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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,384 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,077 in Targu Mures.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,092 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,554 in Targu Mures.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,800 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,031 in Targu Mures.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 29% more expensive than Targu Mures, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 3% above, Targu Mures is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 RON 50.4

$8.54 RON 37.04

36.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.4 RON 245

$41.00 RON 178

37.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.91 RON 34.31

$9.00 RON 39.05

-12.11%

Cappuccino

$3.52 RON 15.29

$2.30 RON 9.97

53.04%

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

$2.40 RON 10.42

$1.32 RON 5.71

81.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 RON 9.54

$1.15 RON 5.00

91.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 RON 13.63

$2.13 RON 9.24

47.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 RON 17.10

$2.83 RON 12.26

39.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 RON 7.79

$1.55 RON 6.75

16.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 RON 5.62

$1.21 RON 5.25

6.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 RON 8.14

$1.64 RON 7.12

14.63%

Eggs

$3.37 RON 14.63

$3.07 RON 13.31

9.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 RON 44.33

$8.82 RON 38.29

15.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.27 RON 31.57

$7.21 RON 31.27

0.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.10 RON 52.5

$12.69 RON 55.1

-4.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 RON 5.40

$0.98 RON 4.25

26.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 RON 7.77

$1.31 RON 5.70

36.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 RON 7.11

$1.53 RON 6.62

7.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 RON 10.42

$1.95 RON 8.45

23.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.09

$0.93 RON 4.04

1.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 RON 3.96

$0.92 RON 4.00

-1.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 RON 4.48

$0.79 RON 3.45

30.38%

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

$6.28 RON 27.26

4.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.75 RON 33.65

$8.11 RON 35.20

-4.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 RON 4.86

$1.07 RON 4.66

4.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 RON 8.91

$1.65 RON 7.14

24.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.07

$0.56 RON 2.43

26.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.87 RON 99.2

$14.85 RON 64.5

54.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 RON 4.29

$0.96 RON 4.16

3.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 RON 3.63

$0.73 RON 3.17

15.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 RON 39.39

$7.25 RON 31.45

25.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 RON 7.29

$1.61 RON 7.00

4.35%

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

$28.6K RON 123.9K

$28.1K RON 121.9K

1.62%

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

$26.5K RON 115.2K

$28.2K RON 122.4K

-5.85%

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

$158 RON 685

$172 RON 745

-8.14%

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

$9.15 RON 39.69

$8.68 RON 37.67

5.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.13 RON 43.97

$9.64 RON 41.84

5.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.86 RON 190

$46.95 RON 204

-6.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.09 RON 87.2

$18.68 RON 81.1

7.55%

Cinema Ticket

$8.10 RON 35.17

$5.93 RON 25.72

36.59%

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

$479 RON 2,080

$1,387 RON 6,019

-65.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K RON 46.2K

$6,872 RON 29.8K

54.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 RON 299

$71.1 RON 308

-3.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.64 RON 172

$31.67 RON 137

25.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 RON 363

$74.4 RON 323

12.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.6 RON 428

$81.9 RON 355

20.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 RON 3,056

$445 RON 1,930

58.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$565 RON 2,451

$312 RON 1,354

81.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 RON 5,569

$567 RON 2,459

126.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$930 RON 4,037

$412 RON 1,788

125.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,717 RON 20.5K

$2,379 RON 10.3K

98.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,404 RON 14.8K

$1,556 RON 6,754

118.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,404 RON 6,093

$1,123 RON 4,872

25.06%

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 Mures: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $704 in Cluj-Napoca and $445 in Targu Mures. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 25% 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 Targu Mures for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $218 per month, with Targu Mures 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 Mures: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Targu Mures is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cluj-Napoca pays 25% 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 $445 in Targu Mures. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Targu Mures runs roughly 54% 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 $1,387 in Targu Mures. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,077 in Targu Mures versus $1,384 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Targu Mures but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Targu Mures the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Targu Mures 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 Mures 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 Mures gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.