Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Targu Frumos

For one person, living is cheaper in Targu Frumos: $1,001 a month against $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Cluj-Napoca
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Cluj-Napoca Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Targu Frumos
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Targu Frumos Living Index

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Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,423

/mo nomad

Targu Frumos

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,001

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cluj-Napoca and in Targu Frumos

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cluj-Napoca and in Targu Frumos actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,001 in Targu Frumos.

Cluj-Napoca $1,423
Targu Frumos $1,001

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,527 in Targu Frumos.

Cluj-Napoca $2,126
Targu Frumos $1,527

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,830 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,053 in Targu Frumos.

Cluj-Napoca $2,830
Targu Frumos $2,053

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 42% more expensive than in Targu Frumos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 5% above, Targu Frumos is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.58 RON 60.3

$10.73 RON 51.5

17.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 RON 263

$41.38 RON 198

32.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.59 RON 46.01

$7.43 RON 35.62

29.07%

Cappuccino

$3.78 RON 18.11

$2.42 RON 11.59

56.20%

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

$2.30 RON 11.05

$2.10 RON 10.07

9.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RON 10.66

$1.87 RON 8.99

18.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 RON 15.91

$2.05 RON 9.85

61.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 RON 20.13

$3.21 RON 15.39

30.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 RON 7.69

$1.18 RON 5.64

35.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 RON 6.92

$0.71 RON 3.38

102.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 RON 8.12

$1.72 RON 8.25

-1.74%

Eggs

$3.76 RON 18.01

$3.37 RON 16.17

11.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.07 RON 43.48

$7.75 RON 37.17

17.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.14 RON 34.23

$5.95 RON 28.55

20.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.46 RON 54.9

$8.22 RON 39.44

39.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 RON 6.65

$1.30 RON 6.23

6.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 RON 7.58

$1.59 RON 7.60

-0.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 RON 9.03

$1.59 RON 7.60

18.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 11.36

$1.77 RON 8.49

33.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RON 4.42

$0.95 RON 4.54

-3.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 RON 4.31

$1.01 RON 4.84

-10.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 RON 4.33

$0.80 RON 3.84

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 RON 4.83

$0.69 RON 3.31

46.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.42 RON 30.79

$5.88 RON 28.20

9.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.41 RON 35.54

$5.17 RON 24.80

43.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 RON 5.97

$0.93 RON 4.48

34.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 RON 8.30

$1.22 RON 5.86

41.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 RON 3.64

$0.72 RON 3.45

5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.23 RON 212

$21.53 RON 103

105.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 RON 4.01

$0.61 RON 2.91

37.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 RON 4.61

$0.64 RON 3.08

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.27 RON 39.65

$6.93 RON 33.21

19.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 RON 9.30

$1.80 RON 8.65

7.78%

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

$28.3K RON 135.9K

$28.1K RON 134.8K

0.77%

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

$24.7K RON 118.6K

$25.1K RON 120.3K

-1.38%

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

$151 RON 723

$148 RON 712

1.64%

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

$8.44 RON 40.46

$7.74 RON 37.12

9.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.16 RON 43.94

$7.74 RON 37.13

18.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.36 RON 227

$37.80 RON 181

25.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.01 RON 106

$20.56 RON 98.6

7.05%

Cinema Ticket

$9.35 RON 44.86

$6.18 RON 29.64

51.29%

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

$577 RON 2,768

$589 RON 2,827

-2.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,450 RON 45.3K

$4,907 RON 23.5K

92.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 RON 418

$97.0 RON 465

-10.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.26 RON 212

$32.37 RON 155

36.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 RON 474

$61.4 RON 294

61.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 RON 512

$84.1 RON 403

26.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$668 RON 3,205

$387 RON 1,856

72.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 RON 2,569

$283 RON 1,359

89.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 RON 5,882

$589 RON 2,825

108.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$807 RON 3,872

$450 RON 2,159

79.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,568 RON 21.9K

$1,817 RON 8,715

151.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,342 RON 16.0K

$1,363 RON 6,537

145.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,241 RON 5,949

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

7.2

-7.64%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: October 25, 2026

Last update for Targu Frumos: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cluj-Napoca

$536 37.7%

Targu Frumos

$283 28.3% 47.1% $252

Groceries & Markets

Cluj-Napoca

$230 16.2%

Targu Frumos

$182 18.2% 20.9% $48

Eating Out

Cluj-Napoca

$218 15.3%

Targu Frumos

$170 17% 22.1% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cluj-Napoca

$168 11.8%

Targu Frumos

$164 16.4% 2.7% $4.5

Clothing & Footwear

Cluj-Napoca

$152 10.7%

Targu Frumos

$124 12.4% 18.4% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Cluj-Napoca

$66 4.6%

Targu Frumos

$50 5% 24.1% $16

Getting Around

Cluj-Napoca

$53 3.7%

Targu Frumos

$28 2.8% 46.7% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $668 in Cluj-Napoca and $387 in Targu Frumos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $55 in Cluj-Napoca vs $41 in Targu Frumos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $182 per month, with Targu Frumos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Targu Frumos

🕒 Local time

03:25 3:25 AM

Same time as Cluj-Napoca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

324,576

13,875

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Cluj-Napoca Targu Frumos 260 km

From you

Cluj-Napoca
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 30% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,134 in Cluj-Napoca and $1,502 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: $668 in Cluj-Napoca versus $387 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 51% less than in Cluj-Napoca. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $577 in Cluj-Napoca versus $589 in Targu Frumos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cluj-Napoca and Targu Frumos are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Targu Frumos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.