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: $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,114 in Serpukhov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,123 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,773 in Serpukhov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,860 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,432 in Serpukhov.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 24% more expensive than Serpukhov, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 3% above, Serpukhov is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.53 RON 52.5

$12.77 ₽940

-9.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 264

$56.9 ₽4,189

2.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.21 RON 37.35

$6.38 ₽470

28.68%

Cappuccino

$3.37 RON 15.35

$3.28 ₽242

2.74%

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

$2.42 RON 11.00

$1.43 ₽105

69.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 RON 9.97

$0.64 ₽47.11

242.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 RON 14.80

$1.42 ₽104

128.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 RON 17.73

$4.45 ₽328

-12.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 RON 7.90

$1.34 ₽98.4

29.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 RON 6.07

$0.89 ₽65.4

49.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 RON 8.36

$1.71 ₽126

7.60%

Eggs

$3.24 RON 14.73

$1.55 ₽114

109.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 RON 46.18

$13.17 ₽970

-22.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 RON 31.36

$4.52 ₽333

52.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.08 RON 55.0

$12.23 ₽901

-1.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.60

$1.95 ₽144

-36.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 RON 7.87

$2.09 ₽154

-17.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.06

$2.28 ₽168

-32.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 RON 10.58

$4.13 ₽304

-43.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 RON 4.63

$0.99 ₽73.1

3.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.41

$0.80 ₽59.0

21.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 RON 4.73

$1.69 ₽125

-38.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 RON 4.01

$0.80 ₽58.6

10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.53 RON 29.72

$3.14 ₽231

107.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.94 RON 36.11

$6.82 ₽502

16.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 RON 5.13

$0.87 ₽63.8

29.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 RON 9.32

$2.33 ₽171

-12.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 RON 3.20

$0.49 ₽36.30

42.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.33 RON 106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 RON 4.55

$2.58 ₽190

-61.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 RON 4.05

$0.44 ₽32.66

102.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.45 RON 42.98

$6.36 ₽468

48.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 RON 7.68

$0.75 ₽54.9

125.33%

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

$28.4K RON 129.4K

$37.9K ₽2.8M

-25.01%

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

$27.1K RON 123.1K

$36.0K ₽2.7M

-24.80%

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

$161 RON 734

$153 ₽11.3K

5.33%

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

$9.19 RON 41.80

$7.86 ₽579

16.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.66 RON 43.93

$8.10 ₽597

19.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.75 RON 204

$35.77 ₽2,634

25.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.86 RON 90.4

Cinema Ticket

$8.25 RON 37.54

$6.51 ₽480

26.73%

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

$491 RON 2,235

$330 ₽24.3K

48.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K RON 49.3K

$6,901 ₽508.2K

56.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 RON 323

$86.4 ₽6,363

-17.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.43 RON 179

$52.6 ₽3,875

-25.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 RON 383

$135 ₽9,920

-37.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.5 RON 453

$160 ₽11.8K

-37.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$692 RON 3,150

$439 ₽32.4K

57.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 RON 2,502

$302 ₽22.2K

82.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 RON 5,662

$753 ₽55.5K

65.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$923 RON 4,201

$503 ₽37.0K

83.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,494 RON 20.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,328 RON 15.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,378 RON 6,272

$1,243 ₽91.5K

10.89%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Serpukhov: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $692 in Cluj-Napoca and $439 in Serpukhov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 11% 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 $57.0 in Serpukhov for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $230 per month, with Serpukhov 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 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 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cluj-Napoca pays 11% 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: $692 in Cluj-Napoca versus $439 in Serpukhov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $491 in Cluj-Napoca versus $330 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 $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,114 in Serpukhov versus $1,387 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 24% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.