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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,150 in Timisoara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,123 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,792 in Timisoara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,860 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,435 in Timisoara.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 21% more expensive than Timisoara, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 3% above, Timisoara is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.53 RON 52.2

$9.04 RON 40.92

27.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 263

$58.5 RON 265

-0.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.21 RON 37.15

$7.98 RON 36.14

2.88%

Cappuccino

$3.37 RON 15.27

$3.13 RON 14.18

7.67%

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

$2.42 RON 10.94

$2.18 RON 9.86

11.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 RON 9.91

$1.98 RON 8.98

10.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 RON 14.72

$2.72 RON 12.33

19.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 RON 17.64

$3.50 RON 15.85

11.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 RON 7.86

$1.53 RON 6.94

13.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 RON 6.04

$1.28 RON 5.79

3.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 RON 8.32

$1.49 RON 6.76

23.49%

Eggs

$3.24 RON 14.66

$3.24 RON 14.65

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 RON 45.94

$9.76 RON 44.19

4.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 RON 31.20

$6.41 RON 29.03

7.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.08 RON 54.7

$11.37 RON 51.5

6.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.57

$1.09 RON 4.93

12.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 RON 7.82

$1.52 RON 6.88

13.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.03

$1.55 RON 7.04

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 RON 10.53

$2.58 RON 11.70

-9.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 RON 4.60

$0.78 RON 3.54

30.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.39

$0.98 RON 4.42

-1.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 RON 4.70

$0.67 RON 3.01

55.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 RON 3.99

$0.74 RON 3.33

18.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.53 RON 29.56

$5.85 RON 26.49

11.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.94 RON 35.92

$7.95 RON 35.97

-0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 RON 5.10

$1.20 RON 5.45

-5.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 RON 9.28

$1.72 RON 7.77

19.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 RON 3.18

$0.95 RON 4.30

-26.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.33 RON 106

$30.04 RON 136

-22.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 RON 4.53

$0.90 RON 4.07

11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 RON 4.03

$0.83 RON 3.76

7.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.45 RON 42.76

$7.18 RON 32.52

31.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 RON 7.64

$1.57 RON 7.12

7.64%

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

$28.4K RON 128.8K

$27.5K RON 124.4K

3.53%

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

$27.1K RON 122.5K

$26.7K RON 120.7K

1.52%

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

$161 RON 731

$139 RON 628

16.37%

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

$9.19 RON 41.58

$8.33 RON 37.73

10.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.66 RON 43.71

$9.19 RON 41.59

5.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.75 RON 203

$43.01 RON 195

4.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.86 RON 89.9

$15.00 RON 67.9

32.40%

Cinema Ticket

$8.25 RON 37.35

$7.99 RON 36.18

3.25%

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

$491 RON 2,223

$491 RON 2,221

0.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K RON 49.0K

$10.3K RON 46.6K

5.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 RON 321

$78.7 RON 356

-9.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.43 RON 178

$43.23 RON 196

-8.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 RON 381

$82.7 RON 375

1.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.5 RON 450

$94.9 RON 429

4.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$692 RON 3,133

$495 RON 2,242

39.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 RON 2,489

$358 RON 1,622

53.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 RON 5,632

$740 RON 3,349

68.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$923 RON 4,180

$607 RON 2,746

52.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,494 RON 20.3K

$2,652 RON 12.0K

69.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,328 RON 15.1K

$1,964 RON 8,892

69.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,378 RON 6,239

$1,217 RON 5,509

13.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

6.66

-12.16%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: June 2, 2026

Last update for Timisoara: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $692 in Cluj-Napoca and $495 in Timisoara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 13% 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 $58.0 in Timisoara. Groceries flip the comparison at $232 vs $217, with Timisoara cheaper for home cooking.

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 Timisoara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Timisoara is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cluj-Napoca pays 13% 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: $692 in Cluj-Napoca versus $495 in Timisoara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Timisoara runs roughly 29% 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 $491 in Timisoara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,150 in Timisoara versus $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Timisoara but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Timisoara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Timisoara 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 Timisoara 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 Timisoara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.