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: $1,410 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,115 in Timisoara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,148 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,748 in Timisoara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,886 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,380 in Timisoara.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 26% more expensive than in Timisoara, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 6% above, Timisoara is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.41 RON 52.4

$9.35 RON 42.92

22.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 RON 265

$57.5 RON 264

0.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.14 RON 37.36

$7.88 RON 36.17

3.30%

Cappuccino

$3.39 RON 15.54

$3.26 RON 14.98

3.99%

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

$2.35 RON 10.78

$2.17 RON 9.94

8.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 RON 9.67

$1.96 RON 8.98

7.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 RON 14.99

$2.84 RON 13.02

14.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 RON 18.46

$3.55 RON 16.28

13.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 RON 8.23

$1.52 RON 6.99

17.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.19

$1.32 RON 6.08

2.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 RON 8.56

$1.50 RON 6.91

24.00%

Eggs

$3.35 RON 15.38

$3.14 RON 14.43

6.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 RON 44.47

$9.23 RON 42.35

4.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 RON 32.40

$6.44 RON 29.56

9.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 RON 54.8

$11.35 RON 52.1

5.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 RON 5.71

$1.12 RON 5.16

10.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 RON 7.91

$1.57 RON 7.22

9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 RON 7.52

$1.54 RON 7.05

6.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 10.90

$2.47 RON 11.35

-4.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 RON 4.35

$0.72 RON 3.28

31.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.25

$0.98 RON 4.51

-5.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 RON 4.99

$0.69 RON 3.15

57.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 RON 4.13

$0.78 RON 3.58

15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.30 RON 28.94

$5.92 RON 27.15

6.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 RON 35.10

$7.50 RON 34.45

2.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.38

$1.21 RON 5.55

-3.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 RON 9.32

$1.73 RON 7.94

17.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.24

$0.95 RON 4.34

-25.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.37 RON 107

$29.48 RON 135

-20.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 RON 4.35

$0.89 RON 4.08

6.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 RON 3.72

$0.86 RON 3.95

-5.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.56 RON 43.86

$7.34 RON 33.67

30.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 RON 7.47

$1.60 RON 7.35

1.87%

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

$27.6K RON 126.7K

$28.5K RON 130.7K

-3.03%

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

$27.1K RON 124.4K

$26.3K RON 120.8K

2.93%

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

$160 RON 734

$136 RON 626

17.16%

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

$9.06 RON 41.60

$8.39 RON 38.51

7.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.14 RON 46.54

$9.53 RON 43.74

6.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.86 RON 206

$43.81 RON 201

2.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.93 RON 91.5

$15.17 RON 69.7

31.38%

Cinema Ticket

$7.93 RON 36.41

$8.10 RON 37.19

-2.10%

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

$475 RON 2,180

$501 RON 2,299

-5.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K RON 49.4K

$10.1K RON 46.2K

6.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 RON 321

$77.3 RON 355

-9.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.45 RON 181

$42.28 RON 194

-6.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 RON 397

$81.3 RON 373

6.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 RON 460

$96.7 RON 444

3.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$714 RON 3,278

$499 RON 2,290

43.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 RON 2,566

$350 RON 1,607

59.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 RON 5,709

$743 RON 3,410

67.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 RON 4,329

$587 RON 2,697

60.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,645 RON 21.3K

$2,650 RON 12.2K

75.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,395 RON 15.6K

$1,916 RON 8,796

77.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,314 RON 6,032

$1,238 RON 5,681

6.18%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Timisoara: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $714 in Cluj-Napoca and $499 in Timisoara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 6% 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 $215, 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 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 6% 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: $714 in Cluj-Napoca versus $499 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 26% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $475 in Cluj-Napoca versus $501 in Timisoara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,115 in Timisoara versus $1,410 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 26% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.