Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Iasi

For one person, living is cheaper in Iasi: $1,256 a month against $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Cluj-Napoca
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Cluj-Napoca Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Iasi
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Iasi Living Index

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Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,423

/mo nomad

Iasi

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,256

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cluj-Napoca and in Iasi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cluj-Napoca and in Iasi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,256 in Iasi.

Cluj-Napoca $1,423
Iasi $1,256

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,841 in Iasi.

Cluj-Napoca $2,126
Iasi $1,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,830 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,425 in Iasi.

Cluj-Napoca $2,830
Iasi $2,425

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 13% more expensive than in Iasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 5% above, Iasi is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.58 RON 60.5

$10.50 RON 50.5

19.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 RON 263

$42.22 RON 203

29.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.59 RON 46.11

$7.18 RON 34.49

33.57%

Cappuccino

$3.78 RON 18.15

$2.95 RON 14.19

28.14%

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

$2.30 RON 11.07

$2.28 RON 10.95

0.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RON 10.68

$1.78 RON 8.54

24.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 RON 15.94

$3.20 RON 15.37

3.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 RON 20.17

$3.84 RON 18.44

9.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 RON 7.70

$1.55 RON 7.45

3.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 RON 6.93

$1.31 RON 6.31

9.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 RON 8.14

$1.97 RON 9.49

-14.21%

Eggs

$3.76 RON 18.05

$3.25 RON 15.64

15.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.07 RON 43.57

$8.23 RON 39.57

10.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.14 RON 34.30

$6.59 RON 31.66

8.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.46 RON 55.1

$10.07 RON 48.38

13.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 RON 6.66

$1.31 RON 6.29

6.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 RON 7.60

$1.62 RON 7.77

-2.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 RON 9.04

$1.68 RON 8.05

11.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 11.38

$2.12 RON 10.20

11.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RON 4.43

$0.86 RON 4.12

6.98%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 RON 4.32

$0.82 RON 3.96

9.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 RON 4.34

$1.10 RON 5.30

-18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 RON 4.84

$0.94 RON 4.51

7.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.42 RON 30.86

$6.11 RON 29.38

5.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.41 RON 35.62

$6.64 RON 31.92

11.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 RON 5.98

$1.34 RON 6.43

-6.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 RON 8.31

$2.12 RON 10.17

-18.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 RON 3.65

$0.85 RON 4.09

-10.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.23 RON 213

$27.49 RON 132

60.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 RON 4.01

$0.80 RON 3.85

5.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 RON 4.62

$0.87 RON 4.18

10.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.27 RON 39.74

$8.14 RON 39.10

1.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 RON 9.32

$1.92 RON 9.24

1.04%

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

$28.3K RON 136.1K

$28.6K RON 137.4K

-0.91%

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

$24.7K RON 118.9K

$25.8K RON 124.2K

-4.27%

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

$151 RON 725

$181 RON 870

-16.71%

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

$8.44 RON 40.55

$7.28 RON 35.01

15.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.16 RON 44.04

$8.20 RON 39.41

11.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.36 RON 228

$43.94 RON 211

7.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.01 RON 106

$15.95 RON 76.7

37.99%

Cinema Ticket

$9.35 RON 44.95

$8.58 RON 41.24

8.97%

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

$577 RON 2,774

$385 RON 1,853

49.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,450 RON 45.4K

$6,965 RON 33.5K

35.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 RON 419

$73.6 RON 354

18.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.26 RON 213

$38.25 RON 184

15.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 RON 475

$92.0 RON 442

7.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 RON 513

$89.0 RON 428

19.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$668 RON 3,212

$542 RON 2,607

23.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 RON 2,575

$435 RON 2,090

23.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 RON 5,895

$836 RON 4,020

46.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$807 RON 3,881

$645 RON 3,100

25.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,568 RON 22.0K

$2,797 RON 13.4K

63.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,342 RON 16.1K

$1,907 RON 9,166

75.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,241 RON 5,962

$1,130 RON 5,429

9.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

7.18

-7.38%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: October 25, 2026

Last update for Iasi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cluj-Napoca

$536 37.7%

Iasi

$435 34.6% 18.8% $101

Groceries & Markets

Cluj-Napoca

$230 16.2%

Iasi

$215 17.1% 6.5% $15

Eating Out

Cluj-Napoca

$218 15.3%

Iasi

$181 14.4% 17% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cluj-Napoca

$168 11.8%

Iasi

$197 15.7% 16.7% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Cluj-Napoca

$152 10.7%

Iasi

$132 10.5% 13.1% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Cluj-Napoca

$66 4.6%

Iasi

$61 4.9% 7.5% $5

Getting Around

Cluj-Napoca

$53 3.7%

Iasi

$36 2.9% 31.9% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $668 in Cluj-Napoca and $542 in Iasi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 10% 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: $55 in Cluj-Napoca vs $42 in Iasi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $215 per month, with Iasi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Iasi

🕒 Local time

16:05 4:05 PM

Same time as Cluj-Napoca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

324,576

290,422

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.208 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 RON = 0.208 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cluj-Napoca Iasi 310 km

From you

Cluj-Napoca
Iasi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 eating out, clothing, and transport. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 10% 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: $668 in Cluj-Napoca versus $542 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 38% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $577 in Cluj-Napoca versus $385 in Iasi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Iasi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 12% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.