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: $1,361 in Cluj-Napoca versus $950 in Piatra Neamt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,124 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,471 in Piatra Neamt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,887 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,992 in Piatra Neamt.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 43% more expensive than in Piatra Neamt, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 2% above, Piatra Neamt is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.38 RON 51.7

$10.26 RON 46.64

10.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.6 RON 262

$36.42 RON 166

58.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.94 RON 36.09

$8.19 RON 37.25

-3.05%

Cappuccino

$3.53 RON 16.06

$2.94 RON 13.38

20.07%

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

$2.37 RON 10.79

$1.97 RON 8.96

20.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 RON 9.65

$1.89 RON 8.58

12.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 RON 14.23

$3.26 RON 14.81

-3.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 RON 18.27

$2.73 RON 12.40

47.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 RON 8.05

$1.54 RON 7.01

14.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 RON 5.94

$1.12 RON 5.09

16.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 RON 8.25

$1.77 RON 8.06

2.26%

Eggs

$3.34 RON 15.17

$3.34 RON 15.19

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.83 RON 44.70

$2.58 RON 11.71

281.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.27 RON 33.06

$7.13 RON 32.41

1.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 54.5

$11.85 RON 53.9

1.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.59

$1.14 RON 5.19

7.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 RON 8.05

$1.71 RON 7.76

3.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.09

$1.53 RON 6.97

1.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 RON 10.74

$2.45 RON 11.13

-3.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.29

$1.01 RON 4.59

-6.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.41

$1.04 RON 4.71

-6.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 RON 4.96

$0.87 RON 3.97

25.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 RON 4.19

$0.80 RON 3.62

15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 29.27

$6.00 RON 27.26

7.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 RON 34.27

$4.82 RON 21.94

56.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.31

$0.72 RON 3.29

62.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 RON 8.91

$1.17 RON 5.30

67.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 3.04

$0.66 RON 3.02

1.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.24 RON 106

$19.67 RON 89.4

18.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 RON 4.49

$0.71 RON 3.21

39.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 RON 3.73

$0.66 RON 2.98

24.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.11 RON 41.43

$6.89 RON 31.32

32.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 RON 7.66

$1.53 RON 6.95

10.46%

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

$28.4K RON 129.3K

$27.7K RON 125.9K

2.65%

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

$27.0K RON 122.9K

$28.2K RON 128.4K

-4.27%

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

$158 RON 720

$115 RON 525

37.19%

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

$8.72 RON 39.66

$8.06 RON 36.63

8.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.91 RON 45.08

$5.86 RON 26.63

69.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.33 RON 197

$41.05 RON 187

5.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.21 RON 91.9

$9.00 RON 40.92

124.56%

Cinema Ticket

$7.86 RON 35.76

$10.87 RON 49.40

-27.69%

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

$492 RON 2,239

$454 RON 2,065

8.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K RON 47.7K

$6,691 RON 30.4K

56.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 RON 318

$66.4 RON 302

5.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.01 RON 186

$42.75 RON 194

-4.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 RON 383

$95.5 RON 434

-11.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 RON 460

$100 RON 456

0.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 RON 3,236

$351 RON 1,596

102.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 RON 2,492

$207 RON 942

164.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 RON 5,763

$582 RON 2,648

117.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$940 RON 4,275

$346 RON 1,572

171.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,857 RON 22.1K

$2,418 RON 11.0K

100.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,404 RON 15.5K

$1,875 RON 8,524

81.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,325 RON 6,024

$1,375 RON 6,250

-3.62%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Piatra Neamt: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $712 in Cluj-Napoca and $351 in Piatra Neamt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piatra Neamt pays 4% 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 $233 vs $194 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 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Piatra Neamt. 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: $712 in Cluj-Napoca versus $351 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 18% 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 $454 in Piatra Neamt. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $950 in Piatra Neamt versus $1,361 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 43% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.