Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Sfantu Gheorghe Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Sfantu Gheorghe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,384 in Cluj-Napoca versus $907 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,092 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,386 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,800 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,866 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 53% more expensive than Sfantu Gheorghe, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 3% above, Sfantu Gheorghe is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 RON 50.4

$8.62 RON 37.39

34.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.4 RON 245

$40.74 RON 177

38.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.91 RON 34.31

$8.80 RON 38.21

-10.11%

Cappuccino

$3.52 RON 15.29

$2.03 RON 8.81

73.40%

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

$2.40 RON 10.42

$1.27 RON 5.53

88.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 RON 9.54

$1.16 RON 5.03

89.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 RON 13.63

$2.15 RON 9.35

46.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 RON 17.10

$2.81 RON 12.22

40.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 RON 7.79

$1.62 RON 7.04

11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 RON 5.62

$1.16 RON 5.03

11.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 RON 8.14

$1.40 RON 6.06

34.29%

Eggs

$3.37 RON 14.63

$2.95 RON 12.79

14.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 RON 44.33

$8.75 RON 37.98

16.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.27 RON 31.57

$4.20 RON 18.23

73.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.10 RON 52.5

$12.41 RON 53.9

-2.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 RON 5.40

$0.98 RON 4.26

26.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 RON 7.77

$1.37 RON 5.93

30.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 RON 7.11

$1.24 RON 5.37

32.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 RON 10.42

$1.92 RON 8.33

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.09

$0.72 RON 3.13

30.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 RON 3.96

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 RON 4.48

$0.78 RON 3.40

32.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 RON 4.12

$0.68 RON 2.95

39.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 RON 28.43

$5.59 RON 24.26

17.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.75 RON 33.65

$7.92 RON 34.37

-2.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 RON 4.86

$1.05 RON 4.55

6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 RON 8.91

$1.18 RON 5.12

73.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.07

$0.67 RON 2.89

5.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.87 RON 99.2

$19.90 RON 86.4

14.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 RON 4.29

$0.90 RON 3.91

10.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 RON 3.63

$0.74 RON 3.22

13.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 RON 39.39

$7.39 RON 32.09

22.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 RON 7.29

$1.61 RON 6.99

4.35%

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

$28.6K RON 123.9K

$28.5K RON 123.6K

0.30%

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

$26.5K RON 115.2K

$28.0K RON 121.4K

-5.07%

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

$158 RON 685

$169 RON 735

-6.87%

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

$9.15 RON 39.69

$8.86 RON 38.46

3.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.13 RON 43.97

$10.08 RON 43.74

0.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.86 RON 190

$40.75 RON 177

7.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.09 RON 87.2

$18.83 RON 81.7

6.69%

Cinema Ticket

$8.10 RON 35.17

$3.38 RON 14.67

139.64%

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

$479 RON 2,080

$427 RON 1,855

12.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K RON 46.2K

$6,995 RON 30.4K

52.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 RON 299

$34.39 RON 149

100.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.64 RON 172

$18.14 RON 78.7

118.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 RON 363

$28.09 RON 122

197.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.6 RON 428

$70.0 RON 304

40.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 RON 3,056

$315 RON 1,368

123.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$565 RON 2,451

$228 RON 990

147.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 RON 5,569

$572 RON 2,483

124.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$930 RON 4,037

$439 RON 1,906

111.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,717 RON 20.5K

$1,830 RON 7,942

157.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,404 RON 14.8K

$1,373 RON 5,960

147.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,404 RON 6,093

$759 RON 3,296

84.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

6.75

-13.33%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: April 21, 2026

Last update for Sfantu Gheorghe: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $704 in Cluj-Napoca and $315 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 85% 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: $56 in Cluj-Napoca vs $41 in Sfantu Gheorghe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $196 per month, with Sfantu Gheorghe 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 Sfantu Gheorghe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sfantu Gheorghe is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cluj-Napoca pays 85% 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: $704 in Cluj-Napoca versus $315 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sfantu Gheorghe runs roughly 15% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $479 in Cluj-Napoca versus $427 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $907 in Sfantu Gheorghe versus $1,384 in Cluj-Napoca, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sfantu Gheorghe but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Sfantu Gheorghe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sfantu Gheorghe 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 Sfantu Gheorghe 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 Sfantu Gheorghe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.