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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,375 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,041 in Mangalia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,092 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,586 in Mangalia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,808 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,130 in Mangalia.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 32% more expensive than Mangalia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 3% above, Mangalia is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.48 RON 50.1

$9.77 RON 42.62

17.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.9 RON 253

$42.74 RON 186

35.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.25 RON 35.98

$7.62 RON 33.21

8.27%

Cappuccino

$3.53 RON 15.40

$2.69 RON 11.73

31.23%

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

$2.33 RON 10.16

$1.91 RON 8.31

21.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RON 9.67

$1.85 RON 8.05

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 RON 13.92

$2.35 RON 10.27

35.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 RON 16.98

$3.36 RON 14.66

16.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 RON 7.52

$1.35 RON 5.87

27.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 RON 5.70

$1.10 RON 4.80

19.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 RON 8.26

$1.76 RON 7.67

7.39%

Eggs

$3.23 RON 14.10

$3.21 RON 14.01

0.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.79 RON 42.69

$8.55 RON 37.26

14.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.15 RON 31.19

$6.89 RON 30.04

3.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 RON 52.2

$8.91 RON 38.84

34.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.37

$1.18 RON 5.13

4.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 RON 7.72

$1.47 RON 6.41

20.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.07

$1.29 RON 5.62

25.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 10.34

$1.94 RON 8.46

22.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.21

$0.76 RON 3.30

27.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.06

$0.88 RON 3.83

5.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 RON 4.52

$0.75 RON 3.26

38.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 RON 3.78

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.51 RON 28.40

$5.69 RON 24.82

14.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 RON 33.97

$7.02 RON 30.62

10.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.08

$0.92 RON 4.00

27.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 RON 8.53

$1.41 RON 6.15

39.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 2.93

$0.72 RON 3.12

-6.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.34 RON 102

$19.96 RON 87.0

16.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 RON 4.36

$0.70 RON 3.05

42.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 RON 3.57

$0.60 RON 2.63

36.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.52 RON 41.50

$5.65 RON 24.64

68.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 RON 7.14

$1.53 RON 6.68

7.19%

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

$28.3K RON 123.5K

$24.5K RON 106.7K

15.79%

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

$26.9K RON 117.1K

$27.5K RON 120.1K

-2.48%

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

$158 RON 688

$149 RON 648

6.03%

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

$8.92 RON 38.87

$6.67 RON 29.07

33.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.05 RON 43.81

$10.07 RON 43.92

-0.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.60 RON 190

$41.00 RON 179

6.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.27 RON 88.4

$19.22 RON 83.8

5.46%

Cinema Ticket

$7.93 RON 34.56

$6.78 RON 29.57

16.96%

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

$490 RON 2,136

$434 RON 1,894

12.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K RON 45.8K

$6,835 RON 29.8K

53.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 RON 308

$83.3 RON 363

-15.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.62 RON 177

$43.27 RON 189

-6.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 RON 371

$73.8 RON 322

15.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.6 RON 434

$98.7 RON 430

0.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 RON 3,135

$386 RON 1,682

86.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 RON 2,432

$291 RON 1,270

91.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 RON 5,554

$599 RON 2,612

112.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$951 RON 4,144

$432 RON 1,884

120.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,661 RON 20.3K

$1,646 RON 7,178

183.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,361 RON 14.7K

$1,554 RON 6,776

116.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,415 RON 6,171

$811 RON 3,535

74.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

6.62

-11.63%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: April 27, 2026

Last update for Mangalia: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $719 in Cluj-Napoca and $386 in Mangalia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 75% 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 $43.00 in Mangalia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $200 per month, with Mangalia 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 Mangalia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mangalia is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cluj-Napoca pays 75% 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 $386 in Mangalia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mangalia runs roughly 17% 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 $434 in Mangalia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,041 in Mangalia versus $1,375 in Cluj-Napoca, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mangalia but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Mangalia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mangalia 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 Mangalia 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 Mangalia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.