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: $1,410 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,086 in Ploiesti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,116 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,641 in Ploiesti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,823 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,196 in Ploiesti.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 30% more expensive than Ploiesti, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 6% above, Ploiesti is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.57 RON 52.1

$9.77 RON 44.01

18.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 RON 260

$41.76 RON 188

38.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 RON 35.82

$8.06 RON 36.29

-1.36%

Cappuccino

$3.45 RON 15.55

$2.66 RON 11.97

29.70%

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

$2.39 RON 10.77

$1.97 RON 8.89

21.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 RON 9.70

$1.92 RON 8.63

11.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 RON 14.74

$2.25 RON 10.12

45.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 RON 17.66

$3.53 RON 15.91

11.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 RON 7.76

$1.35 RON 6.10

27.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 RON 5.99

$1.04 RON 4.69

27.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 RON 8.14

$1.78 RON 8.01

1.69%

Eggs

$3.23 RON 14.53

$3.38 RON 15.20

-4.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.92 RON 44.67

$8.49 RON 38.23

16.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.93 RON 31.23

$7.10 RON 31.98

-2.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.73 RON 52.8

$9.06 RON 40.81

29.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 RON 5.37

$1.21 RON 5.44

-1.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 RON 7.99

$1.46 RON 6.59

21.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.02

$1.34 RON 6.04

16.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 RON 10.81

$1.88 RON 8.47

27.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 RON 4.57

$0.77 RON 3.46

31.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 RON 4.44

$0.94 RON 4.24

5.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 RON 4.88

$0.71 RON 3.20

52.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.17

$0.81 RON 3.65

14.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.30 RON 28.37

$5.70 RON 25.69

10.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.74 RON 34.88

$7.01 RON 31.57

10.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 RON 5.22

$0.92 RON 4.16

26.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 RON 9.15

$1.36 RON 6.15

49.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 3.04

$0.60 RON 2.70

11.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.89 RON 103

$19.19 RON 86.4

19.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 RON 4.24

$0.68 RON 3.06

38.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 RON 3.65

$0.65 RON 2.93

24.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.22 RON 41.53

$5.74 RON 25.85

60.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 RON 7.71

$1.54 RON 6.96

11.04%

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

$28.2K RON 127.2K

$25.0K RON 112.6K

12.94%

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

$26.2K RON 118.1K

$27.7K RON 124.7K

-5.30%

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

$158 RON 710

$146 RON 660

7.62%

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

$9.08 RON 40.89

$8.58 RON 38.65

5.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.12 RON 45.59

$10.02 RON 45.11

1.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.69 RON 197

$50.6 RON 228

-13.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.27 RON 91.3

$20.54 RON 92.5

-1.31%

Cinema Ticket

$7.87 RON 35.46

$6.83 RON 30.78

15.23%

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

$491 RON 2,212

$431 RON 1,940

14.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K RON 48.0K

$6,999 RON 31.5K

52.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.4 RON 312

$81.6 RON 367

-15.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.78 RON 179

$41.85 RON 188

-4.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 RON 383

$75.3 RON 339

13.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 RON 445

$96.7 RON 436

2.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$707 RON 3,184

$520 RON 2,340

36.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 RON 2,495

$341 RON 1,536

62.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 RON 5,737

$767 RON 3,453

66.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$928 RON 4,179

$467 RON 2,105

98.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,811 RON 21.7K

$1,975 RON 8,893

143.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,473 RON 15.6K

$1,281 RON 5,768

171.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,352 RON 6,090

$1,028 RON 4,631

31.50%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Ploiesti: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $707 in Cluj-Napoca and $520 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 $231 vs $200 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 30% 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: $707 in Cluj-Napoca versus $520 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 19% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $491 in Cluj-Napoca versus $431 in Ploiesti. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,086 in Ploiesti versus $1,410 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.