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: $1,374 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,053 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,111 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,756 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,848 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,459 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 30% more expensive than Drobeta-Turnu Severin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 2% above, Drobeta-Turnu Severin is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.58 RON 52.4

$13.80 RON 62.4

-16.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 RON 261

$69.4 RON 314

-16.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.08 RON 36.53

$8.27 RON 37.40

-2.30%

Cappuccino

$3.53 RON 15.99

$3.41 RON 15.43

3.52%

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

$2.30 RON 10.40

$2.34 RON 10.58

-1.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 RON 9.65

$2.30 RON 10.38

-7.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 RON 14.84

$3.54 RON 16.00

-7.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 RON 18.18

$4.01 RON 18.13

0.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 RON 8.11

$1.79 RON 8.09

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.10

$1.35 RON 6.12

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 RON 8.56

$1.83 RON 8.27

3.28%

Eggs

$3.26 RON 14.75

$3.67 RON 16.60

-11.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.25 RON 46.36

$9.46 RON 42.78

8.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 RON 31.96

$6.86 RON 31.05

2.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 RON 54.6

$12.46 RON 56.4

-3.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 RON 5.36

$1.40 RON 6.32

-15.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 RON 7.80

$1.70 RON 7.68

1.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.39

$1.81 RON 8.17

-9.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 RON 10.93

$2.42 RON 10.94

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 RON 4.30

$1.00 RON 4.51

-5.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.23

$0.97 RON 4.40

-4.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 RON 4.89

$0.97 RON 4.41

11.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 RON 3.99

$0.88 RON 3.98

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 RON 29.67

$6.49 RON 29.36

1.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.76 RON 35.09

$8.46 RON 38.27

-8.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 RON 5.23

$1.26 RON 5.70

-7.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 RON 8.86

$1.94 RON 8.78

1.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 3.02

$0.67 RON 3.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.65 RON 102

$20.09 RON 90.9

12.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 RON 4.51

$0.71 RON 3.21

40.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 RON 3.90

$0.65 RON 2.95

32.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.43 RON 42.67

$6.99 RON 31.62

34.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 RON 7.71

$1.73 RON 7.81

-1.73%

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

$28.5K RON 128.9K

$28.8K RON 130.2K

-0.94%

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

$26.7K RON 120.8K

$29.7K RON 134.3K

-10.09%

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

$156 RON 704

$181 RON 820

-14.10%

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

$9.13 RON 41.29

$8.85 RON 40.02

3.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.87 RON 44.65

$11.28 RON 51.0

-12.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.65 RON 202

$40.86 RON 185

9.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.25 RON 91.6

$19.20 RON 86.9

5.47%

Cinema Ticket

$8.27 RON 37.39

$9.34 RON 42.26

-11.46%

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

$481 RON 2,176

$667 RON 3,019

-27.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K RON 47.5K

$14.4K RON 65.2K

-27.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 RON 314

$81.5 RON 369

-14.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.69 RON 184

$44.43 RON 201

-8.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 RON 382

$91.1 RON 412

-7.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 RON 452

$110 RON 497

-9.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$707 RON 3,196

$389 RON 1,759

81.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$564 RON 2,552

$186 RON 842

203.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 RON 5,706

$595 RON 2,690

112.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$930 RON 4,209

$442 RON 1,999

110.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,832 RON 21.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,491 RON 15.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,369 RON 6,194

$951 RON 4,301

44.00%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Drobeta-Turnu Severin: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $707 in Cluj-Napoca and $389 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 44% 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 $69.0 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $237 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 Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cluj-Napoca pays 44% 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 $389 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 13% 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 $667 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,053 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin versus $1,374 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 30% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.