Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Sighetu Marmatiei Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Sighetu Marmatiei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,384 in Cluj-Napoca versus $986 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,092 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,435 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,800 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,885 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 40% more expensive than Sighetu Marmatiei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 3% above, Sighetu Marmatiei is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 RON 50.4

$6.93 RON 30.06

67.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.4 RON 245

$22.76 RON 98.8

147.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.91 RON 34.31

$6.53 RON 28.34

21.13%

Cappuccino

$3.52 RON 15.29

$1.90 RON 8.25

85.26%

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

$2.40 RON 10.42

$2.00 RON 8.70

20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 RON 9.54

$1.59 RON 6.89

38.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 RON 13.63

$2.04 RON 8.86

53.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 RON 17.10

$3.02 RON 13.11

30.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 RON 7.79

$1.24 RON 5.39

45.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 RON 5.62

$1.14 RON 4.96

13.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 RON 8.14

$1.97 RON 8.56

-4.57%

Eggs

$3.37 RON 14.63

$2.85 RON 12.38

18.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 RON 44.33

$8.37 RON 36.34

21.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.27 RON 31.57

$6.89 RON 29.89

5.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.10 RON 52.5

$11.42 RON 49.58

5.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 RON 5.40

$0.97 RON 4.22

27.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 RON 7.77

$1.57 RON 6.83

14.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 RON 7.11

$1.44 RON 6.24

13.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 RON 10.42

$1.94 RON 8.40

23.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.09

$0.76 RON 3.31

23.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 RON 3.96

$1.10 RON 4.77

-17.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 RON 4.48

$1.01 RON 4.38

1.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 RON 4.12

$0.63 RON 2.74

50.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 RON 28.43

$5.68 RON 24.65

15.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.75 RON 33.65

$6.75 RON 29.31

14.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 RON 4.86

$0.94 RON 4.07

19.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 RON 8.91

$1.54 RON 6.68

33.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.07

$0.71 RON 3.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.87 RON 99.2

$20.03 RON 86.9

14.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 RON 4.29

$1.13 RON 4.90

-12.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 RON 3.63

$0.81 RON 3.54

3.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 RON 39.39

$6.76 RON 29.36

34.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 RON 7.29

$1.60 RON 6.95

5.00%

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

$28.6K RON 123.9K

$28.5K RON 123.8K

0.10%

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

$26.5K RON 115.2K

$26.2K RON 113.5K

1.50%

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

$158 RON 685

$160 RON 695

-1.42%

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

$9.15 RON 39.69

$8.02 RON 34.81

14.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.13 RON 43.97

$9.78 RON 42.44

3.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.86 RON 190

$41.81 RON 181

4.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.09 RON 87.2

$18.84 RON 81.8

6.63%

Cinema Ticket

$8.10 RON 35.17

$4.50 RON 19.55

80.00%

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

$479 RON 2,080

$308 RON 1,337

55.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K RON 46.2K

$10.0K RON 43.4K

6.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 RON 299

$37.46 RON 163

83.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.64 RON 172

$30.50 RON 132

29.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 RON 363

$72.8 RON 316

14.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.6 RON 428

$73.1 RON 317

34.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 RON 3,056

$393 RON 1,704

79.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$565 RON 2,451

$293 RON 1,270

92.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 RON 5,569

$589 RON 2,557

117.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$930 RON 4,037

$435 RON 1,886

114.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,717 RON 20.5K

$2,054 RON 8,915

129.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,404 RON 14.8K

$1,579 RON 6,855

115.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,404 RON 6,093

$574 RON 2,491

144.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

7.11

-17.72%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: April 21, 2026

Last update for Sighetu Marmatiei: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $704 in Cluj-Napoca and $393 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 145% 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 $23 in Sighetu Marmatiei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $204 per month, with Sighetu Marmatiei 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 Sighetu Marmatiei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sighetu Marmatiei is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cluj-Napoca pays 145% 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 $393 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sighetu Marmatiei runs roughly 14% 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 $308 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $986 in Sighetu Marmatiei versus $1,384 in Cluj-Napoca, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sighetu Marmatiei but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Sighetu Marmatiei the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sighetu Marmatiei 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 Sighetu Marmatiei 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 Sighetu Marmatiei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.