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: $1,361 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,170 in Kragujevac.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,124 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,760 in Kragujevac.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,887 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,350 in Kragujevac.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 2% above, Kragujevac is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.38 RON 51.7

$8.76 RSD 891

29.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.6 RON 262

$41.89 RSD 4,260

37.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.94 RON 36.09

$10.01 RSD 1,019

-20.68%

Cappuccino

$3.53 RON 16.06

$2.07 RSD 211

70.53%

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

$2.37 RON 10.79

$2.22 RSD 226

6.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 RON 9.65

$1.32 RSD 134

60.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 RON 14.23

$2.54 RSD 259

23.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 RON 18.27

$3.51 RSD 357

14.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 RON 8.05

$1.33 RSD 135

33.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 RON 5.94

$0.65 RSD 66.0

101.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 RON 8.25

$1.98 RSD 202

-8.59%

Eggs

$3.34 RON 15.17

$2.68 RSD 273

24.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.83 RON 44.70

$9.20 RSD 936

6.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.27 RON 33.06

$6.63 RSD 674

9.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 54.5

$12.07 RSD 1,228

-0.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.59

$1.29 RSD 131

-4.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 RON 8.05

$1.85 RSD 188

-4.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.09

$1.69 RSD 172

-7.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 RON 10.74

$2.26 RSD 229

4.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.29

$1.16 RSD 118

-18.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.41

$1.24 RSD 127

-21.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 RON 4.96

$1.05 RSD 107

3.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 RON 4.19

$0.70 RSD 71.4

31.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 29.27

$4.41 RSD 448

46.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 RON 34.27

$7.71 RSD 784

-2.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.31

$0.97 RSD 99.0

20.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 RON 8.91

$2.13 RSD 217

-7.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 3.04

$0.88 RSD 89.7

-23.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.24 RON 106

$29.92 RSD 3,043

-22.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 RON 4.49

$1.05 RSD 106

-5.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 RON 3.73

$0.68 RSD 69.1

20.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.11 RON 41.43

$4.86 RSD 494

87.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 RON 7.66

$1.74 RSD 177

-2.87%

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

$28.4K RON 129.3K

$30.1K RSD 3.1M

-5.56%

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

$27.0K RON 122.9K

$26.2K RSD 2.7M

3.29%

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

$158 RON 720

$175 RSD 17.8K

-9.50%

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

$8.72 RON 39.66

$21.78 RSD 2,215

-59.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.91 RON 45.08

$33.50 RSD 3,407

-70.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.33 RON 197

$30.53 RSD 3,105

41.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.21 RON 91.9

$21.04 RSD 2,140

-3.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.86 RON 35.75

$6.79 RSD 690

15.76%

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

$492 RON 2,239

$181 RSD 18.4K

171.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K RON 47.7K

$3,905 RSD 397.1K

168.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 RON 318

$62.5 RSD 6,351

12.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.01 RON 186

$55.0 RSD 5,592

-25.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 RON 383

$116 RSD 11.8K

-27.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 RON 460

$121 RSD 12.3K

-16.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 RON 3,236

$416 RSD 42.3K

71.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 RON 2,491

$319 RSD 32.5K

71.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 RON 5,762

$684 RSD 69.6K

85.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$940 RON 4,275

$500 RSD 50.9K

88.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,857 RON 22.1K

$2,236 RSD 227.4K

117.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,404 RON 15.5K

$1,618 RSD 164.5K

110.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,325 RON 6,024

$959 RSD 97.6K

38.12%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Kragujevac: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $712 in Cluj-Napoca and $416 in Kragujevac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 38% 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 $233 vs $214 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 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 38% 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: $712 in Cluj-Napoca versus $416 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 29% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $492 in Cluj-Napoca versus $181 in Kragujevac. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,170 in Kragujevac versus $1,361 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 16% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.