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: $1,497 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,051 in Serpukhov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,234 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,231 in Serpukhov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,972 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,410 in Serpukhov.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 42% more expensive than in Serpukhov, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 9% above, Serpukhov is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.28 RON 60.0

$6.78 ₽582

95.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.0 RON 257

$33.00 ₽2,832

72.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.13 RON 45.75

$5.46 ₽469

85.53%

Cappuccino

$3.92 RON 17.69

$2.24 ₽192

75.00%

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

$2.54 RON 11.47

$0.91 ₽77.9

179.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 RON 10.79

$0.60 ₽51.3

298.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 RON 14.63

$0.96 ₽82.5

237.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 RON 19.72

$1.18 ₽101

269.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 RON 7.85

$1.21 ₽104

43.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 RON 7.07

$0.69 ₽58.8

127.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 RON 8.60

$1.24 ₽106

53.23%

Eggs

$3.99 RON 18.05

$1.09 ₽93.6

266.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 RON 43.82

$8.50 ₽729

14.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.75 RON 35.01

$4.12 ₽353

88.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.36 RON 55.8

$8.25 ₽708

49.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.51 RON 6.83

$1.36 ₽117

11.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 RON 8.17

$1.90 ₽163

-4.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 RON 9.10

$2.33 ₽200

-13.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 RON 11.89

$2.64 ₽227

-0.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 RON 4.54

$0.69 ₽59.6

44.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 RON 4.53

$0.79 ₽67.5

26.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 RON 4.42

$1.74 ₽150

-43.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 RON 4.83

$0.60 ₽51.7

78.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.74 RON 30.43

$2.29 ₽196

194.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.76 RON 35.06

$6.98 ₽599

11.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 RON 5.82

$0.91 ₽78.2

41.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 RON 8.14

$1.13 ₽97.1

59.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 RON 3.53

$0.79 ₽68.2

-1.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.80 RON 144

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 RON 4.38

$2.85 ₽244

-65.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 RON 4.57

$0.22 ₽18.84

359.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.00 RON 40.68

$5.73 ₽492

57.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 RON 8.65

$0.79 ₽68.0

141.77%

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

$30.2K RON 136.4K

$30.3K ₽2.6M

-0.45%

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

$26.4K RON 119.3K

$26.8K ₽2.3M

-1.45%

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

$168 RON 757

$102 ₽8,789

63.57%

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

$8.78 RON 39.68

$5.18 ₽444

69.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.41 RON 47.01

$6.05 ₽519

72.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.20 RON 218

$34.73 ₽2,981

38.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.92 RON 108

Cinema Ticket

$10.15 RON 45.85

$4.11 ₽353

146.96%

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

$613 RON 2,771

$455 ₽39.0K

34.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K RON 45.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.4 RON 418

$82.3 ₽7,063

12.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.93 RON 217

$47.26 ₽4,056

1.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 RON 473

$171 ₽14.7K

-38.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 RON 508

$91.6 ₽7,861

22.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$665 RON 3,004

$411 ₽35.3K

61.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 RON 2,474

$406 ₽34.8K

35.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 RON 5,477

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$858 RON 3,878

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,765 RON 21.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,587 RON 16.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,365 RON 6,167

$1,054 ₽90.4K

29.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

-66.00%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: August 31, 2026

Last update for Serpukhov: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $665 in Cluj-Napoca and $411 in Serpukhov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 30% 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: $57.0 in Cluj-Napoca vs $33.00 in Serpukhov for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $248 vs $178 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 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 30% 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: $665 in Cluj-Napoca versus $411 in Serpukhov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $613 in Cluj-Napoca versus $455 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 $33.00 versus $57.0 in Cluj-Napoca. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,051 in Serpukhov versus $1,497 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 42% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.