Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Drobeta-Turnu Severin Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Drobeta-Turnu Severin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,375 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,093 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,092 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,789 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,808 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,485 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 26% more expensive than Drobeta-Turnu Severin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 3% above, Drobeta-Turnu Severin is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.48 RON 50.1

$13.97 RON 60.9

-17.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.9 RON 253

$68.4 RON 298

-15.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.25 RON 35.98

$7.91 RON 34.49

4.30%

Cappuccino

$3.53 RON 15.40

$3.43 RON 14.94

2.92%

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

$2.33 RON 10.16

$2.26 RON 9.85

3.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RON 9.67

$2.30 RON 10.01

-3.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 RON 13.92

$3.50 RON 15.24

-8.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 RON 16.98

$4.01 RON 17.47

-2.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 RON 7.52

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 RON 5.70

$1.37 RON 5.96

-4.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 RON 8.26

$1.86 RON 8.11

1.61%

Eggs

$3.23 RON 14.10

$3.63 RON 15.82

-11.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.79 RON 42.69

$9.74 RON 42.47

0.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.15 RON 31.19

$6.84 RON 29.83

4.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 RON 52.2

$12.08 RON 52.7

-0.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.37

$1.36 RON 5.94

-9.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 RON 7.72

$1.77 RON 7.71

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.07

$1.83 RON 7.99

-11.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 10.34

$2.50 RON 10.92

-5.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.21

$1.00 RON 4.34

-3.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.06

$0.96 RON 4.17

-3.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 RON 4.52

$1.00 RON 4.36

4.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 RON 3.78

$0.89 RON 3.87

-2.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.51 RON 28.40

$6.64 RON 28.95

-1.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 RON 33.97

$7.98 RON 34.79

-2.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.08

$1.22 RON 5.32

-4.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 RON 8.53

$2.00 RON 8.73

-2.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 2.93

$0.71 RON 3.10

-5.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.34 RON 102

$19.65 RON 85.7

18.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 RON 4.36

$0.72 RON 3.13

38.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 RON 3.57

$0.66 RON 2.86

24.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.52 RON 41.50

$6.85 RON 29.88

38.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 RON 7.14

$1.65 RON 7.20

-0.61%

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

$28.3K RON 123.5K

$29.1K RON 127.0K

-2.71%

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

$26.9K RON 117.1K

$30.6K RON 133.5K

-12.29%

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

$158 RON 688

$183 RON 796

-13.65%

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

$8.92 RON 38.87

$8.96 RON 39.07

-0.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.05 RON 43.81

$11.06 RON 48.22

-9.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.60 RON 190

$42.24 RON 184

3.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.27 RON 88.4

$19.49 RON 85.0

4.00%

Cinema Ticket

$7.93 RON 34.56

$8.98 RON 39.16

-11.69%

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

$490 RON 2,136

$658 RON 2,870

-25.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K RON 45.8K

$14.3K RON 62.4K

-26.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 RON 308

$80.9 RON 353

-12.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.62 RON 177

$45.23 RON 197

-10.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 RON 371

$88.9 RON 387

-4.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.6 RON 434

$110 RON 480

-9.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 RON 3,135

$382 RON 1,665

88.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 RON 2,432

$183 RON 798

204.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 RON 5,554

$578 RON 2,519

120.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$951 RON 4,144

$445 RON 1,941

113.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,661 RON 20.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,361 RON 14.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,415 RON 6,171

$994 RON 4,334

42.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

7.1

-17.61%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: April 27, 2026

Last update for Drobeta-Turnu Severin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $719 in Cluj-Napoca and $382 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 42% 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 $68.0 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $235 per month, with Cluj-Napoca 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 Drobeta-Turnu Severin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Drobeta-Turnu Severin is cheaper overall, especially in Getting Around. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cluj-Napoca pays 42% 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: $719 in Cluj-Napoca versus $382 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Drobeta-Turnu Severin 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 $490 in Cluj-Napoca versus $658 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,093 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin versus $1,375 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Drobeta-Turnu Severin but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Drobeta-Turnu Severin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Drobeta-Turnu Severin 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 Drobeta-Turnu Severin 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 Drobeta-Turnu Severin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.