Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Buzau

For one person, living is cheaper in Buzau: $979 a month against $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Buzau
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Buzau Living Index

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Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,423

/mo nomad

Buzau

🇷🇴 Romania

$979

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca versus $979 in Buzau.

Cluj-Napoca $1,423
Buzau $979

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,447 in Buzau.

Cluj-Napoca $2,126
Buzau $1,447

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,830 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,916 in Buzau.

Cluj-Napoca $2,830
Buzau $1,916

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 45% more expensive than in Buzau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 5% above, Buzau is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.58 RON 59.9

$10.50 RON 50.0

19.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 RON 261

$24.73 RON 118

121.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.59 RON 45.71

$6.34 RON 30.21

51.26%

Cappuccino

$3.78 RON 17.99

$1.95 RON 9.29

93.85%

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

$2.30 RON 10.98

$1.92 RON 9.15

19.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RON 10.59

$1.45 RON 6.90

53.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 RON 15.80

$1.71 RON 8.15

94.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 RON 20.00

$1.70 RON 8.12

147.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 RON 7.64

$1.66 RON 7.93

-3.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 RON 6.87

$1.28 RON 6.09

12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 RON 8.07

$1.43 RON 6.82

18.18%

Eggs

$3.76 RON 17.89

$3.03 RON 14.45

24.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.07 RON 43.20

$7.26 RON 34.57

24.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.14 RON 34.01

$6.39 RON 30.44

11.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.46 RON 54.6

$10.93 RON 52.1

4.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 RON 6.60

$0.96 RON 4.55

44.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 RON 7.53

$1.70 RON 8.09

-7.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 RON 8.97

$1.10 RON 5.22

70.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 11.28

$1.21 RON 5.77

95.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RON 4.39

$0.64 RON 3.05

43.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 RON 4.28

$0.78 RON 3.73

15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 RON 4.31

$0.49 RON 2.35

83.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 RON 4.79

$0.67 RON 3.18

50.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.42 RON 30.59

$6.29 RON 29.95

2.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.41 RON 35.31

$6.34 RON 30.21

16.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 RON 5.93

$0.79 RON 3.78

58.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 RON 8.24

$1.45 RON 6.92

19.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 RON 3.61

$0.60 RON 2.87

26.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.23 RON 211

$21.71 RON 103

103.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 RON 3.98

$0.53 RON 2.54

58.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 RON 4.58

$0.52 RON 2.50

84.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.27 RON 39.39

$6.19 RON 29.50

33.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 RON 9.24

$1.65 RON 7.84

17.58%

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

$28.3K RON 135.0K

$18.9K RON 90.3K

49.55%

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

$24.7K RON 117.9K

$21.1K RON 100.5K

17.25%

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

$151 RON 719

$121 RON 575

25.04%

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

$8.44 RON 40.20

$7.70 RON 36.68

9.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.16 RON 43.66

$7.63 RON 36.35

20.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.36 RON 226

$32.68 RON 156

44.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.01 RON 105

$17.61 RON 83.9

24.99%

Cinema Ticket

$9.35 RON 44.57

$6.94 RON 33.06

34.73%

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

$577 RON 2,750

$293 RON 1,397

96.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,450 RON 45.0K

$6,804 RON 32.4K

38.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 RON 415

$55.3 RON 263

57.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.26 RON 211

$59.4 RON 283

-25.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 RON 471

$97.8 RON 466

1.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 RON 509

$82.8 RON 394

29.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$668 RON 3,184

$353 RON 1,680

89.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 RON 2,552

$292 RON 1,391

83.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 RON 5,844

$605 RON 2,883

102.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$807 RON 3,847

$425 RON 2,027

89.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,568 RON 21.8K

$1,478 RON 7,041

209.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,342 RON 15.9K

$1,166 RON 5,554

186.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,241 RON 5,911

$854 RON 4,071

45.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

6.97

-4.59%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: October 25, 2026

Last update for Buzau: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cluj-Napoca

$536 37.7%

Buzau

$292 29.8% 45.5% $244

Groceries & Markets

Cluj-Napoca

$230 16.2%

Buzau

$192 19.6% 16.4% $38

Eating Out

Cluj-Napoca

$218 15.3%

Buzau

$152 15.5% 30.3% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cluj-Napoca

$168 11.8%

Buzau

$136 13.9% 19.3% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Cluj-Napoca

$152 10.7%

Buzau

$133 13.6% 12.4% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Cluj-Napoca

$66 4.6%

Buzau

$47 4.8% 29.5% $20

Getting Around

Cluj-Napoca

$53 3.7%

Buzau

$27 2.8% 48.5% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $668 in Cluj-Napoca and $353 in Buzau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 45% 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: $55 in Cluj-Napoca vs $25 in Buzau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $192 per month, with Buzau cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Buzau

🕒 Local time

23:16 11:16 PM

Same time as Cluj-Napoca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

324,576

115,494

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Cluj-Napoca Buzau 310 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 Buzau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca and $979 in Buzau, so Buzau is about 31% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 45% 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 $353 in Buzau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Cluj-Napoca. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Buzau – a meal for two runs $25 versus $55 in Cluj-Napoca. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $979 in Buzau versus $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Buzau but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Buzau 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.

Expats usually find Buzau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.