Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Tulcea

For one person, living is cheaper in Tulcea: $986 a month against $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 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 Tulcea
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Tulcea Living Index

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Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,423

/mo nomad

Tulcea

🇷🇴 Romania

$986

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cluj-Napoca and in Tulcea

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 Tulcea actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca versus $986 in Tulcea.

Cluj-Napoca $1,423
Tulcea $986

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,559 in Tulcea.

Cluj-Napoca $2,126
Tulcea $1,559

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,830 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,132 in Tulcea.

Cluj-Napoca $2,830
Tulcea $2,132

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 44% more expensive than in Tulcea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 5% above, Tulcea is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.58 RON 60.5

$11.70 RON 56.2

7.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 RON 263

$46.31 RON 223

18.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.59 RON 46.11

$7.87 RON 37.83

21.86%

Cappuccino

$3.78 RON 18.15

$2.07 RON 9.93

82.61%

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

$2.30 RON 11.07

$2.12 RON 10.17

8.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RON 10.68

$1.06 RON 5.10

109.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 RON 15.94

$2.07 RON 9.95

60.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 RON 20.17

$2.04 RON 9.81

105.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 RON 7.70

$1.61 RON 7.75

-0.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 RON 6.93

$1.04 RON 4.99

38.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 RON 8.14

$1.44 RON 6.91

17.36%

Eggs

$3.76 RON 18.05

$3.16 RON 15.17

18.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.07 RON 43.57

$7.51 RON 36.11

20.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.14 RON 34.30

$6.89 RON 33.10

3.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.46 RON 55.1

$9.10 RON 43.73

25.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 RON 6.66

$1.35 RON 6.48

2.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 RON 7.60

$1.64 RON 7.86

-3.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 RON 9.04

$1.42 RON 6.84

32.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 11.38

$1.99 RON 9.59

19.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RON 4.43

$0.74 RON 3.54

24.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 RON 4.32

$0.70 RON 3.36

28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 RON 4.34

$0.67 RON 3.24

34.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 RON 4.84

$0.77 RON 3.70

31.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.42 RON 30.86

$6.42 RON 30.87

Wine (Bottle)

$7.41 RON 35.62

$6.33 RON 30.44

17.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 RON 5.98

$1.00 RON 4.83

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 RON 8.31

$1.42 RON 6.83

21.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 RON 3.65

$1.07 RON 5.14

-28.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.23 RON 213

$17.84 RON 85.8

147.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 RON 4.01

$0.64 RON 3.09

31.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 RON 4.62

$0.62 RON 2.96

54.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.27 RON 39.74

$6.36 RON 30.57

30.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 RON 9.32

$1.74 RON 8.36

11.49%

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

$28.3K RON 136.1K

$28.1K RON 135.1K

0.76%

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

$24.7K RON 118.9K

$24.9K RON 119.6K

-0.62%

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

$151 RON 725

$134 RON 643

12.74%

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

$8.44 RON 40.55

$7.76 RON 37.29

8.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.16 RON 44.04

$8.60 RON 41.32

6.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.36 RON 228

$31.52 RON 151

50.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.01 RON 106

$16.60 RON 79.8

32.59%

Cinema Ticket

$9.35 RON 44.95

$8.32 RON 40.00

12.38%

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

$577 RON 2,774

$319 RON 1,532

81.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,450 RON 45.4K

$3,187 RON 15.3K

196.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 RON 419

$52.0 RON 250

67.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.26 RON 213

$31.54 RON 152

40.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 RON 475

$91.1 RON 438

8.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 RON 513

$95.8 RON 460

11.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$668 RON 3,212

$343 RON 1,650

94.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 RON 2,575

$274 RON 1,315

95.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 RON 5,895

$585 RON 2,813

109.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$807 RON 3,881

$499 RON 2,397

61.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,568 RON 22.0K

$990 RON 4,759

361.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,342 RON 16.1K

$856 RON 4,112

290.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,241 RON 5,962

$648 RON 3,115

91.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

6.85

-2.92%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tulcea: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cluj-Napoca

$536 37.7%

Tulcea

$274 27.8% 48.9% $262

Groceries & Markets

Cluj-Napoca

$230 16.2%

Tulcea

$197 20% 14.2% $33

Eating Out

Cluj-Napoca

$218 15.3%

Tulcea

$169 17.2% 22.3% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cluj-Napoca

$168 11.8%

Tulcea

$150 15.2% 10.9% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Cluj-Napoca

$152 10.7%

Tulcea

$122 12.3% 19.7% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Cluj-Napoca

$66 4.6%

Tulcea

$48 4.9% 27.1% $18

Getting Around

Cluj-Napoca

$53 3.7%

Tulcea

$26 2.6% 51.2% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $668 in Cluj-Napoca and $343 in Tulcea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 91% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $55 in Cluj-Napoca vs $46 in Tulcea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $197 per month, with Tulcea cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Tulcea

🕒 Local time

20:41 8:41 PM

Same time as Cluj-Napoca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

324,576

73,707

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.208 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 RON = 0.208 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cluj-Napoca Tulcea 440 km

From you

Cluj-Napoca
Tulcea

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 Tulcea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tulcea is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 91% 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: $668 in Cluj-Napoca versus $343 in Tulcea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tulcea runs roughly 60% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $577 in Cluj-Napoca versus $319 in Tulcea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $986 in Tulcea versus $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Tulcea but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Tulcea the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Tulcea 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 Tulcea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.