Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Cugir

For one person, living is cheaper in Cugir: $879 a month against $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Cluj-Napoca
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Cluj-Napoca Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Cugir
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Cugir Living Index

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Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,423

/mo nomad

Cugir

🇷🇴 Romania

$879

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca versus $879 in Cugir.

Cluj-Napoca $1,423
Cugir $879

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,300 in Cugir.

Cluj-Napoca $2,126
Cugir $1,300

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,830 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,721 in Cugir.

Cluj-Napoca $2,830
Cugir $1,721

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 62% more expensive than in Cugir, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 5% above, Cugir is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.58 RON 60.5

$5.85 RON 28.11

115.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 RON 263

$21.39 RON 103

156.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.59 RON 46.11

$7.55 RON 36.31

27.02%

Cappuccino

$3.78 RON 18.15

$1.50 RON 7.22

152.00%

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

$2.30 RON 11.07

$1.29 RON 6.20

78.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RON 10.68

$1.17 RON 5.65

89.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 RON 15.94

$1.51 RON 7.27

119.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 RON 20.17

$2.13 RON 10.23

97.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 RON 7.70

$1.15 RON 5.53

39.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 RON 6.93

$1.23 RON 5.90

17.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 RON 8.14

$1.75 RON 8.41

-3.43%

Eggs

$3.76 RON 18.05

$2.70 RON 13.00

39.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.07 RON 43.57

$6.97 RON 33.50

30.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.14 RON 34.30

$4.85 RON 23.32

47.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.46 RON 55.1

$10.51 RON 50.5

9.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 RON 6.66

$1.62 RON 7.77

-14.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 RON 7.60

$1.76 RON 8.48

-10.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 RON 9.04

$1.64 RON 7.91

14.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 11.38

$1.41 RON 6.77

68.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RON 4.43

$0.78 RON 3.77

17.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 RON 4.32

$0.82 RON 3.93

9.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 RON 4.34

$1.19 RON 5.73

-24.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 RON 4.84

$0.76 RON 3.67

32.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.42 RON 30.86

$5.46 RON 26.22

17.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.41 RON 35.62

$5.78 RON 27.76

28.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 RON 5.98

$1.22 RON 5.87

2.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 RON 8.31

$1.70 RON 8.18

1.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 RON 3.65

$0.72 RON 3.47

5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.23 RON 213

$21.74 RON 105

103.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 RON 4.01

$0.54 RON 2.62

55.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 RON 4.62

$0.54 RON 2.61

77.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.27 RON 39.74

$5.32 RON 25.55

55.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 RON 9.32

$1.35 RON 6.50

43.70%

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

$28.3K RON 136.1K

$28.1K RON 135.0K

0.85%

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

$24.7K RON 118.9K

$24.9K RON 119.9K

-0.82%

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

$151 RON 725

$124 RON 595

21.87%

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

$8.44 RON 40.55

$7.97 RON 38.32

5.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.16 RON 44.04

$7.31 RON 35.12

25.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.36 RON 228

$38.47 RON 185

23.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.01 RON 106

$20.29 RON 97.5

8.48%

Cinema Ticket

$9.35 RON 44.95

$5.41 RON 26.00

72.83%

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

$577 RON 2,774

$155 RON 746

272.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,450 RON 45.4K

$3,824 RON 18.4K

147.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 RON 419

$31.46 RON 151

176.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.26 RON 213

$8.30 RON 39.88

433.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 RON 475

$69.8 RON 336

41.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 RON 513

$74.1 RON 356

44.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$668 RON 3,212

$379 RON 1,824

76.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 RON 2,575

$281 RON 1,352

90.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 RON 5,895

$585 RON 2,813

109.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$807 RON 3,881

$451 RON 2,167

79.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,568 RON 22.0K

$1,831 RON 8,799

149.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,342 RON 16.1K

$1,352 RON 6,499

147.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,241 RON 5,962

$519 RON 2,493

139.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

7.35

-9.52%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cugir: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cluj-Napoca

$536 37.7%

Cugir

$281 32% 47.5% $254

Groceries & Markets

Cluj-Napoca

$230 16.2%

Cugir

$190 21.6% 17.6% $40

Eating Out

Cluj-Napoca

$218 15.3%

Cugir

$109 12.4% 49.9% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cluj-Napoca

$168 11.8%

Cugir

$139 15.8% 17.4% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Cluj-Napoca

$152 10.7%

Cugir

$83 9.4% 45.5% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Cluj-Napoca

$66 4.6%

Cugir

$49 5.6% 25.4% $17

Getting Around

Cluj-Napoca

$53 3.7%

Cugir

$28 3.2% 47.3% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $668 in Cluj-Napoca and $379 in Cugir. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays about 2.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $55 in Cluj-Napoca vs $21 in Cugir for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $190 per month, with Cugir cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Cugir

🕒 Local time

19:44 7:44 PM

Same time as Cluj-Napoca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

324,576

28,780

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.208 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 RON = 0.208 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Cluj-Napoca Cugir 110 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 Cugir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cugir is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and groceries. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Cluj-Napoca is about 2.4 times higher, 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 $379 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 51% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $577 in Cluj-Napoca versus $155 in Cugir. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $879 in Cugir versus $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,000 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.

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 Cugir gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.