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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,375 in Cluj-Napoca versus $983 in Onesti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,092 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,459 in Onesti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,808 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,935 in Onesti.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 40% more expensive than Onesti, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 3% above, Onesti is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.48 RON 50.1

$7.09 RON 30.89

61.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.9 RON 253

$36.66 RON 160

58.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.25 RON 35.98

$6.50 RON 28.34

26.92%

Cappuccino

$3.53 RON 15.40

$1.92 RON 8.39

83.85%

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

$2.33 RON 10.16

$1.99 RON 8.69

17.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RON 9.67

$1.60 RON 6.97

38.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 RON 13.92

$2.11 RON 9.21

51.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 RON 16.98

$3.01 RON 13.14

29.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 RON 7.52

$1.13 RON 4.91

52.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 RON 5.70

$1.18 RON 5.15

11.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 RON 8.26

$1.99 RON 8.67

-5.03%

Eggs

$3.23 RON 14.10

$2.92 RON 12.72

10.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.79 RON 42.69

$7.87 RON 34.31

24.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.15 RON 31.19

$6.82 RON 29.75

4.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 RON 52.2

$11.16 RON 48.65

7.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.37

$0.97 RON 4.23

26.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 RON 7.72

$1.57 RON 6.82

12.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.07

$1.44 RON 6.28

12.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 10.34

$1.87 RON 8.17

26.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.21

$0.84 RON 3.65

15.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.06

$1.06 RON 4.63

-12.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 RON 4.52

$1.05 RON 4.57

-0.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 RON 3.78

$0.65 RON 2.82

33.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.51 RON 28.40

$5.69 RON 24.82

14.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 RON 33.97

$5.78 RON 25.19

34.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.08

$0.95 RON 4.14

23.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 RON 8.53

$1.47 RON 6.40

33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 2.93

$0.70 RON 3.07

-4.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.34 RON 102

$19.91 RON 86.8

17.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 RON 4.36

$1.17 RON 5.10

-14.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 RON 3.57

$0.60 RON 2.61

36.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.52 RON 41.50

$6.77 RON 29.52

40.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 RON 7.14

$1.62 RON 7.04

1.23%

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

$28.3K RON 123.5K

$28.4K RON 123.7K

-0.14%

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

$26.9K RON 117.1K

$25.4K RON 110.6K

5.90%

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

$158 RON 688

$161 RON 703

-2.23%

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

$8.92 RON 38.87

$8.00 RON 34.90

11.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.05 RON 43.81

$9.65 RON 42.07

4.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.60 RON 190

$41.75 RON 182

4.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.27 RON 88.4

$19.21 RON 83.7

5.52%

Cinema Ticket

$7.93 RON 34.56

$6.78 RON 29.55

16.96%

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

$490 RON 2,136

$305 RON 1,332

60.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K RON 45.8K

$9,768 RON 42.6K

7.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 RON 308

$37.53 RON 164

88.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.62 RON 177

$30.43 RON 133

33.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 RON 371

$72.9 RON 318

16.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.6 RON 434

$74.1 RON 323

34.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 RON 3,135

$387 RON 1,688

85.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 RON 2,432

$292 RON 1,273

91.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 RON 5,554

$597 RON 2,602

113.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$951 RON 4,144

$431 RON 1,879

120.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,661 RON 20.3K

$1,781 RON 7,764

161.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,361 RON 14.7K

$1,374 RON 5,989

144.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,415 RON 6,171

$687 RON 2,993

106.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

7.11

-17.72%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: April 27, 2026

Last update for Onesti: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $719 in Cluj-Napoca and $387 in Onesti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 106% 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: $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca vs $37.00 in Onesti for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $199 per month, with Onesti 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 Onesti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Onesti is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cluj-Napoca pays 106% more on average, 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: $719 in Cluj-Napoca versus $387 in Onesti. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Onesti runs roughly 17% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $490 in Cluj-Napoca versus $305 in Onesti. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $983 in Onesti versus $1,375 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Onesti but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Onesti the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Onesti 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 Onesti 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 Onesti gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.