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: $1,410 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,133 in Serpukhov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,148 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,765 in Serpukhov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,886 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,398 in Serpukhov.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 6% above, Serpukhov is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.41 RON 52.4

$12.77 ₽1,000

-10.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 RON 265

$58.7 ₽4,600

-1.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.14 RON 37.39

$6.37 ₽499

27.79%

Cappuccino

$3.39 RON 15.56

$3.32 ₽260

2.11%

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

$2.35 RON 10.79

$1.45 ₽113

62.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 RON 9.68

$0.68 ₽53.1

210.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 RON 15.00

$1.35 ₽106

141.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 RON 18.48

$4.41 ₽346

-8.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 RON 8.23

$1.32 ₽104

35.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.19

$0.83 ₽65.1

62.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 RON 8.56

$1.75 ₽137

6.29%

Eggs

$3.35 RON 15.39

$1.55 ₽121

116.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 RON 44.50

$13.39 ₽1,049

-27.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 RON 32.42

$4.40 ₽345

60.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 RON 54.8

$12.30 ₽964

-3.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 RON 5.72

$1.96 ₽153

-36.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 RON 7.91

$2.01 ₽157

-14.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 RON 7.52

$2.29 ₽180

-28.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 10.91

$4.21 ₽330

-43.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 RON 4.36

$0.99 ₽77.5

-4.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.26

$0.81 ₽63.3

14.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 RON 4.99

$1.70 ₽133

-35.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 RON 4.13

$0.81 ₽63.3

11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.30 RON 28.96

$3.14 ₽246

100.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 RON 35.13

$7.90 ₽619

-3.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.38

$0.88 ₽68.6

32.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 RON 9.33

$2.42 ₽190

-16.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.24

$0.53 ₽41.88

33.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.37 RON 107

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 RON 4.35

$2.50 ₽196

-62.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 RON 3.73

$0.44 ₽34.32

84.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.56 RON 43.90

$6.28 ₽492

52.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 RON 7.47

$0.81 ₽63.4

101.23%

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

$27.6K RON 126.8K

$38.4K ₽3.0M

-28.03%

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

$27.1K RON 124.5K

$37.1K ₽2.9M

-26.99%

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

$160 RON 735

$149 ₽11.7K

7.50%

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

$9.06 RON 41.63

$8.13 ₽637

11.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.14 RON 46.57

$7.97 ₽624

27.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.86 RON 206

$35.58 ₽2,788

26.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.93 RON 91.6

Cinema Ticket

$7.93 RON 36.44

$6.20 ₽486

27.90%

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

$475 RON 2,181

$326 ₽25.5K

45.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K RON 49.4K

$7,007 ₽549.0K

53.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 RON 322

$88.4 ₽6,928

-20.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.45 RON 181

$53.5 ₽4,195

-26.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 RON 397

$130 ₽10.2K

-33.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 RON 461

$162 ₽12.7K

-38.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$714 RON 3,281

$445 ₽34.8K

60.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 RON 2,568

$301 ₽23.6K

85.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 RON 5,714

$748 ₽58.6K

66.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 RON 4,332

$506 ₽39.7K

86.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,645 RON 21.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,395 RON 15.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,314 RON 6,037

$1,167 ₽91.5K

12.58%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Serpukhov: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $714 in Cluj-Napoca and $445 in Serpukhov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 13% 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 $59.0 in Serpukhov for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $232 per month, with Cluj-Napoca 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.

Average pay runs 13% 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: $714 in Cluj-Napoca versus $445 in Serpukhov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $475 in Cluj-Napoca versus $326 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 $59.0 versus $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,133 in Serpukhov versus $1,410 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.