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: $1,410 in Cluj-Napoca versus $951 in Cugir.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,148 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,390 in Cugir.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,886 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,828 in Cugir.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 48% more expensive than in Cugir, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 6% above, Cugir is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.41 RON 52.3

$6.41 RON 29.39

78.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 RON 265

$23.17 RON 106

149.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.14 RON 37.32

$7.95 RON 36.44

2.39%

Cappuccino

$3.39 RON 15.53

$1.74 RON 7.96

94.83%

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

$2.35 RON 10.77

$1.42 RON 6.52

65.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 RON 9.66

$1.34 RON 6.14

57.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 RON 14.97

$1.56 RON 7.17

108.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 RON 18.45

$2.27 RON 10.42

77.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 RON 8.22

$1.54 RON 7.05

16.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.18

$1.27 RON 5.81

6.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 RON 8.55

$1.49 RON 6.85

24.83%

Eggs

$3.35 RON 15.37

$3.20 RON 14.66

4.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 RON 44.43

$9.24 RON 42.36

4.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 RON 32.37

$6.42 RON 29.44

9.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 RON 54.7

$11.35 RON 52.0

5.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 RON 5.71

$1.08 RON 4.97

14.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 RON 7.90

$1.56 RON 7.15

10.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 RON 7.51

$1.55 RON 7.10

5.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 10.89

$2.45 RON 11.23

-3.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 RON 4.35

$0.79 RON 3.61

20.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.25

$1.02 RON 4.69

-8.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 RON 4.98

$0.71 RON 3.26

53.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 RON 4.12

$0.78 RON 3.56

15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.30 RON 28.91

$5.78 RON 26.49

9.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 RON 35.07

$5.46 RON 25.06

40.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.37

$1.20 RON 5.51

-2.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 RON 9.32

$1.73 RON 7.95

17.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.24

$0.72 RON 3.30

-1.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.37 RON 107

$19.62 RON 90.0

19.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 RON 4.34

$0.56 RON 2.57

69.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 RON 3.72

$0.54 RON 2.48

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.56 RON 43.82

$5.63 RON 25.80

69.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 RON 7.46

$1.49 RON 6.83

9.40%

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

$27.6K RON 126.6K

$27.8K RON 127.3K

-0.60%

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

$27.1K RON 124.2K

$26.1K RON 119.9K

3.62%

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

$160 RON 733

$139 RON 637

15.06%

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

$9.06 RON 41.56

$8.60 RON 39.45

5.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.14 RON 46.49

$9.36 RON 42.94

8.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.86 RON 206

$40.79 RON 187

9.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.93 RON 91.4

$19.35 RON 88.8

3.00%

Cinema Ticket

$7.93 RON 36.38

$7.91 RON 36.26

0.25%

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

$475 RON 2,178

$506 RON 2,320

-6.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K RON 49.3K

$10.1K RON 46.2K

6.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 RON 321

$34.52 RON 158

102.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.45 RON 181

$9.08 RON 41.65

334.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 RON 396

$82.3 RON 378

4.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 RON 460

$90.9 RON 417

10.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$714 RON 3,275

$392 RON 1,799

82.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 RON 2,563

$294 RON 1,347

90.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 RON 5,704

$596 RON 2,731

108.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 RON 4,324

$430 RON 1,970

119.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,645 RON 21.3K

$1,925 RON 8,827

141.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,395 RON 15.6K

$1,593 RON 7,308

113.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,314 RON 6,026

$546 RON 2,504

140.69%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Cugir: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $714 in Cluj-Napoca and $392 in Cugir. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 141% 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 $211 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 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 141% 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: $714 in Cluj-Napoca versus $392 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 19% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $475 in Cluj-Napoca versus $506 in Cugir. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $951 in Cugir versus $1,410 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 48% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.