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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,374 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,115 in Craiova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,111 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,639 in Craiova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,848 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,163 in Craiova.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 23% more expensive than Craiova, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 2% above, Craiova is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.58 RON 52.4

$8.96 RON 40.53

29.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 RON 261

$46.48 RON 210

24.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.08 RON 36.53

$7.99 RON 36.16

1.13%

Cappuccino

$3.53 RON 15.99

$2.59 RON 11.73

36.29%

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

$2.30 RON 10.40

$2.09 RON 9.44

10.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 RON 9.65

$1.87 RON 8.44

13.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 RON 14.84

$2.35 RON 10.61

39.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 RON 18.18

$3.52 RON 15.94

14.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 RON 8.11

$1.51 RON 6.84

18.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.10

$1.00 RON 4.51

35.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 RON 8.56

$1.71 RON 7.72

10.53%

Eggs

$3.26 RON 14.75

$3.27 RON 14.78

-0.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.25 RON 46.36

$7.76 RON 35.10

32.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 RON 31.96

$6.54 RON 29.60

7.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 RON 54.6

$9.45 RON 42.75

27.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 RON 5.36

$1.28 RON 5.80

-7.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 RON 7.80

$1.69 RON 7.64

1.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.39

$1.57 RON 7.11

3.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 RON 10.93

$1.87 RON 8.47

29.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 RON 4.30

$1.03 RON 4.68

-7.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.23

$1.12 RON 5.07

-16.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 RON 4.89

$0.80 RON 3.61

35.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 RON 3.99

$0.80 RON 3.64

10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 RON 29.67

$6.03 RON 27.26

8.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.76 RON 35.09

$6.00 RON 27.16

29.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 RON 5.23

$1.31 RON 5.95

-11.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 RON 8.86

$2.26 RON 10.24

-13.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 3.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.65 RON 102

$23.28 RON 105

-2.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 RON 4.51

$0.57 RON 2.58

75.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 RON 3.90

$0.83 RON 3.77

3.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.43 RON 42.67

$7.10 RON 32.12

32.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 RON 7.71

$1.61 RON 7.27

5.59%

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

$28.5K RON 128.9K

$27.5K RON 124.6K

3.48%

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

$26.7K RON 120.8K

$27.8K RON 125.9K

-4.10%

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

$156 RON 704

$212 RON 957

-26.44%

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

$9.13 RON 41.29

$8.06 RON 36.48

13.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.87 RON 44.65

$11.54 RON 52.2

-14.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.65 RON 202

$36.06 RON 163

23.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.25 RON 91.6

$18.75 RON 84.8

8.00%

Cinema Ticket

$8.27 RON 37.39

$6.69 RON 30.28

23.62%

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

$481 RON 2,176

$436 RON 1,971

10.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K RON 47.5K

$8,920 RON 40.4K

17.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 RON 314

$80.5 RON 364

-13.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.69 RON 184

$36.68 RON 166

10.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 RON 382

$78.5 RON 355

7.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 RON 452

$87.8 RON 397

13.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$707 RON 3,196

$387 RON 1,751

82.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$564 RON 2,552

$307 RON 1,389

83.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 RON 5,706

$727 RON 3,287

73.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$930 RON 4,209

$448 RON 2,028

107.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,832 RON 21.9K

$2,639 RON 11.9K

83.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,491 RON 15.8K

$2,047 RON 9,260

70.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,369 RON 6,194

$998 RON 4,516

37.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

6.28

-6.85%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: June 8, 2026

Last update for Craiova: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $707 in Cluj-Napoca and $387 in Craiova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 37% 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 $46.00 in Craiova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $203 per month, with Craiova 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 Craiova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Craiova is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cluj-Napoca pays 37% 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: $707 in Cluj-Napoca versus $387 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 3% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $481 in Cluj-Napoca versus $436 in Craiova. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,115 in Craiova versus $1,374 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Craiova but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Craiova the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Craiova is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cluj-Napoca, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cluj-Napoca and Craiova 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 Craiova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.