Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Piatra Neamt Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Piatra Neamt

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,374 in Cluj-Napoca versus $922 in Piatra Neamt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,111 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,445 in Piatra Neamt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,848 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,968 in Piatra Neamt.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 49% more expensive than Piatra Neamt, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 2% above, Piatra Neamt is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.58 RON 52.4

$10.28 RON 46.52

12.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 RON 261

$36.27 RON 164

59.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.08 RON 36.53

$8.11 RON 36.71

-0.37%

Cappuccino

$3.53 RON 15.99

$2.96 RON 13.41

19.26%

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

$2.30 RON 10.40

$2.00 RON 9.05

15.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 RON 9.65

$1.96 RON 8.86

8.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 RON 14.84

$3.30 RON 14.92

-0.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 RON 18.18

$2.78 RON 12.58

44.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 RON 8.11

$1.55 RON 6.99

15.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.10

$1.18 RON 5.33

14.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 RON 8.56

$1.76 RON 7.96

7.39%

Eggs

$3.26 RON 14.75

$3.38 RON 15.28

-3.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.25 RON 46.36

$2.58 RON 11.69

297.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 RON 31.96

$7.13 RON 32.24

-0.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 RON 54.6

$12.13 RON 54.9

-0.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 RON 5.36

$1.14 RON 5.15

3.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 RON 7.80

$1.71 RON 7.72

0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.39

$1.62 RON 7.34

0.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 RON 10.93

$2.42 RON 10.95

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 RON 4.30

$1.00 RON 4.52

-5.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.23

$1.03 RON 4.64

-9.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 RON 4.89

$0.92 RON 4.16

17.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 RON 3.99

$0.82 RON 3.73

7.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 RON 29.67

$5.93 RON 26.84

10.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.76 RON 35.09

$5.02 RON 22.71

54.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 RON 5.23

$0.71 RON 3.22

63.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 RON 8.86

$1.12 RON 5.05

75.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 3.02

$0.66 RON 2.97

1.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.65 RON 102

$19.95 RON 90.2

13.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 RON 4.51

$0.77 RON 3.51

29.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 RON 3.90

$0.70 RON 3.16

22.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.43 RON 42.67

$6.71 RON 30.33

40.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 RON 7.71

$1.57 RON 7.10

8.28%

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

$28.5K RON 128.9K

$27.5K RON 124.6K

3.49%

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

$26.7K RON 120.8K

$28.2K RON 127.8K

-5.48%

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

$156 RON 704

$115 RON 518

35.95%

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

$9.13 RON 41.29

$7.98 RON 36.11

14.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.87 RON 44.65

$5.61 RON 25.36

75.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.65 RON 202

$40.63 RON 184

9.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.25 RON 91.6

$9.05 RON 40.93

123.76%

Cinema Ticket

$8.27 RON 37.39

$10.90 RON 49.32

-24.13%

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

$481 RON 2,176

$448 RON 2,026

7.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K RON 47.5K

$6,506 RON 29.4K

61.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 RON 314

$68.1 RON 308

2.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.69 RON 184

$43.18 RON 195

-5.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 RON 382

$95.7 RON 433

-11.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 RON 452

$98.4 RON 445

1.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$707 RON 3,196

$350 RON 1,584

101.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$564 RON 2,552

$211 RON 954

167.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 RON 5,706

$583 RON 2,637

116.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$930 RON 4,209

$348 RON 1,574

167.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,832 RON 21.9K

$2,446 RON 11.1K

97.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,491 RON 15.8K

$1,888 RON 8,540

84.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,369 RON 6,194

$1,387 RON 6,274

-1.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

6.5

-10.00%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: June 8, 2026

Last update for Piatra Neamt: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $707 in Cluj-Napoca and $350 in Piatra Neamt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piatra Neamt pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca vs $36.00 in Piatra Neamt for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $197 per month, with Piatra Neamt 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 Piatra Neamt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Piatra Neamt is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Piatra Neamt earns 1% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $707 in Cluj-Napoca versus $350 in Piatra Neamt. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Piatra Neamt runs roughly 14% 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 $448 in Piatra Neamt. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $922 in Piatra Neamt versus $1,374 in Cluj-Napoca, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Piatra Neamt but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Piatra Neamt the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Piatra Neamt 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 Piatra Neamt 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 Piatra Neamt gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.