Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Iernut

For one person, living is cheaper in Iernut: $930 a month against $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Cluj-Napoca
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Cluj-Napoca Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Iernut
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Iernut Living Index

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Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,423

/mo nomad

Iernut

🇷🇴 Romania

$930

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Iernut actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca versus $930 in Iernut.

Cluj-Napoca $1,423
Iernut $930

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,434 in Iernut.

Cluj-Napoca $2,126
Iernut $1,434

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,830 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,939 in Iernut.

Cluj-Napoca $2,830
Iernut $1,939

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 53% more expensive than in Iernut, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 5% above, Iernut is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.58 RON 60.5

$8.91 RON 42.81

41.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 RON 263

$42.80 RON 206

28.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.59 RON 46.11

$7.18 RON 34.52

33.57%

Cappuccino

$3.78 RON 18.15

$2.19 RON 10.52

72.60%

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

$2.30 RON 11.07

$1.44 RON 6.93

59.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RON 10.68

$1.23 RON 5.91

80.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 RON 15.94

$2.14 RON 10.27

55.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 RON 20.17

$2.37 RON 11.37

77.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 RON 7.70

$1.39 RON 6.69

15.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 RON 6.93

$1.11 RON 5.35

29.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 RON 8.14

$1.46 RON 7.03

15.75%

Eggs

$3.76 RON 18.05

$2.92 RON 14.03

28.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.07 RON 43.57

$8.14 RON 39.12

11.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.14 RON 34.30

$5.77 RON 27.75

23.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.46 RON 55.1

$10.35 RON 49.74

10.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 RON 6.66

$0.99 RON 4.75

40.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 RON 7.60

$1.33 RON 6.37

18.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 RON 9.04

$1.46 RON 7.02

28.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 11.38

$1.88 RON 9.05

26.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RON 4.43

$0.71 RON 3.41

29.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 RON 4.32

$0.51 RON 2.46

76.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 RON 4.34

$0.87 RON 4.19

3.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 RON 4.84

$0.72 RON 3.44

40.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.42 RON 30.86

$5.93 RON 28.51

8.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.41 RON 35.62

$7.44 RON 35.77

-0.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 RON 5.98

$1.08 RON 5.18

15.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 RON 8.31

$1.62 RON 7.76

6.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 RON 3.65

$0.71 RON 3.39

7.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.23 RON 213

$21.72 RON 104

103.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 RON 4.01

$0.63 RON 3.01

33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 RON 4.62

$0.62 RON 3.00

54.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.27 RON 39.74

$6.47 RON 31.10

27.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 RON 9.32

$1.81 RON 8.70

7.18%

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

$28.3K RON 136.1K

$29.0K RON 139.4K

-2.36%

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

$24.7K RON 118.9K

$25.8K RON 123.9K

-4.01%

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

$151 RON 725

$101 RON 486

49.29%

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

$8.44 RON 40.55

$7.63 RON 36.69

10.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.16 RON 44.04

$7.97 RON 38.28

14.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.36 RON 228

$38.48 RON 185

23.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.01 RON 106

$20.63 RON 99.1

6.69%

Cinema Ticket

$9.35 RON 44.95

$6.51 RON 31.28

43.63%

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

$577 RON 2,774

$419 RON 2,013

37.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,450 RON 45.4K

$6,990 RON 33.6K

35.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 RON 419

$51.7 RON 249

68.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.26 RON 213

$30.48 RON 146

45.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 RON 475

$75.3 RON 362

31.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 RON 513

$78.5 RON 377

36.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$668 RON 3,212

$382 RON 1,835

75.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 RON 2,575

$289 RON 1,388

85.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 RON 5,895

$604 RON 2,905

102.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$807 RON 3,881

$441 RON 2,119

83.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,568 RON 22.0K

$1,857 RON 8,924

145.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,342 RON 16.1K

$1,329 RON 6,386

151.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,241 RON 5,962

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

7.2

-7.64%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: October 25, 2026

Last update for Iernut: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cluj-Napoca

$536 37.7%

Iernut

$289 31% 46.1% $247

Groceries & Markets

Cluj-Napoca

$230 16.2%

Iernut

$194 20.8% 15.7% $36

Eating Out

Cluj-Napoca

$218 15.3%

Iernut

$145 15.6% 33.4% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cluj-Napoca

$168 11.8%

Iernut

$117 12.5% 30.8% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Cluj-Napoca

$152 10.7%

Iernut

$106 11.4% 30% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Cluj-Napoca

$66 4.6%

Iernut

$52 5.5% 22.1% $15

Getting Around

Cluj-Napoca

$53 3.7%

Iernut

$28 3% 46.6% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $668 in Cluj-Napoca and $382 in Iernut. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $55 in Cluj-Napoca vs $43 in Iernut for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $194 per month, with Iernut cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Iernut

🕒 Local time

00:05 12:05 AM

Same time as Cluj-Napoca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

324,576

9,000

💱 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 Iernut 60 km

From you

Cluj-Napoca
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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 Iernut: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iernut is about 35% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,134 in Cluj-Napoca and $1,396 in Iernut to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $668 in Cluj-Napoca versus $382 in Iernut. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Iernut runs roughly 51% less than in Cluj-Napoca. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $577 in Cluj-Napoca versus $419 in Iernut. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Iernut gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.