Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Portimao

For one person, living is cheaper in Cluj-Napoca: $1,406 a month against $1,530 in Portimao, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Portimao outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

68

Cost of Living Index in Cluj-Napoca
Learn more

Cluj-Napoca Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Portimao
Learn more

Portimao Living Index

Jump to prices

Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,406

/mo nomad

Portimao

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,406 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,530 in Portimao.

Cluj-Napoca $1,406
Portimao $1,530

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,113 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,351 in Portimao.

Cluj-Napoca $2,113
Portimao $2,351

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,819 in Cluj-Napoca versus $3,172 in Portimao.

Cluj-Napoca $2,819
Portimao $3,172

Living in Cluj-Napoca costs roughly 8% less than in Portimao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cluj-Napoca 4% above, Portimao 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.77 RON 60.4

$13.32 €11.85

-4.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 RON 259

$67.3 €59.9

-18.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.60 RON 45.41

$10.47 €9.32

-8.31%

Cappuccino

$3.63 RON 17.18

$1.77 €1.57

105.08%

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

$2.31 RON 10.92

$2.12 €1.88

8.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

$1.59 €1.41

46.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 RON 15.47

$2.49 €2.21

31.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 RON 20.21

$4.26 €3.79

0.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 RON 7.26

$1.12 €0.99

36.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 RON 7.13

$1.64 €1.46

-7.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 RON 8.55

$1.67 €1.48

8.38%

Eggs

$3.86 RON 18.28

$3.11 €2.77

24.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.15 RON 43.28

$11.54 €10.27

-20.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.28 RON 34.45

$7.33 €6.52

-0.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.73 RON 55.5

$10.73 €9.54

9.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.42 RON 6.70

$2.23 €1.99

-36.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 RON 8.00

$1.53 €1.36

10.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 RON 9.21

$1.37 €1.22

42.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.39 RON 11.30

$2.31 €2.06

3.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.44

$2.04 €1.81

-53.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 RON 4.26

$2.18 €1.94

-58.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 RON 4.25

$1.54 €1.37

-41.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 RON 4.79

$0.78 €0.70

29.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.11 RON 28.89

$6.05 €5.38

0.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.36 RON 34.84

$5.45 €4.85

35.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 RON 6.08

$1.08 €0.96

19.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 RON 8.38

$2.44 €2.17

-27.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 RON 3.29

$1.94 €1.73

-63.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.67 RON 145

$26.98 €24.00

13.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 RON 4.22

$3.43 €3.05

-74.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 RON 4.37

$1.05 €0.94

-12.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 RON 39.71

$16.55 €14.72

-49.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 RON 9.00

$2.13 €1.90

-10.80%

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

$28.0K RON 132.5K

$33.2K €29.5K

-15.63%

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

$24.8K RON 117.2K

$37.9K €33.7K

-34.65%

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

$153 RON 725

$110 €98.3

38.83%

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

$8.59 RON 40.64

$37.45 €33.31

-77.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.77 RON 46.24

$48.48 €43.13

-79.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.15 RON 218

$47.37 €42.14

-2.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.53 RON 107

$21.29 €18.94

5.82%

Cinema Ticket

$9.32 RON 44.09

$7.79 €6.92

19.64%

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

$587 RON 2,780

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,476 RON 44.8K

$4,503 €4,005

110.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 RON 419

$52.4 €46.56

68.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.73 RON 216

$22.91 €20.38

99.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 RON 479

$45.69 €40.64

121.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 RON 512

$67.4 €60.0

60.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$622 RON 2,941

$969 €862

-35.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$524 RON 2,480

$713 €634

-26.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 RON 5,429

$1,703 €1,514

-32.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$806 RON 3,816

$1,228 €1,093

-34.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,709 RON 22.3K

$4,245 €3,776

10.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,348 RON 15.8K

$3,243 €2,884

3.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,234 RON 5,837

$985 €876

25.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

4.58

48.47%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: October 11, 2026

Last update for Portimao: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cluj-Napoca

$524 37.3%

Portimao

$713 46.6% 36.1% $189

Groceries & Markets

Cluj-Napoca

$234 16.7%

Portimao

$235 15.3% 0.3% $0.7

Eating Out

Cluj-Napoca

$218 15.5%

Portimao

$195 12.7% 10.5% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cluj-Napoca

$172 12.2%

Portimao

$196 12.8% 14.4% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Cluj-Napoca

$155 11%

Portimao

$85 5.5% 45.2% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Cluj-Napoca

$65 4.6%

Portimao

$63 4.1% 2.9% $1.9

Getting Around

Cluj-Napoca

$39 2.8%

Portimao

$43 2.8% 11.5% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $622 in Cluj-Napoca and $969 in Portimao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $55.0 in Cluj-Napoca vs $67.0 in Portimao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $235 per month, with Cluj-Napoca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca

🇵🇹 Portimao

🕒 Local time

02:47 2:47 AM

00:47 12:47 AM

2 h behind Cluj-Napoca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

324,576

59,867

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cluj-Napoca Portimao 2,840 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Cluj-Napoca
Portimao

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 Portimao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cluj-Napoca is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and utilities. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 25% 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: $622 in Cluj-Napoca versus $969 in Portimao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cluj-Napoca – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $67.0 in Portimao. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Cluj-Napoca runs roughly 14% less than in Portimao. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,406 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,530 in Portimao, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cluj-Napoca but tight or insufficient in Portimao. The gap between the two cities makes Cluj-Napoca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cluj-Napoca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Portimao, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cluj-Napoca and Portimao 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 Cluj-Napoca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Portimao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.