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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,105 in Medias.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,123 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,692 in Medias.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,860 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,280 in Medias.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 25% more expensive than Medias, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 3% above, Medias is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.53 RON 52.1

$12.24 RON 55.3

-5.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 263

$51.2 RON 231

13.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.21 RON 37.10

$8.08 RON 36.55

1.61%

Cappuccino

$3.37 RON 15.25

$3.60 RON 16.26

-6.39%

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

$2.42 RON 10.93

$1.98 RON 8.97

22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 RON 9.90

$2.07 RON 9.35

5.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 RON 14.70

$3.20 RON 14.46

1.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 RON 17.61

$3.37 RON 15.24

15.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 RON 7.85

$1.34 RON 6.07

29.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 RON 6.03

$1.28 RON 5.80

3.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 RON 8.31

$1.75 RON 7.91

5.14%

Eggs

$3.24 RON 14.64

$3.38 RON 15.28

-4.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 RON 45.88

$8.48 RON 38.35

19.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 RON 31.15

$7.02 RON 31.72

-1.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.08 RON 54.6

$12.01 RON 54.3

0.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.57

$1.17 RON 5.29

5.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 RON 7.81

$1.58 RON 7.14

9.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.02

$1.59 RON 7.19

-2.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 RON 10.51

$2.44 RON 11.01

-4.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 RON 4.60

$0.96 RON 4.33

6.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.38

$1.08 RON 4.86

-10.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 RON 4.70

$0.96 RON 4.32

8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 RON 3.98

$0.77 RON 3.50

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.53 RON 29.52

$5.86 RON 26.49

11.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.94 RON 35.87

$8.89 RON 40.20

-10.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 RON 5.10

$1.10 RON 4.97

2.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 RON 9.26

$1.71 RON 7.73

19.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 RON 3.18

$0.66 RON 2.97

6.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.33 RON 105

$19.56 RON 88.4

19.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 RON 4.52

$0.77 RON 3.50

29.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 RON 4.02

$0.75 RON 3.39

18.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.45 RON 42.70

$7.05 RON 31.85

34.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 RON 7.63

$1.48 RON 6.68

14.19%

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

$28.4K RON 128.6K

$28.0K RON 126.7K

1.51%

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

$27.1K RON 122.3K

$27.7K RON 125.3K

-2.36%

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

$161 RON 730

$166 RON 750

-2.78%

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

$9.19 RON 41.52

$7.94 RON 35.89

15.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.66 RON 43.65

$8.81 RON 39.82

9.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.75 RON 202

$42.27 RON 191

5.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.86 RON 89.8

$18.88 RON 85.3

5.19%

Cinema Ticket

$8.25 RON 37.30

$6.97 RON 31.51

18.36%

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

$491 RON 2,220

$441 RON 1,992

11.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K RON 49.0K

$6,656 RON 30.1K

62.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 RON 320

$67.5 RON 305

5.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.43 RON 178

$43.33 RON 196

-9.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 RON 380

$97.0 RON 438

-13.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.5 RON 450

$97.2 RON 439

2.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$692 RON 3,129

$396 RON 1,789

74.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 RON 2,485

$290 RON 1,312

89.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 RON 5,625

$599 RON 2,707

107.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$923 RON 4,174

$436 RON 1,972

111.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,494 RON 20.3K

$1,631 RON 7,374

175.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,328 RON 15.0K

$1,484 RON 6,710

124.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,378 RON 6,231

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

7.7

-24.03%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: June 2, 2026

Last update for Medias: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $692 in Cluj-Napoca and $396 in Medias. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca vs $51.0 in Medias for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $222 per month, with Medias 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 Medias: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medias is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,080 in Cluj-Napoca and $1,658 in Medias 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: $692 in Cluj-Napoca versus $396 in Medias. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medias 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 $491 in Cluj-Napoca versus $441 in Medias. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,105 in Medias versus $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medias but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Medias the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medias 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 Medias 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 Medias gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.