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: $1,374 in Cluj-Napoca versus $996 in Roman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,111 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,472 in Roman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,848 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,949 in Roman.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 38% more expensive than Roman, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 2% above, Roman is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.58 RON 52.4

$12.39 RON 56.1

-6.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 RON 261

$28.00 RON 127

106.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.08 RON 36.53

$7.84 RON 35.48

3.06%

Cappuccino

$3.53 RON 15.99

$3.36 RON 15.21

5.06%

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

$2.30 RON 10.40

$1.12 RON 5.07

105.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 RON 9.65

$2.09 RON 9.44

1.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 RON 14.84

$3.15 RON 14.26

4.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 RON 18.18

$2.35 RON 10.63

71.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 RON 8.11

$1.48 RON 6.71

20.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.10

$0.95 RON 4.29

42.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 RON 8.56

$1.64 RON 7.44

15.24%

Eggs

$3.26 RON 14.75

$3.02 RON 13.68

7.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.25 RON 46.36

$8.71 RON 39.42

17.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 RON 31.96

$6.82 RON 30.86

3.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 RON 54.6

$11.29 RON 51.1

6.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 RON 5.36

$0.95 RON 4.32

24.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 RON 7.80

$1.48 RON 6.69

16.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.39

$1.48 RON 6.70

10.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 RON 10.93

$2.22 RON 10.06

9.01%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 RON 4.30

$0.77 RON 3.49

23.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.23

$1.03 RON 4.65

-9.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 RON 4.89

$0.93 RON 4.21

16.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 RON 3.99

$0.85 RON 3.82

3.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 RON 29.67

$5.74 RON 25.95

14.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.76 RON 35.09

$6.66 RON 30.12

16.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 RON 5.23

$1.14 RON 5.18

1.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 RON 8.86

$1.64 RON 7.43

19.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 3.02

$0.72 RON 3.27

-6.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.65 RON 102

$19.68 RON 89.0

15.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 RON 4.51

$0.72 RON 3.24

38.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 RON 3.90

$0.66 RON 2.97

30.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.43 RON 42.67

$6.74 RON 30.48

39.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 RON 7.71

$1.68 RON 7.58

1.19%

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

$28.5K RON 128.9K

$28.3K RON 128.1K

0.63%

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

$26.7K RON 120.8K

$28.0K RON 126.4K

-4.50%

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

$156 RON 704

$90.6 RON 410

71.82%

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

$9.13 RON 41.29

$3.47 RON 15.70

163.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.87 RON 44.65

$5.69 RON 25.76

73.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.65 RON 202

$41.72 RON 189

7.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.25 RON 91.6

$18.99 RON 85.9

6.64%

Cinema Ticket

$8.27 RON 37.39

$10.76 RON 48.66

-23.14%

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

$481 RON 2,176

$328 RON 1,482

46.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K RON 47.5K

$6,627 RON 30.0K

58.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 RON 314

$67.3 RON 305

3.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.69 RON 184

$17.09 RON 77.3

138.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 RON 382

$96.6 RON 437

-12.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 RON 452

$34.85 RON 158

186.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$707 RON 3,196

$387 RON 1,749

82.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$564 RON 2,552

$286 RON 1,293

97.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 RON 5,706

$577 RON 2,608

118.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$930 RON 4,209

$441 RON 1,993

111.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,832 RON 21.9K

$2,070 RON 9,365

133.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,491 RON 15.8K

$1,266 RON 5,725

175.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,369 RON 6,194

$854 RON 3,863

60.35%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Roman: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $707 in Cluj-Napoca and $387 in Roman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 60% 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 $234 vs $208 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 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cluj-Napoca pays 60% 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 $387 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 15% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $481 in Cluj-Napoca versus $328 in Roman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $996 in Roman versus $1,374 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 38% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.