Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Ploiesti

For one person, living is cheaper in Ploiesti: $1,088 a month against $1,413 in Cluj-Napoca, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Cluj-Napoca
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Cluj-Napoca Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Ploiesti
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Ploiesti Living Index

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Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,413

/mo nomad

Ploiesti

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,088

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,413 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,088 in Ploiesti.

Cluj-Napoca $1,413
Ploiesti $1,088

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,122 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,663 in Ploiesti.

Cluj-Napoca $2,122
Ploiesti $1,663

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,831 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,238 in Ploiesti.

Cluj-Napoca $2,831
Ploiesti $2,238

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 30% more expensive than in Ploiesti, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 4% above, Ploiesti is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.53 RON 59.3

$11.59 RON 54.8

8.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.5 RON 258

$46.97 RON 222

15.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.73 RON 46.01

$7.85 RON 37.15

23.95%

Cappuccino

$3.68 RON 17.42

$2.97 RON 14.07

23.91%

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

$2.31 RON 10.92

$2.13 RON 10.07

8.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 RON 10.93

$2.12 RON 10.01

8.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 RON 15.24

$2.50 RON 11.81

28.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 RON 20.14

$3.32 RON 15.71

28.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 RON 7.69

$1.58 RON 7.46

3.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 RON 6.78

$1.17 RON 5.54

22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 RON 8.63

$1.50 RON 7.11

21.33%

Eggs

$3.82 RON 18.08

$3.24 RON 15.31

17.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.16 RON 43.34

$7.85 RON 37.15

16.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.08 RON 33.50

$6.60 RON 31.21

7.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.76 RON 55.7

$9.28 RON 43.90

26.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.40 RON 6.64

$1.30 RON 6.16

7.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 RON 8.03

$1.73 RON 8.17

-1.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 RON 8.96

$1.38 RON 6.55

36.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 RON 11.43

$2.00 RON 9.47

21.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RON 4.36

$0.78 RON 3.71

17.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 RON 4.15

$0.78 RON 3.67

12.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 RON 4.59

$0.69 RON 3.28

40.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 RON 4.61

$0.78 RON 3.68

24.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.21 RON 29.39

$6.44 RON 30.46

-3.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 RON 35.66

$6.67 RON 31.58

13.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.96

$0.99 RON 4.69

27.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 RON 8.05

$1.40 RON 6.63

21.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 RON 3.42

$0.82 RON 3.90

-12.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.02 RON 147

$21.31 RON 101

45.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 RON 4.17

$0.62 RON 2.93

41.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 RON 4.40

$0.64 RON 3.05

45.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.51 RON 40.26

$6.38 RON 30.18

33.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 RON 9.08

$1.85 RON 8.77

3.78%

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

$28.9K RON 136.7K

$28.8K RON 136.4K

0.26%

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

$24.4K RON 115.2K

$25.2K RON 119.1K

-3.23%

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

$156 RON 739

$167 RON 792

-6.75%

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

$8.74 RON 41.34

$6.27 RON 29.67

39.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.61 RON 45.46

$8.86 RON 41.91

8.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.29 RON 219

$43.37 RON 205

6.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.98 RON 104

$21.38 RON 101

2.81%

Cinema Ticket

$9.27 RON 43.87

$8.66 RON 40.98

7.04%

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

$587 RON 2,775

$399 RON 1,889

46.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,749 RON 46.1K

$5,802 RON 27.5K

68.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.1 RON 426

$73.4 RON 347

22.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.13 RON 218

$42.40 RON 201

8.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 RON 465

$93.5 RON 442

5.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 RON 522

$97.3 RON 460

13.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 RON 2,950

$421 RON 1,990

48.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 RON 2,502

$290 RON 1,371

82.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 RON 5,407

$568 RON 2,685

101.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$820 RON 3,881

$459 RON 2,170

78.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,578 RON 21.7K

$1,967 RON 9,305

132.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,358 RON 15.9K

$1,226 RON 5,802

173.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,261 RON 5,964

$993 RON 4,698

26.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

7.85

-15.29%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: October 18, 2026

Last update for Ploiesti: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cluj-Napoca

$529 37.5%

Ploiesti

$290 26.6% 45.2% $239

Groceries & Markets

Cluj-Napoca

$233 16.5%

Ploiesti

$200 18.4% 14% $33

Eating Out

Cluj-Napoca

$217 15.3%

Ploiesti

$188 17.3% 13.2% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cluj-Napoca

$175 12.4%

Ploiesti

$183 16.8% 4.6% $8.1

Clothing & Footwear

Cluj-Napoca

$155 11%

Ploiesti

$138 12.7% 11.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Cluj-Napoca

$65 4.6%

Ploiesti

$61 5.6% 6.4% $4.1

Getting Around

Cluj-Napoca

$39 2.8%

Ploiesti

$28 2.6% 27.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $623 in Cluj-Napoca and $421 in Ploiesti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 27% 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: $54.0 in Cluj-Napoca vs $47.00 in Ploiesti for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $200 per month, with Ploiesti cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Ploiesti

🕒 Local time

18:30 6:30 PM

Same time as Cluj-Napoca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

324,576

224,406

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cluj-Napoca Ploiesti 280 km

From you

Cluj-Napoca
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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 Ploiesti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ploiesti is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 27% 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: $623 in Cluj-Napoca versus $421 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 46% 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 $399 in Ploiesti. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,088 in Ploiesti versus $1,413 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 30% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.