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: $1,410 in Cluj-Napoca versus $990 in Harare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,148 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,688 in Harare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,886 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,385 in Harare.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 42% more expensive than in Harare, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 6% above, Harare is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.41 RON 52.4

$9.92 ZWL 265

15.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 RON 265

$49.31 ZWL 1,316

17.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.14 RON 37.36

$7.09 ZWL 189

14.81%

Cappuccino

$3.39 RON 15.54

$2.96 ZWL 78.9

14.53%

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

$2.35 RON 10.78

$0.70 ZWL 18.70

235.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 RON 9.67

$0.46 ZWL 12.36

358.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 RON 14.99

$1.53 ZWL 40.70

113.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 RON 18.46

$2.05 ZWL 54.6

96.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 RON 8.23

$1.57 ZWL 42.01

14.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.19

$0.97 ZWL 25.93

39.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 RON 8.56

$1.86 ZWL 49.50

Eggs

$3.35 RON 15.38

$2.10 ZWL 55.9

59.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 RON 44.47

$10.83 ZWL 289

-10.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 RON 32.40

$6.23 ZWL 166

13.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 RON 54.8

$6.21 ZWL 166

92.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 RON 5.71

$2.87 ZWL 76.6

-56.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 RON 7.91

$1.69 ZWL 45.01

1.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 RON 7.52

$2.17 ZWL 57.9

-24.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 10.90

$1.70 ZWL 45.39

39.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 RON 4.35

$1.55 ZWL 41.36

-38.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.25

$2.00 ZWL 53.3

-53.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 RON 4.99

$1.03 ZWL 27.49

5.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 RON 4.13

$0.95 ZWL 25.31

-5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.30 RON 28.94

$1.08 ZWL 28.83

483.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 RON 35.10

$9.32 ZWL 249

-17.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.38

$1.12 ZWL 29.98

4.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 RON 9.32

$1.71 ZWL 45.70

18.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.24

$0.98 ZWL 26.27

-27.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.37 RON 107

$41.84 ZWL 1,116

-44.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 RON 4.35

$4.98 ZWL 133

-80.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 RON 3.72

$1.98 ZWL 52.9

-59.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.56 RON 43.86

$5.03 ZWL 134

90.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 RON 7.47

$1.55 ZWL 41.37

5.16%

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

$27.6K RON 126.7K

$19.9K ZWL 531.5K

38.56%

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

$27.1K RON 124.4K

$23.0K ZWL 613.8K

17.75%

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

$160 RON 734

$58.0 ZWL 1,547

175.78%

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

$9.06 RON 41.60

$17.53 ZWL 468

-48.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.14 RON 46.54

$92.1 ZWL 2,456

-88.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.86 RON 206

$54.1 ZWL 1,442

-17.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.93 RON 91.5

$14.23 ZWL 380

40.06%

Cinema Ticket

$7.93 RON 36.41

$10.11 ZWL 270

-21.56%

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

$475 RON 2,180

$277 ZWL 7,384

71.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K RON 49.4K

$7,215 ZWL 192.5K

49.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 RON 321

$19.55 ZWL 522

258.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.45 RON 181

$21.55 ZWL 575

83.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 RON 397

$35.11 ZWL 937

146.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 RON 460

$40.98 ZWL 1,093

144.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$714 RON 3,278

$398 ZWL 10.6K

79.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 RON 2,566

$279 ZWL 7,436

100.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 RON 5,709

$954 ZWL 25.5K

30.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 RON 4,329

$695 ZWL 18.5K

35.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,645 RON 21.3K

$934 ZWL 24.9K

397.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,395 RON 15.6K

$390 ZWL 10.4K

770.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,314 RON 6,032

$400 ZWL 10.7K

228.58%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Harare: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $714 in Cluj-Napoca and $398 in Harare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 229% 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 $49.00 in Harare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $217 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 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 229% 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: $714 in Cluj-Napoca versus $398 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 79% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $475 in Cluj-Napoca versus $277 in Harare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $990 in Harare versus $1,410 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.