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: $1,361 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,086 in Braila.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,124 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,667 in Braila.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,887 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,247 in Braila.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 25% more expensive than in Braila, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 2% above, Braila is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.38 RON 52.0

$13.59 RON 62.1

-16.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.6 RON 263

$45.30 RON 207

27.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.94 RON 36.25

$7.84 RON 35.81

1.28%

Cappuccino

$3.53 RON 16.13

$2.76 RON 12.61

27.90%

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

$2.37 RON 10.84

$1.90 RON 8.69

24.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 RON 9.70

$1.72 RON 7.86

23.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 RON 14.29

$2.36 RON 10.77

32.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 RON 18.35

$3.31 RON 15.10

21.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 RON 8.08

$1.53 RON 7.00

15.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 RON 5.97

$1.30 RON 5.93

0.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 RON 8.29

$1.90 RON 8.69

-4.74%

Eggs

$3.34 RON 15.24

$3.46 RON 15.82

-3.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.83 RON 44.90

$8.47 RON 38.66

16.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.27 RON 33.21

$6.47 RON 29.53

12.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 54.8

$10.40 RON 47.50

15.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.62

$1.22 RON 5.57

0.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 RON 8.08

$1.68 RON 7.67

5.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.12

$1.71 RON 7.79

-8.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 RON 10.79

$1.93 RON 8.80

22.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.31

$0.84 RON 3.86

11.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.43

$1.14 RON 5.20

-14.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 RON 4.98

$0.67 RON 3.05

62.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 RON 4.21

$0.76 RON 3.46

21.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 29.40

$5.83 RON 26.64

10.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 RON 34.42

$6.46 RON 29.50

16.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.33

$1.11 RON 5.07

5.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 RON 8.95

$1.62 RON 7.38

20.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 3.05

$0.62 RON 2.81

8.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.24 RON 106

$16.41 RON 74.9

41.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 RON 4.51

$0.94 RON 4.29

5.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 RON 3.75

$0.65 RON 2.96

26.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.11 RON 41.61

$7.64 RON 34.90

19.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 RON 7.70

$1.53 RON 7.00

10.46%

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

$28.4K RON 129.9K

$28.3K RON 129.1K

0.58%

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

$27.0K RON 123.4K

$27.3K RON 124.5K

-0.86%

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

$158 RON 723

$151 RON 690

4.80%

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

$8.72 RON 39.83

$7.70 RON 35.16

13.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.91 RON 45.28

$9.00 RON 41.08

10.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.33 RON 198

$34.79 RON 159

24.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.21 RON 92.3

$13.93 RON 63.6

45.08%

Cinema Ticket

$7.86 RON 35.91

$6.81 RON 31.08

15.42%

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

$492 RON 2,249

$294 RON 1,344

67.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K RON 47.9K

$6,926 RON 31.6K

51.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 RON 320

$68.4 RON 312

2.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.01 RON 187

$54.3 RON 248

-24.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 RON 385

$71.0 RON 324

18.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 RON 462

$113 RON 515

-10.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 RON 3,250

$382 RON 1,745

86.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 RON 2,502

$307 RON 1,402

78.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 RON 5,788

$574 RON 2,623

120.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$940 RON 4,294

$462 RON 2,110

103.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,857 RON 22.2K

$1,936 RON 8,838

150.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,404 RON 15.5K

$1,395 RON 6,370

144.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,325 RON 6,050

$877 RON 4,003

51.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

6.78

-13.72%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: July 25, 2026

Last update for Braila: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $712 in Cluj-Napoca and $382 in Braila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 51% 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 $45.00 in Braila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $210 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 25% 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 51% 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 $382 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 42% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $492 in Cluj-Napoca versus $294 in Braila. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,086 in Braila versus $1,361 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 $1,086 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 25% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.