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: $1,361 in Cluj-Napoca versus $959 in Onesti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,124 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,448 in Onesti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,887 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,936 in Onesti.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 42% more expensive than in 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

$11.38 RON 51.7

$7.00 RON 31.81

62.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.6 RON 262

$37.57 RON 171

53.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.94 RON 36.09

$6.60 RON 30.02

20.30%

Cappuccino

$3.53 RON 16.06

$1.87 RON 8.49

88.77%

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

$2.37 RON 10.79

$2.09 RON 9.49

13.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 RON 9.65

$1.67 RON 7.58

26.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 RON 14.23

$2.03 RON 9.22

54.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 RON 18.27

$2.94 RON 13.39

36.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 RON 8.05

$1.14 RON 5.16

55.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 RON 5.94

$1.19 RON 5.42

10.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 RON 8.25

$1.88 RON 8.53

-3.72%

Eggs

$3.34 RON 15.17

$2.92 RON 13.29

14.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.83 RON 44.70

$8.09 RON 36.77

21.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.27 RON 33.06

$6.87 RON 31.22

5.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 54.5

$11.41 RON 51.9

5.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.59

$0.92 RON 4.19

33.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 RON 8.05

$1.52 RON 6.89

16.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.09

$1.52 RON 6.91

2.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 RON 10.74

$1.88 RON 8.55

25.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.29

$0.78 RON 3.57

20.51%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.41

$1.05 RON 4.77

-7.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 RON 4.96

$1.00 RON 4.56

9.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 RON 4.19

$0.59 RON 2.70

55.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 29.27

$5.63 RON 25.57

14.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 RON 34.27

$5.59 RON 25.41

34.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.31

$1.02 RON 4.62

14.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 RON 8.91

$1.52 RON 6.90

28.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 3.04

$0.67 RON 3.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.24 RON 106

$20.13 RON 91.5

15.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 RON 4.49

$1.18 RON 5.35

-16.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 RON 3.73

$0.66 RON 2.99

24.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.11 RON 41.43

$7.07 RON 32.14

28.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 RON 7.66

$1.58 RON 7.17

6.96%

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

$28.4K RON 129.3K

$28.0K RON 127.2K

1.62%

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

$27.0K RON 122.9K

$25.6K RON 116.4K

5.54%

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

$158 RON 720

$157 RON 715

0.57%

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

$8.72 RON 39.66

$8.07 RON 36.70

8.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.91 RON 45.08

$9.47 RON 43.04

4.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.33 RON 197

$41.91 RON 191

3.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.21 RON 91.9

$18.97 RON 86.2

6.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.86 RON 35.75

$6.98 RON 31.71

12.61%

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

$492 RON 2,239

$307 RON 1,398

60.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K RON 47.7K

$10.0K RON 45.5K

4.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 RON 318

$36.90 RON 168

89.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.01 RON 186

$30.27 RON 138

35.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 RON 383

$74.7 RON 340

12.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 RON 460

$71.7 RON 326

41.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 RON 3,236

$389 RON 1,770

82.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 RON 2,491

$295 RON 1,343

85.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 RON 5,762

$577 RON 2,622

119.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$940 RON 4,275

$440 RON 2,001

113.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,857 RON 22.1K

$1,994 RON 9,067

143.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,404 RON 15.5K

$1,406 RON 6,393

142.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,325 RON 6,024

$662 RON 3,011

100.08%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Onesti: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $712 in Cluj-Napoca and $389 in Onesti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 100% 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 $38.00 in Onesti for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 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 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 100% 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: $712 in Cluj-Napoca versus $389 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 $492 in Cluj-Napoca versus $307 in Onesti. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $959 in Onesti versus $1,361 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 42% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.