Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Cluj-Napoca: $1,424 a month against $4,048 in London, rent and utilities included – about $31,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cluj-Napoca, Romania
London, United Kingdom
Cluj-Napoca
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,424
/mo nomad
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,048
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,424 in Cluj-Napoca versus $4,048 in London.

  • Cluj-Napoca $1,424
  • London $4,048

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,141 in Cluj-Napoca versus $5,903 in London.

  • Cluj-Napoca $2,141
  • London $5,903

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,858 in Cluj-Napoca versus $7,758 in London.

  • Cluj-Napoca $2,858
  • London $7,758

Living in Cluj-Napoca costs roughly 65% less than in London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cluj-Napoca 5% above, London 199% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cluj-Napoca
London
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.23 RON 58.5
$26.36 £19.68
-53.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.3 RON 264
$109 £81.1
-49.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.39 RON 44.88
$10.71 £8.00
-12.32%
Cappuccino
$3.79 RON 18.12
$5.59 £4.17
-32.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 RON 11.48
$3.00 £2.24
-20.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 RON 11.13
$2.22 £1.66
4.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.20 RON 15.29
$9.65 £7.20
-66.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.11 RON 19.65
$8.26 £6.16
-50.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cluj-Napoca
London
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 RON 7.52
$1.97 £1.47
-20.30%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 RON 6.73
$2.09 £1.56
-32.54%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.80 RON 8.61
$2.59 £1.94
-30.50%
Eggs
$3.70 RON 17.67
$5.37 £4.01
-31.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.23 RON 44.13
$13.12 £9.79
-29.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.16 RON 34.22
$11.03 £8.23
-35.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.81 RON 56.5
$17.73 £13.23
-33.39%
Apples (1kg)
$1.37 RON 6.56
$3.17 £2.37
-56.78%
Banana (1kg)
$1.60 RON 7.64
$1.38 £1.03
15.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.87 RON 8.93
$2.82 £2.11
-33.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 RON 11.04
$3.36 £2.51
-31.25%
Potato (1kg)
$0.92 RON 4.38
$1.70 £1.27
-45.88%
Onion (1kg)
$0.88 RON 4.19
$1.78 £1.33
-50.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.96 RON 4.60
$1.49 £1.11
-35.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.96 RON 4.58
$1.82 £1.36
-47.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.33 RON 30.28
$23.85 £17.80
-73.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.50 RON 35.84
$13.44 £10.03
-44.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 RON 5.82
$3.11 £2.32
-60.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 RON 8.36
$4.49 £3.35
-61.02%
🚌 Getting Around
Cluj-Napoca
London
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.70 RON 3.36
$4.13 £3.08
-83.05%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$43.90 RON 210
$266 £199
-83.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.81 RON 3.88
$5.98 £4.46
-86.45%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.82 RON 3.92
$3.39 £2.53
-75.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.25 RON 39.45
$56.6 £42.21
-85.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.98 RON 9.47
$2.21 £1.65
-10.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.3K RON 135.2K
$38.3K £28.6K
-26.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.6K RON 117.6K
$41.0K £30.6K
-40.03%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cluj-Napoca
London
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$152 RON 726
$372 £278
-59.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.05 RON 38.49
$18.66 £13.93
-56.86%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.37 RON 44.78
$40.53 £30.26
-76.88%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cluj-Napoca
London
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.94 RON 234
$56.0 £41.82
-12.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.31 RON 107
$17.10 £12.76
30.47%
Cinema Ticket
$9.32 RON 44.54
$17.95 £13.40
-48.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cluj-Napoca
London
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$577 RON 2,760
$2,946 £2,199
-80.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K RON 58.8K
$47.6K £35.5K
-74.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cluj-Napoca
London
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.3 RON 417
$116 £86.8
-24.91%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.70 RON 209
$56.9 £42.47
-23.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.8 RON 477
$128 £95.5
-21.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 RON 512
$154 £115
-30.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cluj-Napoca
London
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$662 RON 3,165
$2,935 £2,191
-77.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$539 RON 2,575
$2,258 £1,686
-76.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,247 RON 5,959
$5,250 £3,919
-76.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$836 RON 3,997
$3,859 £2,881
-78.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,596 RON 22.0K
$17.2K £12.8K
-73.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,264 RON 15.6K
$8,278 £6,179
-60.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cluj-Napoca
London
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,293 RON 6,183
$5,621 £4,196
-76.99%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.65
4.78
39.12%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: November 3, 2026

Last update for London: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cluj-Napoca
$539
London
$2.3K 319% $1.7K
Groceries & Markets
Cluj-Napoca
$231
London
$360 56.2% $130
Eating Out
Cluj-Napoca
$215
London
$396 84.4% $181
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cluj-Napoca
$169
London
$432 155% $262
Clothing & Footwear
Cluj-Napoca
$152
London
$205 34.6% $53
Sport & Entertainment
Cluj-Napoca
$68
London
$92 36% $24
Getting Around
Cluj-Napoca
$52
London
$305 492% $254

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $662 in Cluj-Napoca and $2,935 in London. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays about 4.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $55 in Cluj-Napoca vs $109 in London for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $360 per month, with Cluj-Napoca cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca
🇬🇧 London
🕒 Local time
20:01 8:01 PM
18:01 6:01 PM
2 h behind Cluj-Napoca
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
324,576
8,908,083 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4.78 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.37 RON (1 RON = 0.186 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.838 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cluj-Napoca London 1,790 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Cluj-Napoca
  • London

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 London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cluj-Napoca cheaper than London?
Cluj-Napoca is about 65% cheaper overall, especially in transport, eating out, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cluj-Napoca or London?
On paper, salaries run 77% lower in Cluj-Napoca. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Cluj-Napoca and London?
Rent for a central apartment: $662 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,935 in London. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Cluj-Napoca runs roughly 83% less than in London. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $577 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,946 in London. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is Cluj-Napoca or London more family-friendly?
For families, Cluj-Napoca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in London, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Cluj-Napoca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Cluj-Napoca vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?