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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,265 in Brasov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,123 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,970 in Brasov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,860 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,675 in Brasov.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 10% more expensive than Brasov, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 3% above, Brasov is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.53 RON 52.1

$12.18 RON 55.1

-5.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 263

$49.75 RON 225

16.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.21 RON 37.10

$8.19 RON 37.02

0.24%

Cappuccino

$3.37 RON 15.25

$3.47 RON 15.69

-2.88%

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

$2.42 RON 10.93

$1.95 RON 8.81

24.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 RON 9.90

$2.10 RON 9.48

4.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 RON 14.70

$3.25 RON 14.67

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 RON 17.61

$3.50 RON 15.80

11.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 RON 7.85

$1.49 RON 6.72

16.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 RON 6.03

$1.33 RON 6.02

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 RON 8.31

$1.75 RON 7.89

5.14%

Eggs

$3.24 RON 14.64

$3.39 RON 15.32

-4.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 RON 45.88

$8.49 RON 38.38

19.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 RON 31.15

$6.96 RON 31.46

-1.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.08 RON 54.6

$11.91 RON 53.8

1.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.57

$1.19 RON 5.39

3.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 RON 7.81

$1.64 RON 7.39

5.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.02

$1.60 RON 7.24

-3.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 RON 10.51

$2.53 RON 11.43

-7.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 RON 4.60

$0.95 RON 4.30

7.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.38

$1.07 RON 4.82

-9.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 RON 4.70

$0.88 RON 3.99

18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 RON 3.98

$0.85 RON 3.83

3.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.53 RON 29.52

$5.82 RON 26.30

12.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.94 RON 35.87

$9.03 RON 40.82

-12.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 RON 5.10

$1.14 RON 5.14

-0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 RON 9.26

$1.66 RON 7.50

23.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 RON 3.18

$0.91 RON 4.11

-23.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.33 RON 105

$19.00 RON 85.9

22.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 RON 4.52

$0.77 RON 3.47

29.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 RON 4.02

$0.60 RON 2.73

48.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.45 RON 42.70

$6.88 RON 31.10

37.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 RON 7.63

$1.59 RON 7.20

6.29%

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

$28.4K RON 128.6K

$27.7K RON 125.4K

2.55%

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

$27.1K RON 122.3K

$27.4K RON 123.9K

-1.26%

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

$161 RON 730

$167 RON 754

-3.30%

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

$9.19 RON 41.52

$7.88 RON 35.63

16.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.66 RON 43.65

$9.28 RON 41.94

4.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.75 RON 202

$59.8 RON 270

-25.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.86 RON 89.8

$15.86 RON 71.7

25.22%

Cinema Ticket

$8.25 RON 37.30

$10.84 RON 48.99

-23.89%

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

$491 RON 2,220

$441 RON 1,995

11.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K RON 49.0K

$6,608 RON 29.9K

63.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 RON 320

$65.8 RON 297

7.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.43 RON 178

$42.49 RON 192

-7.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 RON 380

$95.8 RON 433

-12.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.5 RON 450

$97.2 RON 440

2.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$692 RON 3,129

$621 RON 2,808

11.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 RON 2,485

$419 RON 1,892

31.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 RON 5,625

$1,051 RON 4,751

18.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$923 RON 4,174

$701 RON 3,171

31.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,494 RON 20.3K

$3,190 RON 14.4K

40.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,328 RON 15.0K

$2,490 RON 11.3K

33.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,378 RON 6,231

$1,082 RON 4,892

27.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

7.7

-24.03%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: June 2, 2026

Last update for Brasov: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $692 in Cluj-Napoca and $621 in Brasov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 27% 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 $50.0 in Brasov for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $225 per month, with Brasov 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 Brasov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cluj-Napoca and Brasov differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($1,387 vs $1,265 including rent). Brasov is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Cluj-Napoca pays 27% 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: $692 in Cluj-Napoca versus $621 in Brasov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brasov – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,387 per month in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,265 in Brasov – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Brasov versus $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brasov but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Brasov 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 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.

Expats usually find Brasov gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.