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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,374 in Cluj-Napoca versus $827 in Lugoj.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,111 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,264 in Lugoj.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,848 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,700 in Lugoj.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 66% more expensive than Lugoj, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 2% above, Lugoj is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.58 RON 52.4

$9.39 RON 42.46

23.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 RON 261

$27.26 RON 123

111.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.08 RON 36.53

$5.71 RON 25.85

41.51%

Cappuccino

$3.53 RON 15.99

$1.12 RON 5.09

215.18%

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

$2.30 RON 10.40

$1.14 RON 5.15

101.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 RON 9.65

$0.88 RON 3.96

142.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 RON 14.84

$2.25 RON 10.18

45.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 RON 18.18

$1.59 RON 7.18

152.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 RON 8.11

$1.55 RON 7.01

15.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.10

$1.01 RON 4.57

33.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 RON 8.56

$0.71 RON 3.23

166.20%

Eggs

$3.26 RON 14.75

$1.35 RON 6.10

141.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.25 RON 46.36

$3.79 RON 17.12

170.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 RON 31.96

$4.28 RON 19.38

64.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 RON 54.6

$4.67 RON 21.14

158.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 RON 5.36

$1.13 RON 5.11

4.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 RON 7.80

$1.35 RON 6.09

27.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.39

$1.52 RON 6.86

7.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 RON 10.93

$0.66 RON 3.00

266.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 RON 4.30

$0.67 RON 3.02

41.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.23

$0.66 RON 2.98

40.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 RON 4.89

$0.79 RON 3.56

36.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 RON 3.99

$0.66 RON 2.98

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 RON 29.67

$5.28 RON 23.89

24.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.76 RON 35.09

$4.31 RON 19.49

80.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 RON 5.23

$1.32 RON 5.96

-12.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 RON 8.86

$1.79 RON 8.11

9.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 3.02

$0.67 RON 3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.65 RON 102

$19.61 RON 88.7

15.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 RON 4.51

$0.57 RON 2.57

75.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 RON 3.90

$0.89 RON 4.02

-3.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.43 RON 42.67

$6.76 RON 30.60

39.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 RON 7.71

$1.59 RON 7.20

6.92%

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

$28.5K RON 128.9K

$28.4K RON 128.3K

0.46%

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

$26.7K RON 120.8K

$27.3K RON 123.4K

-2.14%

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

$156 RON 704

$56.8 RON 257

174.20%

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

$9.13 RON 41.29

$7.99 RON 36.15

14.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.87 RON 44.65

$11.37 RON 51.5

-13.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.65 RON 202

$41.20 RON 186

8.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.25 RON 91.6

$19.47 RON 88.1

4.01%

Cinema Ticket

$8.27 RON 37.39

$6.43 RON 29.09

28.62%

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

$481 RON 2,176

$446 RON 2,019

7.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K RON 47.5K

$8,841 RON 40.0K

18.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 RON 314

$79.2 RON 358

-12.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.69 RON 184

$37.02 RON 167

9.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 RON 382

$79.6 RON 360

6.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 RON 452

$85.3 RON 386

17.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$707 RON 3,196

$383 RON 1,733

84.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$564 RON 2,552

$296 RON 1,337

90.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 RON 5,706

$589 RON 2,665

114.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$930 RON 4,209

$444 RON 2,008

109.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,832 RON 21.9K

$1,710 RON 7,734

182.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,491 RON 15.8K

$1,357 RON 6,139

157.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,369 RON 6,194

$982 RON 4,444

39.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

6.28

-6.85%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: June 8, 2026

Last update for Lugoj: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $707 in Cluj-Napoca and $383 in Lugoj. 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 $27.00 in Lugoj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $137 per month, with Lugoj 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 Lugoj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lugoj is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 66% 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 $383 in Lugoj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lugoj runs roughly 16% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $481 in Cluj-Napoca versus $446 in Lugoj. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $827 in Lugoj versus $1,374 in Cluj-Napoca, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lugoj but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Lugoj the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lugoj 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 Lugoj 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 Lugoj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.