Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Cluj-Napoca: $1,382 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Cluj-Napoca
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Cluj-Napoca Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,382

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,382 per month in Cluj-Napoca vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Cluj-Napoca $1,382
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $2,085 per month in Cluj-Napoca vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Cluj-Napoca $2,085
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $2,787 per month in Cluj-Napoca vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Cluj-Napoca $2,787
Budapest $3,489

Cluj-Napoca is about 15% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Cluj-Napoca and Budapest sit above the global median – Cluj-Napoca by 3%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.81 RON 61.0

$13.99 Ft 4,555

-8.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.4 RON 269

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

-6.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 RON 44.50

$9.96 Ft 3,244

-6.22%

Cappuccino

$3.73 RON 17.80

$3.38 Ft 1,102

10.36%

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

$2.33 RON 11.09

$2.13 Ft 693

9.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.95

$1.87 Ft 609

22.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 RON 15.22

$3.75 Ft 1,222

-14.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 RON 20.51

$3.57 Ft 1,163

20.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 RON 7.75

$1.13 Ft 369

44.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 RON 7.24

$1.84 Ft 600

-17.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 RON 8.35

$2.39 Ft 777

-26.78%

Eggs

$3.86 RON 18.40

$3.83 Ft 1,246

0.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.35 RON 44.57

$11.33 Ft 3,689

-17.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.28 RON 34.70

$6.74 Ft 2,194

8.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.45 RON 54.6

$14.69 Ft 4,784

-22.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.43 RON 6.83

$1.84 Ft 598

-22.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 RON 7.84

$2.01 Ft 654

-18.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 RON 8.99

$2.36 Ft 767

-19.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 RON 11.91

$3.77 Ft 1,227

-33.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.63

$0.96 Ft 314

1.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 RON 4.35

$1.03 Ft 335

-11.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 RON 4.68

$1.56 Ft 509

-37.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 RON 4.86

$0.66 Ft 216

54.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.12 RON 29.14

$7.96 Ft 2,594

-23.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.37 RON 35.11

$6.01 Ft 1,956

22.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 RON 6.11

$1.30 Ft 422

-1.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 RON 8.22

$2.08 Ft 677

-16.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$1.50 Ft 490

-48.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.49 RON 145

$27.61 Ft 8,991

10.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 RON 4.10

$3.30 Ft 1,075

-73.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 RON 4.74

$1.30 Ft 424

-23.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.42 RON 40.12

$19.78 Ft 6,442

-57.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 RON 9.22

$1.81 Ft 591

6.63%

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

$28.2K RON 134.3K

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

-3.91%

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

$24.9K RON 118.7K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-26.99%

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

$157 RON 748

$170 Ft 55.3K

-7.61%

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

$8.59 RON 40.94

$23.98 Ft 7,809

-64.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.79 RON 46.65

$23.42 Ft 7,628

-58.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.00 RON 224

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-29.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.48 RON 107

$19.18 Ft 6,245

17.21%

Cinema Ticket

$9.65 RON 45.99

$9.52 Ft 3,101

1.37%

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

$591 RON 2,815

$537 Ft 174.8K

10.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 RON 46.2K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-41.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.2 RON 416

$101 Ft 33.0K

-13.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.80 RON 218

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

6.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 RON 480

$113 Ft 36.7K

-10.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 RON 521

$119 Ft 38.7K

-7.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$630 RON 3,003

$805 Ft 262.2K

-21.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$519 RON 2,475

$629 Ft 204.9K

-17.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 RON 5,540

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

-24.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$829 RON 3,951

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

-28.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,711 RON 22.5K

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-16.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,394 RON 16.2K

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-14.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,223 RON 5,826

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

-24.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.43

5.75%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: October 3, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cluj-Napoca

$519 36.9%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 21.1% $110

Groceries & Markets

Cluj-Napoca

$235 16.7%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 9.5% $22

Eating Out

Cluj-Napoca

$218 15.5%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 2.7% $5.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cluj-Napoca

$175 12.5%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 23.9% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Cluj-Napoca

$154 11%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 9.6% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Cluj-Napoca

$66 4.7%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 28.6% $19

Getting Around

Cluj-Napoca

$39 2.8%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 10.2% $4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $630 in Cluj-Napoca versus $805 in Budapest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 33% higher in Budapest, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in Cluj-Napoca versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $258 – making Cluj-Napoca the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

09:26 9:26 AM

08:26 8:26 AM

1 h behind Cluj-Napoca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

324,576

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.77 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

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Between locations

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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 Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,074 per month in Cluj-Napoca and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cluj-Napoca, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 10% less in Cluj-Napoca. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $591 per month in Cluj-Napoca and $537 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cluj-Napoca, where all-in costs run around $1,382, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Cluj-Napoca it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cluj-Napoca – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cluj-Napoca. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.