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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,374 in Cluj-Napoca versus $919 in Elbasan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,111 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,443 in Elbasan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,848 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,967 in Elbasan.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 50% more expensive than Elbasan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 2% above, Elbasan is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.58 RON 52.4

$9.64 ALL 787

20.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 RON 261

$32.11 ALL 2,624

79.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.08 RON 36.53

$7.21 ALL 589

12.07%

Cappuccino

$3.53 RON 15.99

$1.79 ALL 146

97.21%

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

$2.30 RON 10.40

$1.29 ALL 105

78.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 RON 9.65

$0.68 ALL 55.9

213.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 RON 14.84

$1.79 ALL 146

83.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 RON 18.18

$2.43 ALL 198

65.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 RON 8.11

$1.84 ALL 150

-2.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.10

$0.93 ALL 76.3

45.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 RON 8.56

$1.56 ALL 128

21.15%

Eggs

$3.26 RON 14.75

$3.04 ALL 249

7.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.25 RON 46.36

$10.05 ALL 821

1.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 RON 31.96

$5.21 ALL 426

35.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 RON 54.6

$12.14 ALL 992

-0.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 RON 5.36

$0.85 ALL 69.5

38.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 RON 7.80

$2.48 ALL 202

-30.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.39

$1.25 ALL 102

30.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 RON 10.93

$0.97 ALL 79.0

149.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 RON 4.30

$0.96 ALL 78.1

-1.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.23

$1.09 ALL 88.8

-14.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 RON 4.89

$0.90 ALL 73.5

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 RON 3.99

$0.57 ALL 46.46

54.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 RON 29.67

$3.96 ALL 323

65.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.76 RON 35.09

$7.70 ALL 629

0.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 RON 5.23

$0.90 ALL 73.6

28.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 RON 8.86

$1.50 ALL 123

30.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 3.02

$0.48 ALL 39.39

39.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.65 RON 102

$19.18 ALL 1,567

18.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 RON 4.51

$3.46 ALL 283

-71.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 RON 3.90

$1.24 ALL 101

-30.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.43 RON 42.67

$13.90 ALL 1,136

-32.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 RON 7.71

$2.11 ALL 172

-19.43%

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

$28.5K RON 128.9K

$21.0K ALL 1.7M

35.52%

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

$26.7K RON 120.8K

$27.2K ALL 2.2M

-1.70%

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

$156 RON 704

$68.5 ALL 5,596

127.32%

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

$9.13 RON 41.29

$17.59 ALL 1,437

-48.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.87 RON 44.65

$15.13 ALL 1,236

-34.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.65 RON 202

$66.0 ALL 5,392

-32.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.25 RON 91.6

$16.22 ALL 1,325

24.85%

Cinema Ticket

$8.27 RON 37.39

$5.74 ALL 469

44.08%

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

$481 RON 2,176

$142 ALL 11.6K

238.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K RON 47.5K

$1,761 ALL 143.9K

495.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 RON 314

$46.55 ALL 3,804

49.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.69 RON 184

$34.60 ALL 2,827

17.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 RON 382

$93.6 ALL 7,650

-9.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 RON 452

$177 ALL 14.5K

-43.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$707 RON 3,196

$284 ALL 23.2K

148.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$564 RON 2,552

$196 ALL 16.0K

187.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 RON 5,706

$423 ALL 34.5K

198.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$930 RON 4,209

$296 ALL 24.2K

214.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,832 RON 21.9K

$1,350 ALL 110.3K

258.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,491 RON 15.8K

$862 ALL 70.5K

304.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,369 RON 6,194

$536 ALL 43.8K

155.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

6.1

-4.10%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: June 8, 2026

Last update for Elbasan: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $707 in Cluj-Napoca and $284 in Elbasan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 156% 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 $32.00 in Elbasan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $206 per month, with Elbasan 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 Elbasan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elbasan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cluj-Napoca pays 156% 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 $284 in Elbasan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Elbasan runs roughly 18% 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 $142 in Elbasan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $919 in Elbasan versus $1,374 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Elbasan but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Elbasan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Elbasan 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 Elbasan 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 Elbasan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.