Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Targu Frumos Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Targu Frumos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,384 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,043 in Targu Frumos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,092 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,565 in Targu Frumos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,800 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,088 in Targu Frumos.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 3% above, Targu Frumos is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 RON 50.4

$8.72 RON 37.83

33.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.4 RON 245

$40.31 RON 175

40.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.91 RON 34.31

$8.87 RON 38.49

-10.82%

Cappuccino

$3.52 RON 15.29

$2.22 RON 9.62

58.56%

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

$2.40 RON 10.42

$1.26 RON 5.47

90.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 RON 9.54

$1.10 RON 4.76

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 RON 13.63

$2.13 RON 9.23

47.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 RON 17.10

$2.83 RON 12.28

39.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 RON 7.79

$1.55 RON 6.71

16.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 RON 5.62

$1.22 RON 5.28

5.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 RON 8.14

$1.65 RON 7.18

13.94%

Eggs

$3.37 RON 14.63

$2.94 RON 12.75

14.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 RON 44.33

$8.40 RON 36.46

21.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.27 RON 31.57

$7.11 RON 30.86

2.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.10 RON 52.5

$12.70 RON 55.1

-4.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 RON 5.40

$0.99 RON 4.29

25.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 RON 7.77

$1.36 RON 5.89

31.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 RON 7.11

$1.51 RON 6.57

8.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 RON 10.42

$1.99 RON 8.63

20.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.09

$0.93 RON 4.04

1.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 RON 3.96

$0.94 RON 4.08

-3.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 RON 4.48

$0.75 RON 3.26

37.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 RON 4.12

$0.80 RON 3.48

18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 RON 28.43

$6.23 RON 27.02

5.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.75 RON 33.65

$8.24 RON 35.78

-5.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 RON 4.86

$1.04 RON 4.52

7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 RON 8.91

$1.68 RON 7.30

22.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.07

$0.72 RON 3.13

-1.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.87 RON 99.2

$19.82 RON 86.0

15.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 RON 4.29

$0.93 RON 4.05

6.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 RON 3.63

$0.66 RON 2.85

27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 RON 39.39

$7.45 RON 32.35

21.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 RON 7.29

$1.53 RON 6.64

9.80%

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

$28.6K RON 123.9K

$28.2K RON 122.4K

1.21%

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

$26.5K RON 115.2K

$28.1K RON 121.8K

-5.40%

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

$158 RON 685

$170 RON 737

-7.07%

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

$9.15 RON 39.69

$8.65 RON 37.53

5.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.13 RON 43.97

$10.07 RON 43.72

0.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.86 RON 190

$40.95 RON 178

7.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.09 RON 87.2

$19.49 RON 84.6

3.08%

Cinema Ticket

$8.10 RON 35.17

$5.79 RON 25.12

39.90%

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

$479 RON 2,080

$436 RON 1,892

9.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K RON 46.2K

$6,824 RON 29.6K

56.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 RON 299

$71.0 RON 308

-3.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.64 RON 172

$32.57 RON 141

21.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 RON 363

$74.8 RON 325

11.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.6 RON 428

$79.9 RON 347

23.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 RON 3,056

$394 RON 1,708

78.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$565 RON 2,451

$292 RON 1,266

93.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 RON 5,569

$598 RON 2,594

114.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$930 RON 4,037

$432 RON 1,877

115.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,717 RON 20.5K

$1,721 RON 7,469

174.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,404 RON 14.8K

$1,382 RON 5,997

146.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,404 RON 6,093

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

8.17

-28.40%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: April 21, 2026

Last update for Targu Frumos: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $704 in Cluj-Napoca and $394 in Targu Frumos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $56 in Cluj-Napoca vs $40 in Targu Frumos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $216 per month, with Targu Frumos 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 Targu Frumos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Targu Frumos 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.

You'd need roughly $2,077 in Cluj-Napoca and $1,564 in Targu Frumos to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $704 in Cluj-Napoca versus $394 in Targu Frumos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Targu Frumos 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 $436 in Targu Frumos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,043 in Targu Frumos versus $1,384 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Targu Frumos but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Targu Frumos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Targu Frumos 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 Targu Frumos 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 Targu Frumos 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.