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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,410 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,064 in Sibiu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,116 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,668 in Sibiu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,823 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,272 in Sibiu.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 33% more expensive than Sibiu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 6% above, Sibiu is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.57 RON 52.1

$9.46 RON 42.60

22.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 RON 260

$45.74 RON 206

26.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 RON 35.82

$6.78 RON 30.55

17.26%

Cappuccino

$3.45 RON 15.55

$3.07 RON 13.84

12.38%

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

$2.39 RON 10.77

$1.97 RON 8.88

21.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 RON 9.70

$1.77 RON 7.97

21.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 RON 14.74

$2.84 RON 12.80

15.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 RON 17.66

$3.46 RON 15.60

13.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 RON 7.76

$1.45 RON 6.53

18.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 RON 5.99

$1.21 RON 5.45

9.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 RON 8.14

$1.57 RON 7.08

15.29%

Eggs

$3.23 RON 14.53

$3.24 RON 14.60

-0.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.92 RON 44.67

$7.94 RON 35.77

24.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.93 RON 31.23

$6.34 RON 28.55

9.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.73 RON 52.8

$8.99 RON 40.48

30.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 RON 5.37

$1.21 RON 5.46

-1.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 RON 7.99

$1.57 RON 7.07

12.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.02

$1.71 RON 7.70

-8.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 RON 10.81

$2.16 RON 9.72

11.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 RON 4.57

$0.81 RON 3.66

24.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 RON 4.44

$0.93 RON 4.19

6.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 RON 4.88

$1.03 RON 4.63

4.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.17

$0.89 RON 4.00

4.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.30 RON 28.37

$6.04 RON 27.19

4.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.74 RON 34.88

$8.54 RON 38.46

-9.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 RON 5.22

$0.99 RON 4.48

17.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 RON 9.15

$1.86 RON 8.38

9.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 3.04

$0.68 RON 3.06

-1.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.89 RON 103

$19.91 RON 89.7

14.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 RON 4.24

$0.89 RON 4.00

5.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 RON 3.65

$0.82 RON 3.67

-1.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.22 RON 41.53

$9.20 RON 41.43

0.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 RON 7.71

$1.58 RON 7.11

8.23%

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

$28.2K RON 127.2K

$28.6K RON 128.6K

-1.13%

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

$26.2K RON 118.1K

$26.5K RON 119.5K

-1.23%

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

$158 RON 710

$142 RON 641

10.71%

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

$9.08 RON 40.89

$8.58 RON 38.64

5.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.12 RON 45.59

$11.40 RON 51.3

-11.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.69 RON 197

$39.60 RON 178

10.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.27 RON 91.3

$15.70 RON 70.7

29.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.87 RON 35.46

$7.07 RON 31.82

11.32%

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

$491 RON 2,212

$429 RON 1,931

14.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K RON 48.0K

$6,993 RON 31.5K

52.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.4 RON 312

$68.2 RON 307

1.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.78 RON 179

$38.77 RON 175

2.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 RON 383

$84.3 RON 380

0.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 RON 445

$95.9 RON 432

3.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$707 RON 3,184

$375 RON 1,688

88.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 RON 2,495

$327 RON 1,473

69.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 RON 5,737

$692 RON 3,115

84.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$928 RON 4,179

$573 RON 2,582

61.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,811 RON 21.7K

$2,558 RON 11.5K

88.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,473 RON 15.6K

$2,119 RON 9,543

63.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,352 RON 6,090

$1,158 RON 5,213

16.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

6.5

-10.00%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: June 15, 2026

Last update for Sibiu: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $707 in Cluj-Napoca and $375 in Sibiu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 17% 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 $46.00 in Sibiu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $206 per month, with Sibiu 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 Sibiu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sibiu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cluj-Napoca pays 17% 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: $707 in Cluj-Napoca versus $375 in Sibiu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sibiu 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 $491 in Cluj-Napoca versus $429 in Sibiu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,064 in Sibiu versus $1,410 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sibiu but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Sibiu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sibiu 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 Sibiu 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 Sibiu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.