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: $1,488 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,046 in Harare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,213 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,730 in Harare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,938 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,414 in Harare.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 42% more expensive than in Harare, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 8% above, Harare is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.48 RON 61.0

$10.13 ZWL 270

33.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.1 RON 259

$39.49 ZWL 1,052

44.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 RON 45.59

$5.89 ZWL 157

70.97%

Cappuccino

$3.92 RON 17.74

$3.11 ZWL 82.9

26.05%

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

$2.47 RON 11.21

$1.00 ZWL 26.63

147.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 RON 11.17

$0.52 ZWL 13.96

375.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 RON 15.23

$1.49 ZWL 39.63

125.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 RON 20.21

$1.96 ZWL 52.3

127.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 RON 7.87

$1.52 ZWL 40.63

14.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 RON 7.21

$1.04 ZWL 27.63

52.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 RON 8.41

$1.70 ZWL 45.17

9.41%

Eggs

$3.90 RON 17.67

$1.95 ZWL 51.9

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 RON 43.87

$12.03 ZWL 321

-19.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.78 RON 35.26

$5.66 ZWL 151

37.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 RON 54.8

$6.74 ZWL 180

79.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 RON 6.73

$3.06 ZWL 81.5

-51.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 RON 8.11

$1.68 ZWL 44.78

6.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 RON 8.90

$2.08 ZWL 55.4

-5.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 RON 11.65

$1.48 ZWL 39.37

73.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 RON 4.53

$1.73 ZWL 46.19

-42.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 RON 4.75

$1.79 ZWL 47.80

-41.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 RON 4.69

$1.21 ZWL 32.22

-14.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 RON 4.68

$1.00 ZWL 26.62

3.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 RON 30.60

$1.97 ZWL 52.5

243.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 RON 34.16

$9.19 ZWL 245

-17.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 RON 5.83

$1.36 ZWL 36.24

-5.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 RON 8.42

$1.96 ZWL 52.1

-5.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 RON 3.60

$1.01 ZWL 27.03

-21.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.36 RON 147

$59.4 ZWL 1,584

-45.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 RON 4.15

$4.03 ZWL 107

-77.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 RON 4.42

$2.06 ZWL 54.8

-52.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.12 RON 41.30

$4.98 ZWL 133

83.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 RON 8.63

$1.87 ZWL 49.74

2.14%

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

$29.3K RON 132.8K

$22.2K ZWL 591.1K

32.18%

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

$26.1K RON 118.4K

$27.2K ZWL 724.3K

-3.82%

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

$165 RON 745

$55.1 ZWL 1,468

198.89%

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

$8.94 RON 40.48

$22.06 ZWL 588

-59.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.16 RON 46.02

$67.6 ZWL 1,801

-84.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.99 RON 226

$49.71 ZWL 1,325

0.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.35 RON 106

$22.67 ZWL 604

3.00%

Cinema Ticket

$9.93 RON 44.99

$9.87 ZWL 263

0.61%

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

$624 RON 2,827

$459 ZWL 12.2K

35.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K RON 45.3K

$8,938 ZWL 238.2K

12.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.8 RON 425

$24.74 ZWL 659

279.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.38 RON 224

$20.99 ZWL 559

135.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 RON 468

$39.49 ZWL 1,052

161.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 RON 530

$42.14 ZWL 1,123

177.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 RON 3,065

$399 ZWL 10.6K

69.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 RON 2,524

$314 ZWL 8,374

77.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 RON 5,413

$837 ZWL 22.3K

42.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$844 RON 3,824

$752 ZWL 20.0K

12.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,864 RON 22.0K

$937 ZWL 25.0K

419.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,549 RON 16.1K

$385 ZWL 10.3K

821.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,340 RON 6,070

$428 ZWL 11.4K

212.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

13.69

-50.33%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: September 8, 2026

Last update for Harare: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $677 in Cluj-Napoca and $399 in Harare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 213% 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: $57.0 in Cluj-Napoca vs $39.00 in Harare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $221 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 213% higher in Cluj-Napoca, 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: $677 in Cluj-Napoca versus $399 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 84% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $624 in Cluj-Napoca versus $459 in Harare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,046 in Harare versus $1,488 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 42% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.