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: $1,374 in Cluj-Napoca versus $962 in Onesti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,111 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,460 in Onesti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,848 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,959 in Onesti.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 43% more expensive than Onesti, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 2% above, Onesti is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.58 RON 52.4

$6.83 RON 30.90

69.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 RON 261

$37.03 RON 167

55.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.08 RON 36.53

$6.52 RON 29.48

23.93%

Cappuccino

$3.53 RON 15.99

$1.87 RON 8.44

88.77%

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

$2.30 RON 10.40

$2.07 RON 9.36

11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 RON 9.65

$1.66 RON 7.49

28.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 RON 14.84

$2.05 RON 9.29

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 RON 18.18

$3.05 RON 13.78

31.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 RON 8.11

$1.16 RON 5.27

54.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.10

$1.13 RON 5.12

19.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 RON 8.56

$1.97 RON 8.92

-4.06%

Eggs

$3.26 RON 14.75

$2.88 RON 13.04

13.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.25 RON 46.36

$8.21 RON 37.16

24.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 RON 31.96

$7.01 RON 31.71

0.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 RON 54.6

$11.16 RON 50.5

8.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 RON 5.36

$0.89 RON 4.04

32.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 RON 7.80

$1.51 RON 6.83

13.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.39

$1.52 RON 6.86

7.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 RON 10.93

$1.95 RON 8.83

24.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 RON 4.30

$0.82 RON 3.69

15.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.23

$1.05 RON 4.76

-11.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 RON 4.89

$1.04 RON 4.72

3.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 RON 3.99

$0.64 RON 2.91

37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 RON 29.67

$5.50 RON 24.89

19.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.76 RON 35.09

$5.61 RON 25.37

38.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 RON 5.23

$0.95 RON 4.28

22.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 RON 8.86

$1.46 RON 6.62

34.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 3.02

$0.67 RON 3.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.65 RON 102

$19.77 RON 89.4

14.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 RON 4.51

$1.17 RON 5.29

-14.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 RON 3.90

$0.66 RON 2.97

30.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.43 RON 42.67

$7.09 RON 32.09

33.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 RON 7.71

$1.60 RON 7.24

6.25%

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

$28.5K RON 128.9K

$27.7K RON 125.2K

3.02%

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

$26.7K RON 120.8K

$25.3K RON 114.5K

5.45%

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

$156 RON 704

$163 RON 736

-4.28%

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

$9.13 RON 41.29

$7.88 RON 35.66

15.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.87 RON 44.65

$9.38 RON 42.43

5.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.65 RON 202

$41.94 RON 190

6.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.25 RON 91.6

$19.17 RON 86.7

5.63%

Cinema Ticket

$8.27 RON 37.39

$6.81 RON 30.81

21.44%

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

$481 RON 2,176

$311 RON 1,407

54.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K RON 47.5K

$9,660 RON 43.7K

8.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 RON 314

$37.17 RON 168

87.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.69 RON 184

$29.97 RON 136

35.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 RON 382

$75.1 RON 340

12.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 RON 452

$74.0 RON 335

35.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$707 RON 3,196

$393 RON 1,776

80.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$564 RON 2,552

$294 RON 1,329

92.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 RON 5,706

$579 RON 2,620

117.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$930 RON 4,209

$442 RON 2,002

110.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,832 RON 21.9K

$1,920 RON 8,685

151.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,491 RON 15.8K

$1,370 RON 6,197

154.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,369 RON 6,194

$651 RON 2,945

110.29%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Onesti: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $707 in Cluj-Napoca and $393 in Onesti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 110% 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 $234 vs $200 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 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cluj-Napoca pays 110% 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: $707 in Cluj-Napoca versus $393 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 15% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $481 in Cluj-Napoca versus $311 in Onesti. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $962 in Onesti versus $1,374 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 43% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.