Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Brasov

For one person, living is cheaper in Brasov: $1,329 a month against $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Cluj-Napoca
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Cluj-Napoca Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Brasov
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Brasov Living Index

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Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,423

/mo nomad

Brasov

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,329

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cluj-Napoca and in Brasov

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cluj-Napoca and in Brasov actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,329 in Brasov.

Cluj-Napoca $1,423
Brasov $1,329

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,100 in Brasov.

Cluj-Napoca $2,126
Brasov $2,100

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,830 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,872 in Brasov.

Cluj-Napoca $2,830
Brasov $2,872

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 7% more expensive than in Brasov, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 5% above, Brasov is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.58 RON 60.5

$11.18 RON 53.7

12.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 RON 263

$51.6 RON 248

6.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.59 RON 46.11

$7.52 RON 36.16

27.53%

Cappuccino

$3.78 RON 18.15

$3.56 RON 17.12

6.18%

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

$2.30 RON 11.07

$2.47 RON 11.86

-6.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RON 10.68

$2.24 RON 10.77

-0.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 RON 15.94

$3.10 RON 14.92

7.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 RON 20.17

$3.43 RON 16.48

22.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 RON 7.70

$1.58 RON 7.57

1.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 RON 6.93

$1.37 RON 6.61

5.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 RON 8.14

$1.74 RON 8.38

-2.87%

Eggs

$3.76 RON 18.05

$3.56 RON 17.12

5.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.07 RON 43.57

$8.89 RON 42.70

2.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.14 RON 34.30

$6.71 RON 32.27

6.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.46 RON 55.1

$12.46 RON 59.9

-8.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 RON 6.66

$1.52 RON 7.33

-8.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 RON 7.60

$1.56 RON 7.50

1.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 RON 9.04

$1.58 RON 7.61

18.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 11.38

$2.59 RON 12.44

-8.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RON 4.43

$0.78 RON 3.73

17.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 RON 4.32

$0.86 RON 4.13

4.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 RON 4.34

$0.91 RON 4.39

-1.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 RON 4.84

$0.77 RON 3.68

31.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.42 RON 30.86

$6.03 RON 28.97

6.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.41 RON 35.62

$7.29 RON 35.03

1.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 RON 5.98

$1.18 RON 5.68

5.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 RON 8.31

$1.87 RON 8.96

-7.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 RON 3.65

$1.02 RON 4.91

-25.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.23 RON 213

$23.18 RON 111

90.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 RON 4.01

$0.64 RON 3.05

31.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 RON 4.62

$0.67 RON 3.24

43.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.27 RON 39.74

$6.65 RON 31.94

24.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 RON 9.32

$1.93 RON 9.27

0.52%

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

$28.3K RON 136.1K

$28.1K RON 135.2K

0.67%

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

$24.7K RON 118.9K

$24.9K RON 119.8K

-0.77%

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

$151 RON 725

$179 RON 861

-15.74%

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

$8.44 RON 40.55

$7.57 RON 36.38

11.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.16 RON 44.04

$9.32 RON 44.80

-1.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.36 RON 228

$55.5 RON 267

-14.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.01 RON 106

$13.39 RON 64.4

64.38%

Cinema Ticket

$9.35 RON 44.95

$9.42 RON 45.28

-0.74%

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

$577 RON 2,774

$434 RON 2,088

32.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,450 RON 45.4K

$6,793 RON 32.6K

39.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 RON 419

$52.2 RON 251

66.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.26 RON 213

$35.26 RON 169

25.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 RON 475

$75.5 RON 363

30.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 RON 513

$89.8 RON 432

18.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$668 RON 3,212

$684 RON 3,285

-2.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 RON 2,575

$492 RON 2,363

8.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 RON 5,895

$1,247 RON 5,991

-1.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$807 RON 3,881

$1,010 RON 4,854

-20.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,568 RON 22.0K

$3,153 RON 15.2K

44.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,342 RON 16.1K

$2,361 RON 11.3K

41.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,241 RON 5,962

$1,096 RON 5,268

13.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

7.2

-7.64%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: October 25, 2026

Last update for Brasov: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cluj-Napoca

$536 37.7%

Brasov

$492 37% 8.2% $44

Groceries & Markets

Cluj-Napoca

$230 16.2%

Brasov

$226 17% 1.9% $4.3

Eating Out

Cluj-Napoca

$218 15.3%

Brasov

$196 14.8% 10.1% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cluj-Napoca

$168 11.8%

Brasov

$196 14.8% 16.3% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Cluj-Napoca

$152 10.7%

Brasov

$114 8.6% 25% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Cluj-Napoca

$66 4.6%

Brasov

$74 5.6% 12.5% $8.3

Getting Around

Cluj-Napoca

$53 3.7%

Brasov

$31 2.4% 40.9% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $668 in Cluj-Napoca and $684 in Brasov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 13% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $55 in Cluj-Napoca vs $52 in Brasov for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $226 per month, with Brasov cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Brasov

🕒 Local time

17:24 5:24 PM

Same time as Cluj-Napoca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

324,576

253,200

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.208 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 RON = 0.208 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Cluj-Napoca Brasov 200 km

From you

Cluj-Napoca
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Brasov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cluj-Napoca and Brasov differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,423 vs $1,329 including rent). Brasov is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 13% 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: $668 in Cluj-Napoca versus $684 in Brasov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $577 in Cluj-Napoca versus $434 in Brasov. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Brasov – a meal for two runs $52 versus $55 in Cluj-Napoca. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Brasov gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Brasov are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Brasov wins on affordability, Cluj-Napoca on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.