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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca versus $991 in Harare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,123 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,659 in Harare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,860 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,327 in Harare.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 40% more expensive than Harare, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 3% above, Harare is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.53 RON 52.2

$10.14 ZWL 273

13.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 263

$50.2 ZWL 1,349

15.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.21 RON 37.15

$7.03 ZWL 189

16.79%

Cappuccino

$3.37 RON 15.27

$2.89 ZWL 77.8

16.61%

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

$2.42 RON 10.94

$0.67 ZWL 17.98

261.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 RON 9.91

$0.47 ZWL 12.69

365.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 RON 14.72

$1.47 ZWL 39.59

121.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 RON 17.64

$2.06 ZWL 55.3

89.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 RON 7.86

$1.63 ZWL 43.74

6.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 RON 6.04

$1.03 ZWL 27.58

29.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 RON 8.32

$1.89 ZWL 50.8

-2.65%

Eggs

$3.24 RON 14.66

$2.16 ZWL 58.1

50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 RON 45.94

$10.78 ZWL 290

-5.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 RON 31.20

$6.24 ZWL 168

10.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.08 RON 54.7

$6.24 ZWL 168

93.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.57

$2.97 ZWL 80.0

-58.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 RON 7.82

$1.64 ZWL 44.22

5.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.03

$2.28 ZWL 61.4

-32.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 RON 10.53

$1.66 ZWL 44.62

40.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 RON 4.60

$1.51 ZWL 40.73

-32.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.39

$1.99 ZWL 53.4

-51.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 RON 4.70

$0.98 ZWL 26.26

6.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 RON 3.99

$0.97 ZWL 26.05

-9.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.53 RON 29.56

$1.12 ZWL 30.03

483.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.94 RON 35.92

$9.18 ZWL 247

-13.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 RON 5.10

$1.18 ZWL 31.84

-4.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 RON 9.28

$1.71 ZWL 45.91

19.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 RON 3.18

$0.97 ZWL 26.19

-27.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.33 RON 106

$43.15 ZWL 1,160

-45.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 RON 4.53

$4.89 ZWL 131

-79.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 RON 4.03

$2.05 ZWL 55.2

-56.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.45 RON 42.76

$4.95 ZWL 133

90.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 RON 7.64

$1.57 ZWL 42.20

7.64%

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

$28.4K RON 128.8K

$19.8K ZWL 531.3K

43.97%

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

$27.1K RON 122.5K

$23.9K ZWL 641.7K

13.41%

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

$161 RON 731

$58.6 ZWL 1,575

175.50%

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

$9.19 RON 41.58

$17.79 ZWL 478

-48.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.66 RON 43.71

$93.2 ZWL 2,505

-89.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.75 RON 203

$53.5 ZWL 1,439

-16.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.86 RON 89.9

$14.20 ZWL 382

39.86%

Cinema Ticket

$8.25 RON 37.35

$9.93 ZWL 267

-16.92%

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

$491 RON 2,223

$283 ZWL 7,611

73.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K RON 49.0K

$7,356 ZWL 197.8K

47.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 RON 321

$19.00 ZWL 511

273.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.43 RON 178

$21.04 ZWL 566

87.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 RON 381

$34.77 ZWL 935

142.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.5 RON 450

$40.05 ZWL 1,077

148.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$692 RON 3,133

$403 ZWL 10.8K

71.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 RON 2,489

$280 ZWL 7,538

96.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 RON 5,632

$941 ZWL 25.3K

32.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$923 RON 4,180

$688 ZWL 18.5K

34.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,494 RON 20.3K

$899 ZWL 24.2K

400.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,328 RON 15.1K

$390 ZWL 10.5K

753.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,378 RON 6,239

$393 ZWL 10.6K

250.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

13.31

-56.05%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: June 2, 2026

Last update for Harare: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $692 in Cluj-Napoca and $403 in Harare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 250% 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 $50.0 in Harare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $219 per month, with Harare 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 Harare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harare is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cluj-Napoca pays 250% 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: $692 in Cluj-Napoca versus $403 in Harare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Harare runs roughly 85% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $491 in Cluj-Napoca versus $283 in Harare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $991 in Harare versus $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Harare but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Harare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Harare 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 Harare 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 Harare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.