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: $1,361 in Cluj-Napoca versus $994 in Roman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,124 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,472 in Roman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,887 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,950 in Roman.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 37% more expensive than in Roman, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 2% above, Roman is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.38 RON 51.7

$12.34 RON 56.1

-7.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.6 RON 262

$27.51 RON 125

109.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.94 RON 36.09

$7.96 RON 36.20

-0.25%

Cappuccino

$3.53 RON 16.06

$3.35 RON 15.24

5.37%

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

$2.37 RON 10.79

$1.14 RON 5.18

107.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 RON 9.65

$2.08 RON 9.45

1.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 RON 14.23

$3.20 RON 14.53

-2.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 RON 18.27

$2.32 RON 10.53

73.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 RON 8.05

$1.50 RON 6.81

18.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 RON 5.94

$0.89 RON 4.05

47.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 RON 8.25

$1.59 RON 7.22

13.84%

Eggs

$3.34 RON 15.17

$2.97 RON 13.48

12.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.83 RON 44.70

$8.90 RON 40.45

10.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.27 RON 33.06

$6.87 RON 31.24

5.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 54.5

$11.32 RON 51.5

6.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.59

$0.91 RON 4.12

35.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 RON 8.05

$1.54 RON 7.02

14.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.09

$1.48 RON 6.72

5.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 RON 10.74

$2.23 RON 10.13

5.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.29

$0.80 RON 3.63

17.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.41

$1.01 RON 4.60

-3.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 RON 4.96

$0.94 RON 4.26

15.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 RON 4.19

$0.85 RON 3.86

8.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 29.27

$5.79 RON 26.31

11.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 RON 34.27

$6.54 RON 29.73

15.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.31

$1.15 RON 5.22

1.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 RON 8.91

$1.71 RON 7.76

14.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 3.04

$0.70 RON 3.20

-4.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.24 RON 106

$19.96 RON 90.7

16.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 RON 4.49

$0.67 RON 3.04

47.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 RON 3.73

$0.61 RON 2.75

34.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.11 RON 41.43

$6.88 RON 31.28

32.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 RON 7.66

$1.66 RON 7.53

1.81%

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

$28.4K RON 129.3K

$28.1K RON 127.9K

1.06%

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

$27.0K RON 122.9K

$27.4K RON 124.7K

-1.47%

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

$158 RON 720

$93.4 RON 425

69.39%

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

$8.72 RON 39.66

$3.40 RON 15.46

156.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.91 RON 45.08

$5.60 RON 25.47

76.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.33 RON 197

$40.66 RON 185

6.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.21 RON 91.9

$19.35 RON 88.0

4.44%

Cinema Ticket

$7.86 RON 35.75

$10.99 RON 49.94

-28.48%

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

$492 RON 2,239

$325 RON 1,477

51.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K RON 47.7K

$6,589 RON 30.0K

59.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 RON 318

$67.6 RON 307

3.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.01 RON 186

$17.61 RON 80.1

132.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 RON 383

$95.9 RON 436

-12.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 RON 460

$33.92 RON 154

198.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 RON 3,236

$388 RON 1,765

83.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 RON 2,491

$290 RON 1,320

88.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 RON 5,762

$581 RON 2,643

118.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$940 RON 4,275

$444 RON 2,017

111.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,857 RON 22.1K

$2,229 RON 10.1K

117.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,404 RON 15.5K

$1,357 RON 6,168

150.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,325 RON 6,024

$859 RON 3,907

54.19%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Roman: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $712 in Cluj-Napoca and $388 in Roman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 54% 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 $233 vs $209 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 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 54% 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: $712 in Cluj-Napoca versus $388 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 $492 in Cluj-Napoca versus $325 in Roman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $994 in Roman versus $1,361 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 37% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.