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: $1,488 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,213 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,938 in Cluj-Napoca versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Cluj-Napoca costs roughly 11% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cluj-Napoca 8% above, Mexico City 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.48 RON 61.0

$12.14 MX$206

11.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.1 RON 259

$53.9 MX$914

5.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 RON 45.59

$11.09 MX$188

-9.20%

Cappuccino

$3.92 RON 17.74

$4.10 MX$69.5

-4.39%

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

$2.47 RON 11.21

$1.68 MX$28.53

47.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 RON 11.17

$1.39 MX$23.55

77.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 RON 15.23

$3.33 MX$56.5

0.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 RON 20.21

$5.88 MX$99.7

-24.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 RON 7.87

$1.85 MX$31.41

-5.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 RON 7.21

$3.17 MX$53.8

-49.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 RON 8.41

$2.07 MX$35.13

-10.14%

Eggs

$3.90 RON 17.67

$2.93 MX$49.67

33.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 RON 43.87

$12.59 MX$214

-23.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.78 RON 35.26

$10.11 MX$172

-23.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 RON 54.8

$16.09 MX$273

-24.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 RON 6.73

$3.39 MX$57.5

-56.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 RON 8.11

$2.08 MX$35.26

-13.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 RON 8.90

$2.12 MX$35.97

-7.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 RON 11.65

$2.41 MX$40.95

6.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 RON 4.53

$2.13 MX$36.11

-53.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 RON 4.75

$2.01 MX$34.02

-47.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 RON 4.69

$1.55 MX$26.21

-33.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 RON 4.68

$1.36 MX$23.15

-24.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 RON 30.60

$5.77 MX$97.8

17.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 RON 34.16

$17.74 MX$301

-57.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 RON 5.83

$2.07 MX$35.11

-37.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 RON 8.42

$4.61 MX$78.3

-59.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 RON 3.60

$0.37 MX$6.21

113.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.36 RON 147

$21.18 MX$359

52.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 RON 4.15

$2.05 MX$34.84

-55.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 RON 4.42

$0.58 MX$9.79

68.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.12 RON 41.30

$6.07 MX$103

50.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 RON 8.63

$1.55 MX$26.34

23.23%

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

$29.3K RON 132.8K

$22.9K MX$388.1K

28.16%

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

$26.1K RON 118.4K

$27.2K MX$462.0K

-4.02%

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

$165 RON 745

$67.4 MX$1,144

144.18%

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

$8.94 RON 40.48

$30.62 MX$520

-70.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.16 RON 46.02

$37.24 MX$632

-72.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.99 RON 226

$61.5 MX$1,043

-18.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.35 RON 106

$27.12 MX$460

-13.90%

Cinema Ticket

$9.93 RON 44.99

$7.11 MX$121

39.66%

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

$624 RON 2,827

$456 MX$7,739

36.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K RON 45.3K

$13.7K MX$232.3K

-26.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.8 RON 425

$74.2 MX$1,259

26.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.38 RON 224

$57.0 MX$967

-13.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 RON 468

$115 MX$1,958

-10.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 RON 530

$122 MX$2,061

-3.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 RON 3,065

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-41.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 RON 2,524

$709 MX$12.0K

-21.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 RON 5,413

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-53.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$844 RON 3,824

$1,295 MX$22.0K

-34.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,864 RON 22.0K

$4,005 MX$67.9K

21.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,549 RON 16.1K

$2,130 MX$36.1K

66.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,340 RON 6,070

$1,082 MX$18.4K

23.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

11.3

-39.82%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: September 8, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $677 in Cluj-Napoca and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $57.0 in Cluj-Napoca vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $246 vs $345, 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, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 24% 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: $677 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,148 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 53% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $624 in Cluj-Napoca versus $456 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,488 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,677 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 13% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.