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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,410 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,160 in Kragujevac.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,116 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,749 in Kragujevac.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,823 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,337 in Kragujevac.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.57 RON 52.1

$9.09 RSD 918

27.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 RON 260

$41.79 RSD 4,223

38.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 RON 35.82

$9.92 RSD 1,002

-19.86%

Cappuccino

$3.45 RON 15.55

$2.05 RSD 207

68.29%

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

$2.39 RON 10.77

$2.19 RSD 221

9.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 RON 9.70

$1.32 RSD 133

62.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 RON 14.74

$2.45 RSD 248

33.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 RON 17.66

$3.44 RSD 348

13.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 RON 7.76

$1.32 RSD 134

30.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 RON 5.99

$0.65 RSD 66.0

104.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 RON 8.14

$2.00 RSD 202

-9.50%

Eggs

$3.23 RON 14.53

$2.60 RSD 263

24.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.92 RON 44.67

$9.37 RSD 946

5.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.93 RON 31.23

$6.95 RSD 702

-0.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.73 RON 52.8

$11.64 RSD 1,176

0.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 RON 5.37

$1.30 RSD 132

-8.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 RON 7.99

$1.90 RSD 192

-6.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.02

$1.69 RSD 171

-7.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 RON 10.81

$2.34 RSD 237

2.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 RON 4.57

$1.11 RSD 112

-9.01%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 RON 4.44

$1.25 RSD 126

-20.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 RON 4.88

$1.05 RSD 106

2.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.17

$0.72 RSD 72.7

29.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.30 RON 28.37

$4.19 RSD 424

50.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.74 RON 34.88

$7.99 RSD 807

-3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 RON 5.22

$0.92 RSD 93.1

26.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 RON 9.15

$2.10 RSD 212

-3.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 3.04

$0.95 RSD 96.0

-29.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.89 RON 103

$30.04 RSD 3,036

-23.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 RON 4.24

$1.04 RSD 105

-9.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 RON 3.65

$0.64 RSD 64.9

26.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.22 RON 41.53

$4.97 RSD 502

85.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 RON 7.71

$1.82 RSD 184

-6.04%

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

$28.2K RON 127.2K

$30.6K RSD 3.1M

-7.85%

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

$26.2K RON 118.1K

$26.7K RSD 2.7M

-1.66%

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

$158 RON 710

$176 RSD 17.8K

-10.64%

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

$9.08 RON 40.89

$21.59 RSD 2,182

-57.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.12 RON 45.59

$32.76 RSD 3,310

-69.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.69 RON 197

$30.45 RSD 3,077

43.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.27 RON 91.3

$20.42 RSD 2,063

-0.73%

Cinema Ticket

$7.87 RON 35.46

$6.57 RSD 664

19.79%

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

$491 RON 2,212

$184 RSD 18.5K

167.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K RON 48.0K

$3,997 RSD 403.9K

166.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.4 RON 312

$63.3 RSD 6,395

9.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.78 RON 179

$54.5 RSD 5,509

-27.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 RON 383

$116 RSD 11.7K

-26.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 RON 445

$119 RSD 12.0K

-16.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$707 RON 3,184

$418 RSD 42.2K

69.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 RON 2,495

$311 RSD 31.5K

77.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 RON 5,737

$681 RSD 68.8K

87.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$928 RON 4,179

$510 RSD 51.5K

81.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,811 RON 21.7K

$2,257 RSD 228.1K

113.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,473 RON 15.6K

$1,647 RSD 166.4K

110.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,352 RON 6,090

$972 RSD 98.2K

39.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

-26.88%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: June 15, 2026

Last update for Kragujevac: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $707 in Cluj-Napoca and $418 in Kragujevac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 39% 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 $42.00 in Kragujevac for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $216 per month, with Kragujevac 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 Kragujevac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kragujevac is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cluj-Napoca pays 39% more on average, 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: $707 in Cluj-Napoca versus $418 in Kragujevac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kragujevac runs roughly 31% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $491 in Cluj-Napoca versus $184 in Kragujevac. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,160 in Kragujevac versus $1,410 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kragujevac but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Kragujevac the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kragujevac 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 Kragujevac 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 Kragujevac 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.