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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,375 in Cluj-Napoca versus $983 in Roman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,092 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,490 in Roman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,808 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,998 in Roman.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 40% more expensive than Roman, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 3% above, Roman is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.48 RON 50.1

$12.10 RON 52.7

-5.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.9 RON 253

$27.98 RON 122

107.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.25 RON 35.98

$7.90 RON 34.44

4.43%

Cappuccino

$3.53 RON 15.40

$3.51 RON 15.29

0.57%

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

$2.33 RON 10.16

$1.18 RON 5.13

97.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RON 9.67

$2.08 RON 9.06

6.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 RON 13.92

$3.16 RON 13.80

0.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 RON 16.98

$2.32 RON 10.10

68.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 RON 7.52

$1.53 RON 6.69

12.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 RON 5.70

$0.90 RON 3.91

45.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 RON 8.26

$1.59 RON 6.94

18.87%

Eggs

$3.23 RON 14.10

$3.13 RON 13.63

3.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.79 RON 42.69

$8.68 RON 37.83

12.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.15 RON 31.19

$7.16 RON 31.23

-0.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 RON 52.2

$11.70 RON 51.0

2.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.37

$0.96 RON 4.19

28.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 RON 7.72

$1.54 RON 6.73

14.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.07

$1.52 RON 6.63

6.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 10.34

$2.25 RON 9.82

5.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.21

$0.84 RON 3.68

15.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.06

$1.02 RON 4.43

-8.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 RON 4.52

$0.88 RON 3.84

18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 RON 3.78

$0.78 RON 3.41

11.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.51 RON 28.40

$5.74 RON 25.03

13.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 RON 33.97

$6.86 RON 29.89

13.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.08

$1.09 RON 4.76

7.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 RON 8.53

$1.73 RON 7.56

13.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 2.93

$0.72 RON 3.12

-6.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.34 RON 102

$20.13 RON 87.8

15.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 RON 4.36

$0.70 RON 3.07

42.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 RON 3.57

$0.60 RON 2.61

36.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.52 RON 41.50

$6.80 RON 29.64

40.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 RON 7.14

$1.67 RON 7.27

-1.80%

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

$28.3K RON 123.5K

$28.3K RON 123.4K

0.09%

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

$26.9K RON 117.1K

$27.6K RON 120.3K

-2.68%

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

$158 RON 688

$93.4 RON 407

68.91%

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

$8.92 RON 38.87

$3.55 RON 15.47

151.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.05 RON 43.81

$5.82 RON 25.35

72.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.60 RON 190

$41.67 RON 182

4.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.27 RON 88.4

$19.16 RON 83.6

5.79%

Cinema Ticket

$7.93 RON 34.56

$11.12 RON 48.47

-28.69%

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

$490 RON 2,136

$327 RON 1,428

49.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K RON 45.8K

$6,466 RON 28.2K

62.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 RON 308

$68.1 RON 297

3.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.62 RON 177

$17.31 RON 75.5

134.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 RON 371

$96.0 RON 419

-11.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.6 RON 434

$34.81 RON 152

186.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 RON 3,135

$382 RON 1,666

88.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 RON 2,432

$291 RON 1,268

91.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 RON 5,554

$587 RON 2,559

116.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$951 RON 4,144

$430 RON 1,873

121.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,661 RON 20.3K

$1,672 RON 7,289

178.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,361 RON 14.7K

$1,534 RON 6,689

119.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,415 RON 6,171

$911 RON 3,973

55.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

7.7

-24.03%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: April 27, 2026

Last update for Roman: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $719 in Cluj-Napoca and $382 in Roman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 55% 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 $28.00 in Roman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $212 per month, with Roman 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 Roman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roman is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cluj-Napoca pays 55% 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 $382 in Roman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Roman runs roughly 16% 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 $327 in Roman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $983 in Roman versus $1,375 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Roman but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Roman the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Roman 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 Roman 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 Roman gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.