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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,393 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,146 in Serpukhov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,114 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,791 in Serpukhov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,836 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,437 in Serpukhov.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 22% more expensive than Serpukhov, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 3% above, Serpukhov is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.33 RON 48.95

$12.77 ₽971

-11.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.7 RON 245

$57.1 ₽4,345

-0.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.83 RON 33.81

$6.48 ₽493

20.83%

Cappuccino

$3.50 RON 15.10

$3.29 ₽250

6.38%

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

$2.35 RON 10.15

$1.39 ₽106

69.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 RON 9.10

$0.66 ₽50.5

219.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.16 RON 13.64

$1.42 ₽108

122.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 RON 16.50

$4.37 ₽332

-12.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 RON 7.68

$1.32 ₽101

34.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 RON 5.61

$0.84 ₽64.0

54.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 RON 7.83

$1.76 ₽134

2.84%

Eggs

$3.37 RON 14.55

$1.48 ₽113

127.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 RON 43.56

$12.99 ₽988

-22.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.15 RON 30.88

$4.48 ₽341

59.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.70 RON 50.6

$11.91 ₽906

-1.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 RON 5.21

$1.90 ₽144

-36.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 RON 7.69

$2.01 ₽153

-11.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 RON 6.72

$2.29 ₽174

-31.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.28 RON 9.85

$4.19 ₽318

-45.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.06

$0.98 ₽74.6

-4.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 RON 4.26

$0.85 ₽64.6

16.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 RON 4.48

$1.64 ₽125

-36.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 RON 3.74

$0.74 ₽56.6

17.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.24 RON 26.97

$3.13 ₽238

99.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 RON 34.38

$6.44 ₽490

23.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 RON 5.01

$0.87 ₽66.1

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 RON 8.52

$2.34 ₽178

-15.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 2.90

$0.49 ₽37.28

36.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.47 RON 101

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.98 RON 4.24

$2.57 ₽196

-61.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 RON 3.55

$0.47 ₽35.80

74.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.13 RON 39.42

$6.52 ₽496

40.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 RON 7.36

$0.80 ₽60.7

112.50%

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

$27.5K RON 118.9K

$38.5K ₽2.9M

-28.48%

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

$26.9K RON 116.2K

$36.3K ₽2.8M

-25.93%

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

$161 RON 697

$153 ₽11.6K

5.70%

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

$8.91 RON 38.50

$7.80 ₽593

14.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.80 RON 42.33

$7.77 ₽591

26.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.52 RON 192

$35.21 ₽2,678

26.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.73 RON 85.3

Cinema Ticket

$8.22 RON 35.51

$6.37 ₽485

29.04%

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

$489 RON 2,113

$329 ₽25.0K

48.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K RON 45.4K

$7,016 ₽533.6K

49.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 RON 297

$88.0 ₽6,695

-21.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.45 RON 170

$52.7 ₽4,008

-25.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.2 RON 368

$134 ₽10.2K

-36.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.0 RON 427

$165 ₽12.5K

-40.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$714 RON 3,084

$441 ₽33.5K

61.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 RON 2,355

$301 ₽22.9K

81.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 RON 5,427

$761 ₽57.9K

65.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$936 RON 4,043

$510 ₽38.8K

83.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,741 RON 20.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,413 RON 14.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,412 RON 6,101

$1,182 ₽89.9K

19.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

10.5

-44.29%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: April 14, 2026

Last update for Serpukhov: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $714 in Cluj-Napoca and $441 in Serpukhov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 19% 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: $57 in Cluj-Napoca vs $57 in Serpukhov. Groceries flip the comparison at $232 vs $225, with Serpukhov cheaper for home cooking.

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 Serpukhov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Serpukhov is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cluj-Napoca pays 19% 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: $714 in Cluj-Napoca versus $441 in Serpukhov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $489 in Cluj-Napoca versus $329 in Serpukhov. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Serpukhov – a meal for two runs $57.0 versus $57.0 in Cluj-Napoca. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,146 in Serpukhov versus $1,393 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Serpukhov but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Serpukhov the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Serpukhov 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 Serpukhov 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 Serpukhov gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.