 RON 9,133

141.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,549 RON 16.1K

$1,374 RON 6,223

158.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,340 RON 6,070

$873 RON 3,954

53.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

8.3

-18.07%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: September 8, 2026

Last update for Braila: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $677 in Cluj-Napoca and $407 in Braila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 54% 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: $57.0 in Cluj-Napoca vs $42.00 in Braila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $215 per month, with Braila 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 Braila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Braila wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Cluj-Napoca. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Braila the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 54% 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: $677 in Cluj-Napoca versus $407 in Braila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Braila runs roughly 97% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $624 in Cluj-Napoca versus $390 in Braila. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,222 in Braila versus $1,488 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Braila but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Braila the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Braila delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,222 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Braila hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cluj-Napoca and Braila 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 Braila gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.