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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,361 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,106 in Ploiesti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,124 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,633 in Ploiesti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,887 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,160 in Ploiesti.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 23% more expensive than in Ploiesti, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 2% above, Ploiesti is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.38 RON 51.7

$9.66 RON 43.91

17.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.6 RON 262

$42.57 RON 194

35.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.94 RON 36.09

$7.77 RON 35.33

2.19%

Cappuccino

$3.53 RON 16.06

$2.60 RON 11.82

35.77%

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

$2.37 RON 10.79

$1.90 RON 8.63

24.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 RON 9.65

$1.90 RON 8.65

11.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 RON 14.23

$2.25 RON 10.23

39.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 RON 18.27

$3.37 RON 15.34

19.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 RON 8.05

$1.39 RON 6.34

27.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 RON 5.94

$1.05 RON 4.78

24.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 RON 8.25

$1.77 RON 8.03

2.26%

Eggs

$3.34 RON 15.17

$3.22 RON 14.63

3.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.83 RON 44.70

$8.80 RON 40.00

11.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.27 RON 33.06

$7.13 RON 32.40

1.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 54.5

$9.23 RON 41.95

30.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.59

$1.17 RON 5.31

5.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 RON 8.05

$1.48 RON 6.74

19.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.09

$1.28 RON 5.84

21.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 RON 10.74

$1.89 RON 8.61

24.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.29

$0.76 RON 3.46

23.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.41

$0.89 RON 4.07

8.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 RON 4.96

$0.70 RON 3.20

55.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 RON 4.19

$0.81 RON 3.66

13.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 29.27

$5.77 RON 26.24

11.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 RON 34.27

$7.01 RON 31.87

7.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.31

$0.91 RON 4.15

28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 RON 8.91

$1.44 RON 6.55

36.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 3.04

$0.61 RON 2.76

9.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.24 RON 106

$19.65 RON 89.4

18.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 RON 4.49

$0.72 RON 3.28

37.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 RON 3.73

$0.65 RON 2.93

26.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.11 RON 41.43

$5.77 RON 26.25

57.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 RON 7.66

$1.55 RON 7.06

9.03%

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

$28.4K RON 129.3K

$24.5K RON 111.6K

15.83%

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

$27.0K RON 122.9K

$27.2K RON 123.7K

-0.66%

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

$158 RON 720

$146 RON 665

8.26%

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

$8.72 RON 39.66

$8.52 RON 38.73

2.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.91 RON 45.08

$10.10 RON 45.93

-1.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.33 RON 197

$51.8 RON 236

-16.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.21 RON 91.9

$20.24 RON 92.0

-0.15%

Cinema Ticket

$7.86 RON 35.75

$6.82 RON 30.99

15.25%

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

$492 RON 2,239

$419 RON 1,906

17.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K RON 47.7K

$6,861 RON 31.2K

52.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 RON 318

$81.7 RON 372

-14.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.01 RON 186

$41.76 RON 190

-1.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 RON 383

$73.3 RON 333

14.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 RON 460

$99.1 RON 451

2.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 RON 3,236

$532 RON 2,419

33.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 RON 2,491

$335 RON 1,523

63.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 RON 5,762

$757 RON 3,443

67.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$940 RON 4,275

$467 RON 2,125

101.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,857 RON 22.1K

$1,976 RON 8,983

145.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,404 RON 15.5K

$1,291 RON 5,869

163.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,325 RON 6,024

$1,009 RON 4,589

31.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

6.62

-11.63%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: July 25, 2026

Last update for Ploiesti: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $712 in Cluj-Napoca and $532 in Ploiesti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 31% 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 $43.00 in Ploiesti for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $201 per month, with Ploiesti 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 Ploiesti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ploiesti is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 31% 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: $712 in Cluj-Napoca versus $532 in Ploiesti. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ploiesti 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 $419 in Ploiesti. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,106 in Ploiesti versus $1,361 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ploiesti but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Ploiesti the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ploiesti 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 Ploiesti 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 Ploiesti gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.