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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,374 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,015 in Mamaia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,111 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,555 in Mamaia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,848 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,096 in Mamaia.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 35% more expensive than Mamaia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 2% above, Mamaia is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.58 RON 52.4

$9.76 RON 44.15

18.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 RON 261

$46.49 RON 210

24.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.08 RON 36.53

$7.96 RON 36.01

1.51%

Cappuccino

$3.53 RON 15.99

$2.66 RON 12.03

32.71%

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

$2.30 RON 10.40

$1.93 RON 8.73

19.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 RON 9.65

$1.71 RON 7.72

24.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 RON 14.84

$2.27 RON 10.28

44.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 RON 18.18

$2.78 RON 12.59

44.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 RON 8.11

$1.54 RON 6.95

16.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.10

$1.26 RON 5.68

7.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 RON 8.56

$1.71 RON 7.73

10.53%

Eggs

$3.26 RON 14.75

$3.21 RON 14.53

1.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.25 RON 46.36

$8.35 RON 37.77

22.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 RON 31.96

$6.69 RON 30.26

5.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 RON 54.6

$9.91 RON 44.83

21.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 RON 5.36

$1.15 RON 5.20

2.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 RON 7.80

$1.58 RON 7.17

8.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.39

$1.55 RON 7.03

5.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 RON 10.93

$2.14 RON 9.69

13.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 RON 4.30

$0.87 RON 3.92

9.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.23

$0.88 RON 3.99

5.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 RON 4.89

$0.93 RON 4.21

16.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 RON 3.99

$0.85 RON 3.82

3.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 RON 29.67

$6.04 RON 27.31

8.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.76 RON 35.09

$6.21 RON 28.08

24.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 RON 5.23

$1.07 RON 4.83

8.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 RON 8.86

$1.64 RON 7.40

19.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 3.02

$0.68 RON 3.07

-1.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.65 RON 102

$19.56 RON 88.5

15.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 RON 4.51

$0.71 RON 3.23

40.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 RON 3.90

$0.75 RON 3.39

14.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.43 RON 42.67

$6.77 RON 30.63

39.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 RON 7.71

$1.57 RON 7.08

8.28%

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

$28.5K RON 128.9K

$28.4K RON 128.5K

0.38%

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

$26.7K RON 120.8K

$27.5K RON 124.6K

-3.10%

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

$156 RON 704

$146 RON 662

6.31%

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

$9.13 RON 41.29

$8.19 RON 37.05

11.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.87 RON 44.65

$8.91 RON 40.29

10.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.65 RON 202

$41.81 RON 189

6.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.25 RON 91.6

$19.00 RON 86.0

6.58%

Cinema Ticket

$8.27 RON 37.39

$6.97 RON 31.52

18.65%

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

$481 RON 2,176

$422 RON 1,909

14.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K RON 47.5K

$6,856 RON 31.0K

53.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 RON 314

$68.5 RON 310

1.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.69 RON 184

$40.38 RON 183

0.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 RON 382

$74.8 RON 338

13.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 RON 452

$95.4 RON 431

4.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$707 RON 3,196

$391 RON 1,770

80.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$564 RON 2,552

$290 RON 1,313

94.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 RON 5,706

$583 RON 2,637

116.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$930 RON 4,209

$439 RON 1,986

111.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,832 RON 21.9K

$1,872 RON 8,466

158.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,491 RON 15.8K

$1,515 RON 6,851

130.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,369 RON 6,194

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

6.5

-10.00%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: June 8, 2026

Last update for Mamaia: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $707 in Cluj-Napoca and $391 in Mamaia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca vs $46.00 in Mamaia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $207 per month, with Mamaia 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 Mamaia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mamaia is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,061 in Cluj-Napoca and $1,522 in Mamaia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $707 in Cluj-Napoca versus $391 in Mamaia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mamaia 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 $422 in Mamaia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,015 in Mamaia versus $1,374 in Cluj-Napoca, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mamaia but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Mamaia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mamaia 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 Mamaia 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 Mamaia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.