Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,410 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,148 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,886 in Cluj-Napoca versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Cluj-Napoca costs roughly 3% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cluj-Napoca 6% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.41 RON 52.4

$13.07 MX$228

-12.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 RON 265

$53.8 MX$936

7.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.14 RON 37.36

$9.68 MX$169

-15.91%

Cappuccino

$3.39 RON 15.54

$3.74 MX$65.1

-9.36%

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

$2.35 RON 10.78

$1.62 MX$28.13

45.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 RON 9.67

$1.16 MX$20.23

81.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 RON 14.99

$3.23 MX$56.2

0.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 RON 18.46

$4.74 MX$82.5

-15.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 RON 8.23

$1.65 MX$28.68

8.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.19

$2.75 MX$47.95

-50.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 RON 8.56

$1.87 MX$32.63

-0.53%

Eggs

$3.35 RON 15.38

$2.50 MX$43.54

34.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 RON 44.47

$10.20 MX$178

-5.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 RON 32.40

$8.25 MX$144

-14.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 RON 54.8

$11.82 MX$206

0.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 RON 5.71

$3.01 MX$52.4

-58.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 RON 7.91

$1.81 MX$31.54

-4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 RON 7.52

$2.00 MX$34.81

-18.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 10.90

$2.00 MX$34.74

18.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 RON 4.35

$2.08 MX$36.30

-54.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.25

$2.27 MX$39.56

-59.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 RON 4.99

$1.46 MX$25.36

-25.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 RON 4.13

$1.08 MX$18.74

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.30 RON 28.94

$4.35 MX$75.7

44.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 RON 35.10

$16.99 MX$296

-54.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.38

$1.73 MX$30.18

-32.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 RON 9.32

$3.58 MX$62.3

-43.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.24

$0.39 MX$6.74

82.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.37 RON 107

$18.69 MX$325

25.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 RON 4.35

$1.33 MX$23.08

-28.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 RON 3.72

$0.28 MX$4.87

189.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.56 RON 43.86

$5.25 MX$91.5

82.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 RON 7.47

$1.34 MX$23.27

21.64%

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

$27.6K RON 126.7K

$19.4K MX$338.0K

42.20%

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

$27.1K RON 124.4K

$23.8K MX$415.0K

13.67%

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

$160 RON 734

$40.69 MX$709

292.97%

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

$9.06 RON 41.60

$26.87 MX$468

-66.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.14 RON 46.54

$30.51 MX$531

-66.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.86 RON 206

$52.8 MX$919

-15.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.93 RON 91.5

$26.65 MX$464

-25.22%

Cinema Ticket

$7.93 RON 36.41

$6.51 MX$113

21.81%

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

$475 RON 2,180

$428 MX$7,454

10.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K RON 49.4K

$10.5K MX$182.8K

2.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 RON 321

$57.3 MX$997

22.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.45 RON 181

$45.50 MX$792

-13.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 RON 397

$104 MX$1,812

-16.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 RON 460

$108 MX$1,878

-7.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$714 RON 3,278

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-28.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 RON 2,566

$623 MX$10.8K

-10.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 RON 5,709

$2,109 MX$36.7K

-41.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 RON 4,329

$1,218 MX$21.2K

-22.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,645 RON 21.3K

$3,885 MX$67.6K

19.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,395 RON 15.6K

$2,033 MX$35.4K

67.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,314 RON 6,032

$1,038 MX$18.1K

26.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

11.34

-48.41%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $714 in Cluj-Napoca and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $232 vs $292, with Cluj-Napoca cheaper for home cooking.

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cluj-Napoca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 27% 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: $714 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cluj-Napoca runs roughly 25% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $475 in Cluj-Napoca versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,410 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cluj-Napoca but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Cluj-Napoca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cluj-Napoca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cluj-Napoca and Mexico City 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 Cluj-Napoca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.