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: $1,375 in Cluj-Napoca versus $919 in Piatra Neamt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,092 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,460 in Piatra Neamt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,808 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,002 in Piatra Neamt.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 50% more expensive than Piatra Neamt, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 3% above, Piatra Neamt is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.48 RON 50.1

$10.55 RON 45.98

8.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.9 RON 253

$37.46 RON 163

54.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.25 RON 35.98

$7.99 RON 34.82

3.25%

Cappuccino

$3.53 RON 15.40

$2.92 RON 12.73

20.89%

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

$2.33 RON 10.16

$1.91 RON 8.34

21.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RON 9.67

$1.89 RON 8.22

17.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 RON 13.92

$3.26 RON 14.22

-2.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 RON 16.98

$2.68 RON 11.69

45.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 RON 7.52

$1.52 RON 6.64

13.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 RON 5.70

$1.17 RON 5.09

11.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 RON 8.26

$1.77 RON 7.73

6.78%

Eggs

$3.23 RON 14.10

$3.23 RON 14.07

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.79 RON 42.69

$2.47 RON 10.78

296.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.15 RON 31.19

$6.79 RON 29.62

5.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 RON 52.2

$11.91 RON 51.9

0.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.37

$1.14 RON 4.96

7.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 RON 7.72

$1.66 RON 7.24

6.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.07

$1.62 RON 7.05

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 10.34

$2.47 RON 10.79

-4.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.21

$0.93 RON 4.07

4.30%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.06

$1.03 RON 4.50

-9.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 RON 4.52

$0.88 RON 3.82

18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 RON 3.78

$0.79 RON 3.46

10.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.51 RON 28.40

$6.02 RON 26.23

8.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 RON 33.97

$4.73 RON 20.64

64.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.08

$0.71 RON 3.09

64.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 RON 8.53

$1.18 RON 5.14

66.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 2.93

$0.66 RON 2.86

1.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.34 RON 102

$19.87 RON 86.6

17.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 RON 4.36

$0.71 RON 3.11

40.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 RON 3.57

$0.71 RON 3.09

15.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.52 RON 41.50

$6.76 RON 29.47

40.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 RON 7.14

$1.52 RON 6.63

7.89%

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

$28.3K RON 123.5K

$28.1K RON 122.4K

0.95%

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

$26.9K RON 117.1K

$27.7K RON 120.9K

-3.18%

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

$158 RON 688

$117 RON 508

35.31%

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

$8.92 RON 38.87

$7.91 RON 34.49

12.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.05 RON 43.81

$5.66 RON 24.68

77.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.60 RON 190

$40.92 RON 178

6.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.27 RON 88.4

$9.02 RON 39.35

124.72%

Cinema Ticket

$7.93 RON 34.56

$10.73 RON 46.79

-26.10%

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

$490 RON 2,136

$445 RON 1,939

10.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K RON 45.8K

$6,496 RON 28.3K

61.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 RON 308

$67.1 RON 292

5.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.62 RON 177

$43.07 RON 188

-5.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 RON 371

$97.1 RON 424

-12.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.6 RON 434

$97.9 RON 427

1.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 RON 3,135

$343 RON 1,495

109.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 RON 2,432

$210 RON 916

165.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 RON 5,554

$587 RON 2,558

117.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$951 RON 4,144

$350 RON 1,527

171.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,661 RON 20.3K

$2,281 RON 9,944

104.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,361 RON 14.7K

$1,699 RON 7,406

97.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,415 RON 6,171

$1,456 RON 6,349

-2.81%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Piatra Neamt: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $719 in Cluj-Napoca and $343 in Piatra Neamt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piatra Neamt pays 3% 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 $37.00 in Piatra Neamt for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $192 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 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Piatra Neamt earns 3% 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: $719 in Cluj-Napoca versus $343 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 17% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $490 in Cluj-Napoca versus $445 in Piatra Neamt. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $919 in Piatra Neamt versus $1,375 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 50% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.