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: $1,361 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,052 in Mangalia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,124 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,599 in Mangalia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,887 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,146 in Mangalia.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 29% more expensive than in Mangalia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 2% above, Mangalia is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.38 RON 51.7

$9.94 RON 45.21

14.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.6 RON 262

$42.73 RON 194

34.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.94 RON 36.09

$7.94 RON 36.11

Cappuccino

$3.53 RON 16.06

$2.59 RON 11.77

36.29%

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

$2.37 RON 10.79

$2.00 RON 9.11

18.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 RON 9.65

$1.88 RON 8.54

12.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 RON 14.23

$2.28 RON 10.38

37.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 RON 18.27

$3.49 RON 15.86

15.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 RON 8.05

$1.35 RON 6.14

31.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 RON 5.94

$1.05 RON 4.78

24.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 RON 8.25

$1.71 RON 7.79

5.85%

Eggs

$3.34 RON 15.17

$3.23 RON 14.68

3.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.83 RON 44.70

$8.51 RON 38.70

15.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.27 RON 33.06

$7.22 RON 32.81

0.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 54.5

$8.96 RON 40.74

33.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.59

$1.20 RON 5.46

2.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 RON 8.05

$1.42 RON 6.44

24.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.09

$1.30 RON 5.90

20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 RON 10.74

$1.98 RON 9.02

19.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.29

$0.79 RON 3.61

18.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.41

$0.90 RON 4.11

7.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 RON 4.96

$0.69 RON 3.15

57.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 RON 4.19

$0.79 RON 3.59

16.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 29.27

$5.88 RON 26.72

9.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 RON 34.27

$6.68 RON 30.36

12.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.31

$0.96 RON 4.37

21.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 RON 8.91

$1.36 RON 6.20

44.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 3.04

$0.71 RON 3.24

-5.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.24 RON 106

$19.53 RON 88.8

19.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 RON 4.49

$0.66 RON 3.00

50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 RON 3.73

$0.61 RON 2.76

34.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.11 RON 41.43

$5.61 RON 25.52

62.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 RON 7.66

$1.60 RON 7.26

5.62%

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

$28.4K RON 129.3K

$24.8K RON 112.7K

14.75%

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

$27.0K RON 122.9K

$27.5K RON 124.9K

-1.65%

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

$158 RON 720

$149 RON 677

6.36%

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

$8.72 RON 39.66

$6.77 RON 30.76

28.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.91 RON 45.08

$9.85 RON 44.77

0.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.33 RON 197

$41.02 RON 187

5.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.21 RON 91.9

$19.06 RON 86.7

6.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.86 RON 35.75

$7.00 RON 31.81

12.29%

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

$492 RON 2,239

$432 RON 1,965

13.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K RON 47.7K

$6,959 RON 31.6K

50.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 RON 318

$81.5 RON 371

-14.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.01 RON 186

$42.86 RON 195

-4.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 RON 383

$75.2 RON 342

12.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 RON 460

$96.6 RON 439

4.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 RON 3,236

$394 RON 1,792

80.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 RON 2,491

$285 RON 1,298

92.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 RON 5,762

$578 RON 2,628

119.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$940 RON 4,275

$446 RON 2,028

110.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,857 RON 22.1K

$2,047 RON 9,306

137.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,404 RON 15.5K

$1,399 RON 6,358

143.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,325 RON 6,024

$750 RON 3,410

76.62%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Mangalia: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $712 in Cluj-Napoca and $394 in Mangalia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 77% 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 $233 vs $199 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, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 77% higher in Cluj-Napoca, 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: $712 in Cluj-Napoca versus $394 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 19% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $492 in Cluj-Napoca versus $432 in Mangalia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,052 in Mangalia versus $1,361 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 29% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.