Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Craiova

For one person, living is cheaper in Craiova: $1,217 a month against $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Craiova
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Craiova Living Index

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Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,423

/mo nomad

Craiova

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,217

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,217 in Craiova.

Cluj-Napoca $1,423
Craiova $1,217

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,869 in Craiova.

Cluj-Napoca $2,126
Craiova $1,869

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,830 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,520 in Craiova.

Cluj-Napoca $2,830
Craiova $2,520

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 17% more expensive than in Craiova, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 5% above, Craiova is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.58 RON 60.2

$7.14 RON 34.15

76.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 RON 262

$41.37 RON 198

32.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.59 RON 45.90

$7.45 RON 35.64

28.72%

Cappuccino

$3.78 RON 18.07

$2.71 RON 12.98

39.48%

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

$2.30 RON 11.02

$2.23 RON 10.65

3.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RON 10.63

$1.77 RON 8.46

25.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 RON 15.87

$2.24 RON 10.71

48.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 RON 20.08

$3.51 RON 16.80

19.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 RON 7.67

$1.27 RON 6.09

25.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 RON 6.90

$0.82 RON 3.93

75.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 RON 8.10

$1.42 RON 6.77

19.01%

Eggs

$3.76 RON 17.97

$3.26 RON 15.57

15.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.07 RON 43.38

$7.21 RON 34.51

25.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.14 RON 34.15

$6.47 RON 30.95

10.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.46 RON 54.8

$11.49 RON 55.0

-0.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 RON 6.63

$0.95 RON 4.53

46.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 RON 7.56

$1.50 RON 7.16

5.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 RON 9.00

$1.45 RON 6.94

29.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 11.33

$1.80 RON 8.62

31.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RON 4.41

$0.76 RON 3.65

21.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 RON 4.30

$0.89 RON 4.28

1.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 RON 4.32

$0.73 RON 3.51

23.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 RON 4.81

$0.77 RON 3.67

31.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.42 RON 30.72

$6.59 RON 31.51

-2.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.41 RON 35.46

$6.34 RON 30.33

16.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 RON 5.96

$1.20 RON 5.76

4.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 RON 8.28

$1.46 RON 7.00

18.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 RON 3.63

$0.88 RON 4.20

-13.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.23 RON 212

$25.16 RON 120

75.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 RON 4.00

$0.61 RON 2.93

37.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 RON 4.60

$0.65 RON 3.09

47.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.27 RON 39.56

$6.37 RON 30.49

29.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 RON 9.27

$1.90 RON 9.11

2.11%

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

$28.3K RON 135.5K

$28.9K RON 138.1K

-1.89%

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

$24.7K RON 118.4K

$25.8K RON 123.6K

-4.24%

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

$151 RON 722

$216 RON 1,036

-30.31%

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

$8.44 RON 40.37

$9.24 RON 44.23

-8.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.16 RON 43.84

$11.57 RON 55.4

-20.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.36 RON 227

$38.59 RON 185

22.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.01 RON 105

$21.52 RON 103

2.28%

Cinema Ticket

$9.35 RON 44.75

$7.28 RON 34.81

28.43%

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

$577 RON 2,761

$411 RON 1,964

40.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,450 RON 45.2K

$8,047 RON 38.5K

17.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 RON 417

$62.9 RON 301

38.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.26 RON 212

$50.6 RON 242

-12.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 RON 473

$82.8 RON 396

19.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 RON 511

$103 RON 495

3.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$668 RON 3,197

$532 RON 2,544

25.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 RON 2,563

$418 RON 2,002

28.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 RON 5,868

$910 RON 4,352

34.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$807 RON 3,863

$829 RON 3,966

-2.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,568 RON 21.9K

$2,703 RON 12.9K

68.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,342 RON 16.0K

$1,988 RON 9,509

68.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,241 RON 5,935

$914 RON 4,374

35.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

6.84

-2.78%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: October 25, 2026

Last update for Craiova: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cluj-Napoca

$536 37.7%

Craiova

$418 34.4% 21.9% $117

Groceries & Markets

Cluj-Napoca

$230 16.2%

Craiova

$194 16% 15.5% $36

Eating Out

Cluj-Napoca

$218 15.3%

Craiova

$146 12% 32.9% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cluj-Napoca

$168 11.8%

Craiova

$237 19.5% 40.9% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Cluj-Napoca

$152 10.7%

Craiova

$135 11.1% 11.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Cluj-Napoca

$66 4.6%

Craiova

$53 4.4% 19.6% $13

Getting Around

Cluj-Napoca

$53 3.7%

Craiova

$33 2.7% 38.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $668 in Cluj-Napoca and $532 in Craiova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 36% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $55 in Cluj-Napoca vs $41 in Craiova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $194 per month, with Craiova cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Craiova

🕒 Local time

12:03 12:03 PM

Same time as Cluj-Napoca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

324,576

269,506

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Craiova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Craiova is about 14% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 36% 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 $532 in Craiova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Craiova runs roughly 43% less than in Cluj-Napoca. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $577 in Cluj-Napoca versus $411 in Craiova. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Craiova is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Craiova are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Craiova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.