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: $1,488 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,237 in Timisoara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,213 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,867 in Timisoara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,938 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,498 in Timisoara.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 20% more expensive than in Timisoara, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 8% above, Timisoara is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.48 RON 61.0

$11.18 RON 50.6

20.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.1 RON 259

$48.24 RON 218

18.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 RON 45.59

$9.10 RON 41.21

10.66%

Cappuccino

$3.92 RON 17.74

$3.19 RON 14.44

22.88%

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

$2.47 RON 11.21

$2.16 RON 9.77

14.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 RON 11.17

$1.68 RON 7.62

47.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 RON 15.23

$2.72 RON 12.31

23.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 RON 20.21

$4.46 RON 20.20

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 RON 7.87

$1.48 RON 6.68

17.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 RON 7.21

$1.30 RON 5.89

22.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 RON 8.41

$1.41 RON 6.36

31.91%

Eggs

$3.90 RON 17.67

$2.97 RON 13.47

31.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 RON 43.87

$9.16 RON 41.49

5.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.78 RON 35.26

$6.51 RON 29.50

19.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 RON 54.8

$11.78 RON 53.3

2.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 RON 6.73

$1.27 RON 5.73

17.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 RON 8.11

$1.58 RON 7.14

13.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 RON 8.90

$1.55 RON 7.01

26.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 RON 11.65

$2.47 RON 11.18

4.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 RON 4.53

$0.84 RON 3.78

19.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 RON 4.75

$1.03 RON 4.68

1.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 RON 4.69

$0.68 RON 3.10

51.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 RON 4.68

$0.77 RON 3.51

33.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 RON 30.60

$6.48 RON 29.36

4.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 RON 34.16

$7.70 RON 34.88

-2.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 RON 5.83

$1.20 RON 5.45

7.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 RON 8.42

$1.79 RON 8.10

3.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 RON 3.60

$1.09 RON 4.93

-27.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.36 RON 147

$35.43 RON 160

-8.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 RON 4.15

$0.91 RON 4.13

1.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 RON 4.42

$0.91 RON 4.13

7.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.12 RON 41.30

$8.59 RON 38.90

6.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 RON 8.63

$1.89 RON 8.57

1.06%

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

$29.3K RON 132.8K

$30.2K RON 136.7K

-2.85%

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

$26.1K RON 118.4K

$25.5K RON 115.7K

2.31%

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

$165 RON 745

$180 RON 813

-8.36%

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

$8.94 RON 40.48

$6.91 RON 31.30

29.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.16 RON 46.02

$8.78 RON 39.77

15.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.99 RON 226

$41.17 RON 186

21.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.35 RON 106

$16.78 RON 76.0

39.15%

Cinema Ticket

$9.93 RON 44.99

$9.04 RON 40.95

9.85%

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

$624 RON 2,827

$623 RON 2,823

0.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K RON 45.3K

$9,138 RON 41.4K

9.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.8 RON 425

$77.3 RON 350

21.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.38 RON 224

$42.17 RON 191

17.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 RON 468

$80.3 RON 364

28.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 RON 530

$93.8 RON 425

24.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 RON 3,065

$571 RON 2,586

18.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 RON 2,524

$373 RON 1,688

49.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 RON 5,413

$856 RON 3,878

39.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$844 RON 3,824

$647 RON 2,931

30.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,864 RON 22.0K

$2,646 RON 12.0K

83.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,549 RON 16.1K

$1,930 RON 8,740

83.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,340 RON 6,070

$1,222 RON 5,536

9.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.88

-1.16%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: September 8, 2026

Last update for Timisoara: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $677 in Cluj-Napoca and $571 in Timisoara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 10% 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: $57.0 in Cluj-Napoca vs $48.00 in Timisoara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $217 per month, with Timisoara 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 Timisoara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Timisoara is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Cluj-Napoca, 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: $677 in Cluj-Napoca versus $571 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 9% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $624 in Cluj-Napoca versus $623 in Timisoara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,237 in Timisoara versus $1,488 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 20% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.