Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Sannicolau Mare

For one person, living is cheaper in Sannicolau Mare: $1,009 a month against $1,413 in Cluj-Napoca, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Cluj-Napoca
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Cluj-Napoca Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Sannicolau Mare
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Sannicolau Mare Living Index

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Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,413

/mo nomad

Sannicolau Mare

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,009

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cluj-Napoca and in Sannicolau Mare

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,413 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,009 in Sannicolau Mare.

Cluj-Napoca $1,413
Sannicolau Mare $1,009

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,122 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,531 in Sannicolau Mare.

Cluj-Napoca $2,122
Sannicolau Mare $1,531

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,831 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,053 in Sannicolau Mare.

Cluj-Napoca $2,831
Sannicolau Mare $2,053

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 40% more expensive than in Sannicolau Mare, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 4% above, Sannicolau Mare is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.53 RON 59.3

$8.64 RON 40.88

45.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.5 RON 258

$41.76 RON 198

30.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.73 RON 46.01

$7.58 RON 35.88

28.36%

Cappuccino

$3.68 RON 17.42

$3.22 RON 15.24

14.29%

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

$2.31 RON 10.92

$2.06 RON 9.74

12.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 RON 10.93

$1.76 RON 8.32

31.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 RON 15.24

$3.13 RON 14.83

2.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 RON 20.14

$3.84 RON 18.18

10.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 RON 7.69

$1.39 RON 6.60

17.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 RON 6.78

$1.15 RON 5.43

24.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 RON 8.63

$1.38 RON 6.54

31.88%

Eggs

$3.82 RON 18.08

$3.35 RON 15.85

14.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.16 RON 43.34

$8.03 RON 37.98

14.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.08 RON 33.50

$6.02 RON 28.47

17.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.76 RON 55.7

$8.14 RON 38.52

44.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.40 RON 6.64

$1.15 RON 5.44

21.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 RON 8.03

$1.56 RON 7.39

8.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 RON 8.96

$1.51 RON 7.15

25.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 RON 11.43

$2.61 RON 12.35

-7.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RON 4.36

$0.71 RON 3.37

29.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 RON 4.15

$0.64 RON 3.05

37.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 RON 4.59

$1.00 RON 4.71

-3.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 RON 4.61

$0.87 RON 4.11

11.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.21 RON 29.39

$5.83 RON 27.58

6.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 RON 35.66

$7.20 RON 34.08

4.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.96

$0.91 RON 4.29

38.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 RON 8.05

$1.35 RON 6.39

25.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 RON 3.42

$0.69 RON 3.28

4.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.02 RON 147

$19.24 RON 91.0

61.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 RON 4.17

$0.91 RON 4.30

-3.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 RON 4.40

$0.88 RON 4.17

5.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.51 RON 40.26

$8.51 RON 40.24

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 RON 9.08

$1.94 RON 9.20

-1.03%

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

$28.9K RON 136.7K

$28.7K RON 136.0K

0.56%

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

$24.4K RON 115.2K

$25.0K RON 118.4K

-2.64%

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

$156 RON 739

$114 RON 539

37.01%

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

$8.74 RON 41.34

$8.92 RON 42.19

-2.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.61 RON 45.46

$12.03 RON 56.9

-20.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.29 RON 219

$39.39 RON 186

17.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.98 RON 104

$22.45 RON 106

-2.09%

Cinema Ticket

$9.27 RON 43.87

$6.96 RON 32.91

33.19%

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

$587 RON 2,775

$451 RON 2,131

30.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,749 RON 46.1K

$6,686 RON 31.6K

45.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.1 RON 426

$75.3 RON 356

19.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.13 RON 218

$31.52 RON 149

46.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 RON 465

$85.5 RON 404

14.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 RON 522

$88.2 RON 417

25.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 RON 2,950

$396 RON 1,875

57.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 RON 2,502

$302 RON 1,428

75.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 RON 5,407

$520 RON 2,462

119.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$820 RON 3,881

$443 RON 2,096

85.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,578 RON 21.7K

$2,107 RON 9,971

117.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,358 RON 15.9K

$1,416 RON 6,701

137.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,261 RON 5,964

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

7.02

-5.27%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: October 18, 2026

Last update for Sannicolau Mare: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cluj-Napoca

$529 37.5%

Sannicolau Mare

$302 29.9% 42.9% $227

Groceries & Markets

Cluj-Napoca

$233 16.5%

Sannicolau Mare

$197 19.5% 15.6% $36

Eating Out

Cluj-Napoca

$217 15.3%

Sannicolau Mare

$169 16.8% 21.9% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cluj-Napoca

$175 12.4%

Sannicolau Mare

$135 13.4% 22.7% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Cluj-Napoca

$155 11%

Sannicolau Mare

$126 12.5% 18.6% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Cluj-Napoca

$65 4.6%

Sannicolau Mare

$53 5.3% 17.8% $12

Getting Around

Cluj-Napoca

$39 2.8%

Sannicolau Mare

$27 2.7% 30.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $623 in Cluj-Napoca and $396 in Sannicolau Mare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Cluj-Napoca vs $42.00 in Sannicolau Mare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $197 per month, with Sannicolau Mare cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Sannicolau Mare

🕒 Local time

17:54 5:54 PM

Same time as Cluj-Napoca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

324,576

13,083

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Cluj-Napoca Sannicolau Mare 240 km

From you

Cluj-Napoca
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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 Sannicolau Mare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sannicolau Mare is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,119 in Cluj-Napoca and $1,514 in Sannicolau Mare to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $623 in Cluj-Napoca versus $396 in Sannicolau Mare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sannicolau Mare runs roughly 61% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $587 in Cluj-Napoca versus $451 in Sannicolau Mare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,009 in Sannicolau Mare versus $1,413 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sannicolau Mare but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Sannicolau Mare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sannicolau Mare 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 Sannicolau Mare 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 Sannicolau Mare 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.