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: $1,375 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,115 in Ploiesti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,092 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,625 in Ploiesti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,808 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,136 in Ploiesti.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 3% above, Ploiesti is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.48 RON 50.1

$9.71 RON 42.35

18.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.9 RON 253

$42.01 RON 183

37.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.25 RON 35.98

$7.99 RON 34.86

3.25%

Cappuccino

$3.53 RON 15.40

$2.65 RON 11.54

33.21%

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

$2.33 RON 10.16

$1.92 RON 8.35

21.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RON 9.67

$1.91 RON 8.32

16.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 RON 13.92

$2.26 RON 9.86

41.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 RON 16.98

$3.46 RON 15.10

12.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 RON 7.52

$1.40 RON 6.09

22.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 RON 5.70

$1.09 RON 4.73

20.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 RON 8.26

$1.68 RON 7.33

12.50%

Eggs

$3.23 RON 14.10

$3.41 RON 14.86

-5.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.79 RON 42.69

$8.67 RON 37.79

12.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.15 RON 31.19

$6.87 RON 29.94

4.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 RON 52.2

$9.01 RON 39.28

32.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.37

$1.22 RON 5.32

0.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 RON 7.72

$1.40 RON 6.12

26.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.07

$1.34 RON 5.85

20.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 10.34

$1.88 RON 8.20

26.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.21

$0.77 RON 3.35

25.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.06

$0.89 RON 3.88

4.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 RON 4.52

$0.71 RON 3.08

46.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 RON 3.78

$0.80 RON 3.48

8.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.51 RON 28.40

$5.75 RON 25.06

13.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 RON 33.97

$6.71 RON 29.25

16.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.08

$0.93 RON 4.04

25.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 RON 8.53

$1.37 RON 5.96

43.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 2.93

$0.55 RON 2.41

21.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.34 RON 102

$19.28 RON 84.1

21.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 RON 4.36

$0.71 RON 3.10

40.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 RON 3.57

$0.66 RON 2.86

24.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.52 RON 41.50

$5.78 RON 25.19

64.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 RON 7.14

$1.62 RON 7.05

1.23%

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

$28.3K RON 123.5K

$25.4K RON 110.7K

11.57%

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

$26.9K RON 117.1K

$27.2K RON 118.5K

-1.19%

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

$158 RON 688

$146 RON 638

7.73%

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

$8.92 RON 38.87

$8.48 RON 36.97

5.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.05 RON 43.81

$9.81 RON 42.78

2.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.60 RON 190

$50.9 RON 222

-14.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.27 RON 88.4

$20.18 RON 88.0

0.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.93 RON 34.56

$7.11 RON 30.98

11.53%

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

$490 RON 2,136

$424 RON 1,850

15.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K RON 45.8K

$6,841 RON 29.8K

53.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 RON 308

$81.8 RON 357

-13.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.62 RON 177

$43.15 RON 188

-5.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 RON 371

$75.6 RON 330

12.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.6 RON 434

$96.8 RON 422

2.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 RON 3,135

$529 RON 2,307

35.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 RON 2,432

$336 RON 1,466

65.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 RON 5,554

$757 RON 3,302

68.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$951 RON 4,144

$469 RON 2,045

102.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,661 RON 20.3K

$2,052 RON 8,948

127.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,361 RON 14.7K

$1,358 RON 5,919

147.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,415 RON 6,171

$1,080 RON 4,709

31.04%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ploiesti: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $719 in Cluj-Napoca and $529 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 $42.00 in Ploiesti for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $199 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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cluj-Napoca pays 31% more on average, 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: $719 in Cluj-Napoca versus $529 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 21% 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 $424 in Ploiesti. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,115 in Ploiesti versus $1,375 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.