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: $1,410 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,096 in Medias.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,148 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,682 in Medias.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,886 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,269 in Medias.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 6% above, Medias is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.41 RON 52.3

$11.97 RON 54.9

-4.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 RON 265

$51.1 RON 234

13.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.14 RON 37.32

$8.17 RON 37.46

-0.37%

Cappuccino

$3.39 RON 15.53

$3.51 RON 16.12

-3.42%

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

$2.35 RON 10.77

$1.99 RON 9.12

18.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 RON 9.66

$2.08 RON 9.52

1.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 RON 14.97

$3.16 RON 14.49

3.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 RON 18.45

$3.51 RON 16.09

14.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 RON 8.22

$1.42 RON 6.51

26.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.18

$1.30 RON 5.96

3.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 RON 8.55

$1.77 RON 8.12

5.08%

Eggs

$3.35 RON 15.37

$3.22 RON 14.75

4.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 RON 44.43

$8.89 RON 40.77

9.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 RON 32.37

$6.88 RON 31.55

2.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 RON 54.7

$11.86 RON 54.4

0.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 RON 5.71

$1.19 RON 5.44

4.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 RON 7.90

$1.57 RON 7.18

9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 RON 7.51

$1.54 RON 7.04

6.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 10.89

$2.42 RON 11.08

-2.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 RON 4.35

$0.96 RON 4.41

-1.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.25

$1.03 RON 4.74

-9.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 RON 4.98

$0.93 RON 4.25

17.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 RON 4.12

$0.83 RON 3.81

8.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.30 RON 28.91

$5.91 RON 27.11

6.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 RON 35.07

$7.47 RON 34.27

2.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.37

$1.10 RON 5.02

6.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 RON 9.32

$1.65 RON 7.58

23.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.24

$0.67 RON 3.09

5.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.37 RON 107

$20.19 RON 92.6

15.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 RON 4.34

$0.77 RON 3.55

23.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 RON 3.72

$0.77 RON 3.52

5.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.56 RON 43.82

$6.77 RON 31.05

41.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 RON 7.46

$1.53 RON 7.03

6.54%

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

$27.6K RON 126.6K

$28.2K RON 129.5K

-2.28%

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

$27.1K RON 124.2K

$27.9K RON 128.0K

-2.95%

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

$160 RON 733

$166 RON 763

-3.89%

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

$9.06 RON 41.56

$8.18 RON 37.53

10.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.14 RON 46.49

$9.18 RON 42.09

10.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.86 RON 206

$40.91 RON 188

9.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.93 RON 91.4

$19.10 RON 87.6

4.35%

Cinema Ticket

$7.93 RON 36.38

$6.86 RON 31.45

15.60%

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

$475 RON 2,178

$456 RON 2,090

4.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K RON 49.3K

$6,640 RON 30.5K

61.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 RON 321

$65.7 RON 301

6.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.45 RON 181

$43.41 RON 199

-9.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 RON 396

$96.8 RON 444

-10.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 RON 460

0.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$714 RON 3,275

$392 RON 1,800

81.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 RON 2,563

$294 RON 1,347

90.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 RON 5,704

$594 RON 2,722

109.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 RON 4,324

$438 RON 2,009

115.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,645 RON 21.3K

$2,246 RON 10.3K

106.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,395 RON 15.6K

$1,261 RON 5,781

169.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,314 RON 6,026

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Medias: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $714 in Cluj-Napoca and $392 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 $220 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 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,115 in Cluj-Napoca and $1,644 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: $714 in Cluj-Napoca versus $392 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 16% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $475 in Cluj-Napoca versus $456 in Medias. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,096 in Medias versus $1,410 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 29% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.