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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,488 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,287 in Iasi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,213 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,944 in Iasi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,938 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,601 in Iasi.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 16% more expensive than in Iasi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 8% above, Iasi is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.48 RON 61.0

$11.18 RON 50.6

20.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.1 RON 259

$44.31 RON 201

28.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 RON 45.59

$7.84 RON 35.52

28.44%

Cappuccino

$3.92 RON 17.74

$2.97 RON 13.45

31.99%

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

$2.47 RON 11.21

$2.21 RON 10.02

11.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 RON 11.17

$1.91 RON 8.66

29.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 RON 15.23

$3.38 RON 15.30

-0.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 RON 20.21

$3.90 RON 17.65

14.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 RON 7.87

$1.67 RON 7.55

4.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 RON 7.21

$1.38 RON 6.26

15.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 RON 8.41

$2.05 RON 9.29

-9.27%

Eggs

$3.90 RON 17.67

$3.52 RON 15.94

10.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 RON 43.87

$8.36 RON 37.88

15.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.78 RON 35.26

$6.64 RON 30.08

17.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 RON 54.8

$10.43 RON 47.22

16.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 RON 6.73

$1.45 RON 6.58

2.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 RON 8.11

$1.71 RON 7.72

4.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 RON 8.90

$1.78 RON 8.06

10.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 RON 11.65

$2.26 RON 10.25

13.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 RON 4.53

$0.88 RON 4.00

13.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 RON 4.75

$0.90 RON 4.07

16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 RON 4.69

$1.22 RON 5.51

-15.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 RON 4.68

$1.01 RON 4.58

1.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 RON 30.60

$6.82 RON 30.90

-0.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 RON 34.16

$6.51 RON 29.47

15.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 RON 5.83

$1.40 RON 6.33

-7.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 RON 8.42

$2.22 RON 10.05

-16.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 RON 3.60

$0.85 RON 3.84

-7.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.36 RON 147

$28.56 RON 129

13.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 RON 4.15

$0.93 RON 4.20

-1.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 RON 4.42

$0.92 RON 4.14

6.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.12 RON 41.30

$8.71 RON 39.44

4.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 RON 8.63

$1.84 RON 8.35

3.80%

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

$29.3K RON 132.8K

$30.0K RON 135.7K

-2.12%

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

$26.1K RON 118.4K

$28.6K RON 129.6K

-8.65%

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

$165 RON 745

$191 RON 865

-13.83%

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

$8.94 RON 40.48

$7.82 RON 35.41

14.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.16 RON 46.02

$9.07 RON 41.07

12.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.99 RON 226

$46.91 RON 212

6.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.35 RON 106

$16.58 RON 75.1

40.83%

Cinema Ticket

$9.93 RON 44.99

$8.78 RON 39.77

13.10%

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

$624 RON 2,827

$414 RON 1,874

50.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K RON 45.3K

$7,254 RON 32.8K

38.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.8 RON 425

$74.3 RON 337

26.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.38 RON 224

$40.27 RON 182

22.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 RON 468

$94.5 RON 428

9.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 RON 530

$96.1 RON 435

21.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 RON 3,065

$558 RON 2,525

21.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 RON 2,524

$448 RON 2,031

24.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 RON 5,413

$932 RON 4,222

28.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$844 RON 3,824

$692 RON 3,135

21.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,864 RON 22.0K

$2,998 RON 13.6K

62.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,549 RON 16.1K

$1,996 RON 9,041

77.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,340 RON 6,070

$1,203 RON 5,450

11.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

7.18

-5.29%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: September 8, 2026

Last update for Iasi: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $677 in Cluj-Napoca and $558 in Iasi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 11% 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 $44.00 in Iasi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $224 per month, with Iasi 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 Iasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iasi is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 11% 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 $558 in Iasi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Iasi 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 $624 in Cluj-Napoca versus $414 in Iasi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,287 in Iasi versus $1,488 in Cluj-Napoca, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Iasi but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Iasi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Iasi 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 Iasi 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 Iasi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.