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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,410 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,181 in Pecs.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,148 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,772 in Pecs.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,886 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,362 in Pecs.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 19% more expensive than in Pecs, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 6% above, Pecs is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.41 RON 52.3

$8.65 Ft 2,749

31.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 RON 265

$42.40 Ft 13.5K

36.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.14 RON 37.32

$8.51 Ft 2,705

-4.35%

Cappuccino

$3.39 RON 15.53

$2.22 Ft 705

52.70%

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

$2.35 RON 10.77

$1.15 Ft 366

104.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 RON 9.66

$0.94 Ft 299

124.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 RON 14.97

$1.61 Ft 512

102.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 RON 18.45

$2.14 Ft 679

87.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 RON 8.22

$1.11 Ft 353

61.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.18

$1.48 Ft 472

-8.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 RON 8.55

$1.89 Ft 600

-1.59%

Eggs

$3.35 RON 15.37

$2.43 Ft 771

37.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 RON 44.43

$9.42 Ft 2,992

2.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 RON 32.37

$5.96 Ft 1,895

18.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 RON 54.7

$14.30 Ft 4,543

-16.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 RON 5.71

$1.96 Ft 622

-36.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 RON 7.90

$2.12 Ft 673

-18.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 RON 7.51

$2.10 Ft 668

-21.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 10.89

$3.48 Ft 1,106

-31.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 RON 4.35

$1.26 Ft 401

-24.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.25

$1.23 Ft 390

-24.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 RON 4.98

$1.78 Ft 565

-38.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 RON 4.12

$0.54 Ft 172

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.30 RON 28.91

$7.00 Ft 2,226

-10.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 RON 35.07

$4.70 Ft 1,494

62.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.37

$1.21 Ft 385

-3.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 RON 9.32

$2.12 Ft 673

-4.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.24

$1.46 Ft 464

-51.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.37 RON 107

$24.16 Ft 7,677

-3.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 RON 4.34

$3.08 Ft 979

-69.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 RON 3.72

$1.12 Ft 356

-27.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.56 RON 43.82

$22.99 Ft 7,307

-58.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 RON 7.46

$1.68 Ft 534

-2.98%

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

$27.6K RON 126.6K

$27.1K Ft 8.6M

1.75%

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

$27.1K RON 124.2K

$31.1K Ft 9.9M

-12.87%

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

$160 RON 733

$167 Ft 53.1K

-4.35%

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

$9.06 RON 41.56

$27.76 Ft 8,822

-67.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.14 RON 46.49

$19.64 Ft 6,242

-48.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.86 RON 206

$43.87 Ft 13.9K

2.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.93 RON 91.4

$21.77 Ft 6,919

-8.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.93 RON 36.38

$7.89 Ft 2,509

0.51%

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

$475 RON 2,178

$409 Ft 130.0K

16.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K RON 49.3K

$7,172 Ft 2.3M

49.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 RON 321

$92.3 Ft 29.3K

-24.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.45 RON 181

$44.00 Ft 14.0K

-10.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 RON 396

$94.8 Ft 30.1K

-8.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 RON 460

$101 Ft 32.1K

-0.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$714 RON 3,275

$495 Ft 157.2K

44.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 RON 2,563

$367 Ft 116.6K

52.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 RON 5,704

$695 Ft 221.0K

78.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 RON 4,324

$559 Ft 177.5K

68.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,645 RON 21.3K

$3,487 Ft 1.1M

33.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,395 RON 15.6K

$2,939 Ft 933.9K

15.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,314 RON 6,026

$1,082 Ft 343.9K

21.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

-26.88%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: July 12, 2026

Last update for Pecs: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $714 in Cluj-Napoca and $495 in Pecs. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 21% 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 $42.00 in Pecs. Groceries flip the comparison at $232 vs $232, 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 Pecs: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pecs is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 21% 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: $714 in Cluj-Napoca versus $495 in Pecs. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Pecs runs roughly 3% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $475 in Cluj-Napoca versus $409 in Pecs. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,181 in Pecs versus $1,410 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pecs but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Pecs the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pecs 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 Pecs 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 Pecs gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.