Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Sarajevo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarajevo: $1,212 a month against $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Sarajevo
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Sarajevo Living Index

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Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,423

/mo nomad

Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,212

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,212 in Sarajevo.

Cluj-Napoca $1,423
Sarajevo $1,212

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,843 in Sarajevo.

Cluj-Napoca $2,126
Sarajevo $1,843

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,830 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,473 in Sarajevo.

Cluj-Napoca $2,830
Sarajevo $2,473

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 17% more expensive than in Sarajevo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 5% above, Sarajevo is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.58 RON 60.2

$8.52 BAM 14.92

47.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 RON 262

$40.08 BAM 70.2

36.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.59 RON 45.90

$8.42 BAM 14.76

13.90%

Cappuccino

$3.78 RON 18.07

$2.26 BAM 3.95

67.26%

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

$2.30 RON 11.02

$2.17 BAM 3.80

5.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RON 10.63

$1.41 BAM 2.47

57.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 RON 15.87

$2.93 BAM 5.12

13.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 RON 20.08

$2.80 BAM 4.90

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 RON 7.67

$1.18 BAM 2.06

35.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 RON 6.90

$1.20 BAM 2.11

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 RON 8.10

$2.12 BAM 3.72

-20.28%

Eggs

$3.76 RON 17.97

$2.96 BAM 5.19

27.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.07 RON 43.38

$10.37 BAM 18.16

-12.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.14 RON 34.15

$7.43 BAM 13.02

-3.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.46 RON 54.8

$14.64 BAM 25.65

-21.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 RON 6.63

$1.49 BAM 2.60

-6.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 RON 7.56

$1.61 BAM 2.83

-1.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 RON 9.00

$1.48 BAM 2.60

27.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 11.33

$2.06 BAM 3.61

15.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RON 4.41

$0.99 BAM 1.73

-7.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 RON 4.30

$1.10 BAM 1.93

-18.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 RON 4.32

$1.13 BAM 1.98

-20.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 RON 4.81

$0.67 BAM 1.18

50.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.42 RON 30.72

$3.85 BAM 6.75

66.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.41 RON 35.46

$7.18 BAM 12.58

3.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 RON 5.96

$0.92 BAM 1.62

35.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 RON 8.28

$1.48 BAM 2.60

16.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 RON 3.63

$1.25 BAM 2.19

-39.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.23 RON 212

$33.99 BAM 59.5

30.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 RON 4.00

$1.46 BAM 2.55

-42.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 RON 4.60

$1.13 BAM 1.98

-15.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.27 RON 39.56

$8.39 BAM 14.70

-1.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 RON 9.27

$1.73 BAM 3.04

12.14%

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

$28.3K RON 135.5K

$29.6K BAM 51.9K

-4.29%

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

$24.7K RON 118.4K

$21.9K BAM 38.4K

12.90%

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

$151 RON 722

$221 BAM 387

-31.77%

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

$8.44 RON 40.37

$14.49 BAM 25.39

-41.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.16 RON 43.84

$27.50 BAM 48.18

-66.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.36 RON 227

$41.77 BAM 73.2

13.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.01 RON 105

$19.37 BAM 33.94

13.63%

Cinema Ticket

$9.35 RON 44.75

$7.06 BAM 12.37

32.44%

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

$577 RON 2,761

$206 BAM 361

180.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,450 RON 45.2K

$3,810 BAM 6,674

148.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 RON 417

$87.5 BAM 153

-0.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.26 RON 212

$37.82 BAM 66.3

17.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 RON 473

$92.2 BAM 162

7.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 RON 511

$99.2 BAM 174

7.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$668 RON 3,197

$434 BAM 761

53.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 RON 2,563

$320 BAM 561

67.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 RON 5,868

$965 BAM 1,691

27.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$807 RON 3,863

$606 BAM 1,062

33.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,568 RON 21.9K

$3,150 BAM 5,519

45.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,342 RON 16.0K

$2,429 BAM 4,256

37.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,241 RON 5,935

$1,042 BAM 1,825

19.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

4.08

62.99%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sarajevo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cluj-Napoca

$536 37.7%

Sarajevo

$320 26.4% 40.2% $215

Groceries & Markets

Cluj-Napoca

$230 16.2%

Sarajevo

$229 18.9% 0.3% $0.7

Eating Out

Cluj-Napoca

$218 15.3%

Sarajevo

$155 12.8% 28.8% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cluj-Napoca

$168 11.8%

Sarajevo

$263 21.7% 56.2% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Cluj-Napoca

$152 10.7%

Sarajevo

$143 11.8% 6% $9.1

Sport & Entertainment

Cluj-Napoca

$66 4.6%

Sarajevo

$56 4.6% 15.4% $10

Getting Around

Cluj-Napoca

$53 3.7%

Sarajevo

$46 3.8% 12.9% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $668 in Cluj-Napoca and $434 in Sarajevo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 19% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $55 in Cluj-Napoca vs $40 in Sarajevo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $229 per month, with Sarajevo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca

🇧🇦 Sarajevo

🕒 Local time

03:06 3:06 AM

02:06 2:06 AM

1 h behind Cluj-Napoca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

324,576

271,194 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 BAM = 0.571 USD

1 BAM = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.78 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BAM (1 BAM = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.511 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cluj-Napoca Sarajevo 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cluj-Napoca
Sarajevo

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 Sarajevo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarajevo is about 15% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 19% 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: $668 in Cluj-Napoca versus $434 in Sarajevo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $577 in Cluj-Napoca versus $206 in Sarajevo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sarajevo – a meal for two runs $40 versus $55 in Cluj-Napoca. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Sarajevo is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Sarajevo 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 Sarajevo are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Sarajevo wins on affordability, Cluj-Napoca on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.