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: $1,410 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,156 in Iasi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,148 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,753 in Iasi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,886 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,350 in Iasi.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 22% more expensive than in Iasi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 6% above, Iasi is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.41 RON 52.4

$10.39 RON 47.70

9.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 RON 265

$51.6 RON 237

12.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.14 RON 37.36

$7.12 RON 32.67

14.33%

Cappuccino

$3.39 RON 15.54

$2.63 RON 12.09

28.90%

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

$2.35 RON 10.78

$2.11 RON 9.67

11.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 RON 9.67

$1.71 RON 7.86

23.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 RON 14.99

$2.47 RON 11.35

31.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 RON 18.46

$3.36 RON 15.43

19.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 RON 8.23

$1.43 RON 6.55

25.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.19

$1.22 RON 5.59

10.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 RON 8.56

$1.89 RON 8.66

-1.59%

Eggs

$3.35 RON 15.38

$3.09 RON 14.16

8.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 RON 44.47

$8.12 RON 37.29

19.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 RON 32.40

$6.93 RON 31.79

1.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 RON 54.8

$10.88 RON 49.95

9.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 RON 5.71

$1.23 RON 5.66

0.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 RON 7.91

$1.55 RON 7.14

10.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 RON 7.52

$1.71 RON 7.86

-4.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 10.90

$1.92 RON 8.80

23.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 RON 4.35

$0.94 RON 4.31

1.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.25

$1.00 RON 4.60

-7.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 RON 4.99

$1.00 RON 4.59

9.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 RON 4.13

$0.86 RON 3.94

4.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.30 RON 28.94

$6.28 RON 28.81

0.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 RON 35.10

$6.39 RON 29.32

19.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.38

$1.10 RON 5.04

6.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 RON 9.32

$1.92 RON 8.83

5.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.24

$0.79 RON 3.65

-10.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.37 RON 107

$27.96 RON 128

-16.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 RON 4.35

$0.94 RON 4.31

1.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 RON 3.72

$0.71 RON 3.26

14.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.56 RON 43.86

$8.14 RON 37.36

17.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 RON 7.47

$1.68 RON 7.71

-2.98%

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

$27.6K RON 126.7K

$28.5K RON 130.9K

-3.22%

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

$27.1K RON 124.4K

$27.7K RON 127.2K

-2.27%

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

$160 RON 734

$157 RON 718

2.17%

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

$9.06 RON 41.60

$8.51 RON 39.08

6.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.14 RON 46.54

$10.26 RON 47.09

-1.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.86 RON 206

$47.27 RON 217

-5.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.93 RON 91.5

$18.50 RON 84.9

7.73%

Cinema Ticket

$7.93 RON 36.41

$8.00 RON 36.74

-0.88%

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

$475 RON 2,180

$471 RON 2,160

0.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K RON 49.4K

$6,866 RON 31.5K

56.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 RON 321

$61.0 RON 280

14.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.45 RON 181

$43.56 RON 200

-9.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 RON 397

$86.8 RON 398

-0.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 RON 460

$87.5 RON 401

14.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$714 RON 3,278

$473 RON 2,172

50.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 RON 2,566

$359 RON 1,649

55.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 RON 5,709

$742 RON 3,405

67.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 RON 4,329

$533 RON 2,448

76.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,645 RON 21.3K

$2,911 RON 13.4K

59.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,395 RON 15.6K

$1,932 RON 8,869

75.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,314 RON 6,032

$1,182 RON 5,426

11.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

7.37

-20.62%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: July 12, 2026

Last update for Iasi: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $714 in Cluj-Napoca and $473 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: $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca vs $52.0 in Iasi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $211 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 22% 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: $714 in Cluj-Napoca versus $473 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 20% 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 $471 in Iasi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,156 in Iasi versus $1,410 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 22% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.