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: $1,375 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,156 in Kragujevac.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,092 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,738 in Kragujevac.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,808 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,319 in Kragujevac.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 19% more expensive than Kragujevac, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 3% above, Kragujevac is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.48 RON 50.1

$8.74 RSD 876

31.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.9 RON 253

$42.25 RSD 4,239

37.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.25 RON 35.98

$10.00 RSD 1,004

-17.50%

Cappuccino

$3.53 RON 15.40

$2.08 RSD 208

69.71%

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

$2.33 RON 10.16

$2.30 RSD 230

1.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RON 9.67

$1.37 RSD 138

62.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 RON 13.92

$2.44 RSD 245

30.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 RON 16.98

$3.53 RSD 355

10.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 RON 7.52

$1.37 RSD 138

25.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 RON 5.70

$0.66 RSD 65.9

98.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 RON 8.26

$1.91 RSD 191

-1.05%

Eggs

$3.23 RON 14.10

$2.57 RSD 258

25.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.79 RON 42.69

$9.54 RSD 957

2.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.15 RON 31.19

$6.65 RSD 667

7.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 RON 52.2

$11.98 RSD 1,202

-0.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.37

$1.34 RSD 134

-8.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 RON 7.72

$1.88 RSD 188

-5.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.07

$1.78 RSD 179

-8.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 10.34

$2.23 RSD 224

6.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.21

$1.16 RSD 116

-16.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.06

$1.19 RSD 120

-21.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 RON 4.52

$1.09 RSD 109

-4.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 RON 3.78

$0.72 RSD 72.2

20.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.51 RON 28.40

$4.21 RSD 423

54.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 RON 33.97

$8.23 RSD 826

-5.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.08

$0.92 RSD 92.7

27.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 RON 8.53

$2.10 RSD 211

-6.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 2.93

$0.87 RSD 87.2

-22.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.34 RON 102

$29.48 RSD 2,958

-20.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 RON 4.36

$1.05 RSD 105

-4.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 RON 3.57

$0.63 RSD 62.9

30.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.52 RON 41.50

$4.86 RSD 488

95.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 RON 7.14

$1.81 RSD 181

-9.39%

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

$28.3K RON 123.5K

$31.2K RSD 3.1M

-9.26%

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

$26.9K RON 117.1K

$26.6K RSD 2.7M

0.83%

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

$158 RON 688

$174 RSD 17.5K

-9.38%

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

$8.92 RON 38.87

$21.71 RSD 2,178

-58.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.05 RON 43.81

$32.43 RSD 3,254

-69.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.60 RON 190

$30.51 RSD 3,061

42.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.27 RON 88.4

$20.87 RSD 2,094

-2.87%

Cinema Ticket

$7.93 RON 34.56

$6.78 RSD 680

16.96%

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

$490 RON 2,136

$179 RSD 18.0K

173.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K RON 45.8K

$3,907 RSD 392.0K

168.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 RON 308

$61.9 RSD 6,210

14.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.62 RON 177

$54.5 RSD 5,469

-25.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 RON 371

$118 RSD 11.8K

-27.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.6 RON 434

$123 RSD 12.4K

-19.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 RON 3,135

$409 RSD 41.1K

75.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 RON 2,432

$314 RSD 31.5K

77.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 RON 5,554

$666 RSD 66.9K

91.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$951 RON 4,144

$503 RSD 50.5K

88.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,661 RON 20.3K

$2,257 RSD 226.4K

106.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,361 RON 14.7K

$1,691 RSD 169.7K

98.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,415 RON 6,171

$912 RSD 91.5K

55.16%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Kragujevac: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $719 in Cluj-Napoca and $409 in Kragujevac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 55% 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 $232 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 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cluj-Napoca pays 55% 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: $719 in Cluj-Napoca versus $409 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 26% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $490 in Cluj-Napoca versus $179 in Kragujevac. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,156 in Kragujevac versus $1,375 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 19% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.