Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Pecs

For one person, living costs are similar in Cluj-Napoca and in Pecs: $1,406 and $1,357 a month, rent and utilities included.

68

Cost of Living Index in Cluj-Napoca
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Cluj-Napoca Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Pecs
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Pecs Living Index

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Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,406

/mo nomad

Pecs

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,357

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cluj-Napoca and in Pecs

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 Pecs actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,406 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,357 in Pecs.

Cluj-Napoca $1,406
Pecs $1,357

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,113 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,072 in Pecs.

Cluj-Napoca $2,113
Pecs $2,072

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,819 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,786 in Pecs.

Cluj-Napoca $2,819
Pecs $2,786

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 4% more expensive than in Pecs, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cluj-Napoca 4% above, Pecs 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.77 RON 60.4

$11.50 Ft 3,717

11.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 RON 259

$61.8 Ft 20.0K

-11.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.60 RON 45.41

$9.20 Ft 2,973

4.35%

Cappuccino

$3.63 RON 17.18

$2.50 Ft 808

45.20%

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

$2.31 RON 10.92

$1.30 Ft 420

77.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

$1.28 Ft 414

82.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 RON 15.47

$1.69 Ft 546

93.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 RON 20.21

$2.34 Ft 755

82.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 RON 7.26

$1.19 Ft 384

28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 RON 7.13

$1.61 Ft 521

-6.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 RON 8.55

$2.47 Ft 798

-26.72%

Eggs

$3.86 RON 18.28

$3.23 Ft 1,044

19.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.15 RON 43.28

$10.11 Ft 3,265

-9.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.28 RON 34.45

$6.64 Ft 2,147

9.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.73 RON 55.5

$16.09 Ft 5,198

-27.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.42 RON 6.70

$2.46 Ft 794

-42.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 RON 8.00

$2.30 Ft 742

-26.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 RON 9.21

$2.56 Ft 827

-23.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.39 RON 11.30

$4.02 Ft 1,300

-40.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.44

$1.10 Ft 355

-14.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 RON 4.26

$1.36 Ft 439

-33.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 RON 4.25

$1.85 Ft 598

-51.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 RON 4.79

$0.58 Ft 188

74.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.11 RON 28.89

$8.61 Ft 2,782

-29.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.36 RON 34.84

$4.52 Ft 1,461

62.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 RON 6.08

$1.30 Ft 422

-0.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 RON 8.38

$2.50 Ft 807

-29.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 RON 3.29

$1.49 Ft 482

-53.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.67 RON 145

$23.02 Ft 7,438

33.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 RON 4.22

$3.41 Ft 1,102

-73.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 RON 4.37

$1.43 Ft 463

-35.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 RON 39.71

$24.25 Ft 7,833

-65.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 RON 9.00

$1.82 Ft 587

4.40%

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

$28.0K RON 132.5K

$30.1K Ft 9.7M

-6.91%

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

$24.8K RON 117.2K

$36.2K Ft 11.7M

-31.54%

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

$153 RON 725

$171 Ft 55.4K

-10.57%

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

$8.59 RON 40.64

$20.62 Ft 6,662

-58.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.77 RON 46.24

$20.67 Ft 6,680

-52.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.15 RON 218

$47.20 Ft 15.2K

-2.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.53 RON 107

$18.25 Ft 5,898

23.45%

Cinema Ticket

$9.32 RON 44.09

$8.62 Ft 2,785

8.12%

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

$587 RON 2,780

$427 Ft 137.8K

37.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,476 RON 44.8K

$7,588 Ft 2.5M

24.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 RON 419

$99.0 Ft 32.0K

-10.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.73 RON 216

$52.0 Ft 16.8K

-11.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 RON 479

$95.3 Ft 30.8K

6.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 RON 512

$110 Ft 35.5K

-1.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$622 RON 2,941

$607 Ft 196.2K

2.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$524 RON 2,480

$447 Ft 144.3K

17.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 RON 5,429

$981 Ft 317.0K

16.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$806 RON 3,816

$690 Ft 223.0K

16.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,709 RON 22.3K

$3,322 Ft 1.1M

41.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,348 RON 15.8K

$2,804 Ft 905.9K

19.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,234 RON 5,837

$1,071 Ft 345.9K

15.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

-15.00%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: October 11, 2026

Last update for Pecs: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cluj-Napoca

$524 37.3%

Pecs

$447 32.9% 14.8% $78

Groceries & Markets

Cluj-Napoca

$234 16.7%

Pecs

$260 19.2% 11.1% $26

Eating Out

Cluj-Napoca

$218 15.5%

Pecs

$173 12.8% 20.6% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cluj-Napoca

$172 12.2%

Pecs

$213 15.7% 23.9% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Cluj-Napoca

$155 11%

Pecs

$160 11.8% 3.6% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Cluj-Napoca

$65 4.6%

Pecs

$64 4.8% 0.5% $0.4

Getting Around

Cluj-Napoca

$39 2.8%

Pecs

$40 2.9% 1.6% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $622 in Cluj-Napoca and $607 in Pecs. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 15% 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 $62.0 in Pecs for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $260 per month, with Cluj-Napoca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca

🇭🇺 Pecs

🕒 Local time

17:04 5:04 PM

16:04 4:04 PM

1 h behind Cluj-Napoca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

324,576

140,330

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cluj-Napoca Pecs 420 km

From you

Cluj-Napoca
Pecs

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 Pecs: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pecs is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and leisure. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 15% 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 $607 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 33% 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 $427 in Pecs. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,357 in Pecs versus $1,406 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 4% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.