Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Miercurea Ciuc

For one person, living is cheaper in Miercurea Ciuc: $735 a month against $1,406 in Cluj-Napoca, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Cluj-Napoca
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Cluj-Napoca Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Miercurea Ciuc
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Miercurea Ciuc Living Index

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Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,406

/mo nomad

Miercurea Ciuc

🇷🇴 Romania

$735

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cluj-Napoca and in Miercurea Ciuc

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cluj-Napoca and in Miercurea Ciuc actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,406 in Cluj-Napoca versus $735 in Miercurea Ciuc.

Cluj-Napoca $1,406
Miercurea Ciuc $735

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,113 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,172 in Miercurea Ciuc.

Cluj-Napoca $2,113
Miercurea Ciuc $1,172

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,819 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,609 in Miercurea Ciuc.

Cluj-Napoca $2,819
Miercurea Ciuc $1,609

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 91% more expensive than in Miercurea Ciuc, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 4% above, Miercurea Ciuc is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.77 RON 60.4

$6.29 RON 29.78

103.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 RON 259

$20.86 RON 98.7

162.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.60 RON 45.41

$6.10 RON 28.85

57.38%

Cappuccino

$3.63 RON 17.18

$1.72 RON 8.14

111.05%

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

$2.31 RON 10.92

$1.61 RON 7.63

43.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

$1.39 RON 6.55

67.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 RON 15.47

$2.02 RON 9.56

61.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 RON 20.21

$1.94 RON 9.18

120.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 RON 7.26

$1.36 RON 6.45

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 RON 7.13

$1.14 RON 5.41

32.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 RON 8.55

$1.33 RON 6.28

36.09%

Eggs

$3.86 RON 18.28

$3.39 RON 16.03

13.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.15 RON 43.28

$7.97 RON 37.72

14.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.28 RON 34.45

$4.57 RON 21.61

59.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.73 RON 55.5

$7.97 RON 37.72

47.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.42 RON 6.70

$0.71 RON 3.37

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 RON 8.00

$1.49 RON 7.05

13.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 RON 9.21

$1.49 RON 7.04

30.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.39 RON 11.30

$2.48 RON 11.75

-3.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.44

$0.66 RON 3.10

42.42%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 RON 4.26

$0.66 RON 3.10

36.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 RON 4.25

$0.40 RON 1.91

125.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 RON 4.79

$0.66 RON 3.11

53.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.11 RON 28.89

$5.08 RON 24.05

20.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.36 RON 34.84

$5.18 RON 24.52

42.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 RON 6.08

$0.95 RON 4.49

35.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 RON 8.38

$1.28 RON 6.04

38.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 RON 3.29

$0.83 RON 3.91

-15.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.67 RON 145

$21.11 RON 99.9

45.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 RON 4.22

$0.97 RON 4.59

-8.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 RON 4.37

$0.85 RON 4.03

8.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 RON 39.71

$8.57 RON 40.54

-2.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 RON 9.00

$1.68 RON 7.96

13.10%

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

$28.0K RON 132.5K

$24.9K RON 117.8K

12.44%

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

$24.8K RON 117.2K

$24.6K RON 116.4K

0.75%

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

$153 RON 725

$114 RON 540

34.30%

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

$8.59 RON 40.64

$5.37 RON 25.39

59.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.77 RON 46.24

$5.08 RON 24.05

92.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.15 RON 218

$31.21 RON 148

47.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.53 RON 107

$10.57 RON 50.0

113.15%

Cinema Ticket

$9.32 RON 44.09

$4.77 RON 22.55

95.39%

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

$587 RON 2,780

$446 RON 2,109

31.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,476 RON 44.8K

$6,729 RON 31.8K

40.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 RON 419

$42.42 RON 201

108.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.73 RON 216

$16.62 RON 78.6

175.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 RON 479

$68.6 RON 325

47.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 RON 512

$82.9 RON 392

30.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$622 RON 2,941

$185 RON 878

235.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$524 RON 2,480

$155 RON 731

239.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 RON 5,429

$414 RON 1,957

177.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$806 RON 3,816

$370 RON 1,750

118.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,709 RON 22.3K

$1,476 RON 6,982

219.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,348 RON 15.8K

$1,363 RON 6,447

145.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,234 RON 5,837

$691 RON 3,270

78.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.85

-0.73%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: October 11, 2026

Last update for Miercurea Ciuc: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cluj-Napoca

$524 37.3%

Miercurea Ciuc

$155 21% 70.5% $370

Groceries & Markets

Cluj-Napoca

$234 16.7%

Miercurea Ciuc

$176 23.9% 24.9% $58

Eating Out

Cluj-Napoca

$218 15.5%

Miercurea Ciuc

$115 15.7% 47.1% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cluj-Napoca

$172 12.2%

Miercurea Ciuc

$125 17% 27.4% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Cluj-Napoca

$155 11%

Miercurea Ciuc

$95 12.9% 38.7% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Cluj-Napoca

$65 4.6%

Miercurea Ciuc

$41 5.5% 37.1% $24

Getting Around

Cluj-Napoca

$39 2.8%

Miercurea Ciuc

$30 4% 23.9% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $622 in Cluj-Napoca and $185 in Miercurea Ciuc. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 79% 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: $55.0 in Cluj-Napoca vs $21.00 in Miercurea Ciuc for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $176 per month, with Miercurea Ciuc cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Miercurea Ciuc

🕒 Local time

18:22 6:22 PM

Same time as Cluj-Napoca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

324,576

38,966

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Cluj-Napoca Miercurea Ciuc 180 km

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Miercurea Ciuc: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Miercurea Ciuc is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 79% 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: $622 in Cluj-Napoca versus $185 in Miercurea Ciuc. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Miercurea Ciuc runs roughly 45% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $587 in Cluj-Napoca versus $446 in Miercurea Ciuc. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $735 in Miercurea Ciuc versus $1,406 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Miercurea Ciuc but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Miercurea Ciuc the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Miercurea Ciuc 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 Miercurea Ciuc 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 Miercurea Ciuc gentler on the wallet – expenses run 91% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.