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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca versus $951 in Cugir.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,123 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,403 in Cugir.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,860 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,854 in Cugir.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 46% more expensive than Cugir, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 3% above, Cugir is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.53 RON 52.1

$6.37 RON 28.80

81.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 263

$23.23 RON 105

150.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.21 RON 37.10

$8.12 RON 36.69

1.11%

Cappuccino

$3.37 RON 15.25

$1.71 RON 7.73

97.08%

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

$2.42 RON 10.93

$1.48 RON 6.68

63.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 RON 9.90

$1.27 RON 5.74

72.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 RON 14.70

$1.65 RON 7.44

96.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 RON 17.61

$2.26 RON 10.24

72.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 RON 7.85

$1.48 RON 6.71

17.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 RON 6.03

$1.27 RON 5.74

4.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 RON 8.31

$1.51 RON 6.80

21.85%

Eggs

$3.24 RON 14.64

$3.18 RON 14.38

1.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 RON 45.88

$9.54 RON 43.13

6.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 RON 31.15

$6.31 RON 28.54

9.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.08 RON 54.6

$11.49 RON 51.9

5.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.57

$1.08 RON 4.90

13.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 RON 7.81

$1.50 RON 6.76

15.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.02

$1.61 RON 7.27

-3.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 RON 10.51

$2.51 RON 11.33

-7.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 RON 4.60

$0.77 RON 3.48

32.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.38

$0.98 RON 4.44

-1.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 RON 4.70

$0.67 RON 3.04

55.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 RON 3.98

$0.80 RON 3.60

10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.53 RON 29.52

$5.83 RON 26.35

12.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.94 RON 35.87

$5.95 RON 26.88

33.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 RON 5.10

$1.26 RON 5.71

-10.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 RON 9.26

$1.73 RON 7.84

18.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 RON 3.18

$0.67 RON 3.03

4.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.33 RON 105

$19.51 RON 88.2

19.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 RON 4.52

$0.55 RON 2.50

81.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 RON 4.02

$0.54 RON 2.43

64.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.45 RON 42.70

$5.68 RON 25.66

66.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 RON 7.63

$1.52 RON 6.87

11.18%

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

$28.4K RON 128.6K

$28.1K RON 127.1K

1.18%

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

$27.1K RON 122.3K

$26.3K RON 118.7K

3.04%

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

$161 RON 730

$140 RON 631

15.56%

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

$9.19 RON 41.52

$8.45 RON 38.19

8.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.66 RON 43.65

$9.22 RON 41.68

4.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.75 RON 202

$40.72 RON 184

9.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.86 RON 89.8

$19.13 RON 86.5

3.82%

Cinema Ticket

$8.25 RON 37.30

$7.85 RON 35.49

5.10%

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

$491 RON 2,220

$500 RON 2,262

-1.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K RON 49.0K

$10.3K RON 46.5K

5.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 RON 320

$34.91 RON 158

103.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.43 RON 178

$9.20 RON 41.57

328.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 RON 380

$81.6 RON 369

3.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.5 RON 450

$91.7 RON 415

8.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$692 RON 3,129

$384 RON 1,734

80.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 RON 2,485

$295 RON 1,333

86.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 RON 5,625

$587 RON 2,654

111.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$923 RON 4,174

$439 RON 1,984

110.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,494 RON 20.3K

$1,988 RON 8,985

126.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,328 RON 15.0K

$1,187 RON 5,366

180.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,378 RON 6,231

$564 RON 2,550

144.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

6.66

-12.16%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: June 2, 2026

Last update for Cugir: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $692 in Cluj-Napoca and $384 in Cugir. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 144% 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 $23.00 in Cugir for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $212 per month, with Cugir 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 Cugir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cugir is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cluj-Napoca pays 144% 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 $384 in Cugir. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cugir runs roughly 20% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $491 in Cluj-Napoca versus $500 in Cugir. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $951 in Cugir versus $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cugir but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Cugir the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cugir 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 Cugir 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 Cugir gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.