Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Zilina

For one person, living is cheaper in Zilina: $1,384 a month against $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca, rent and utilities included – about $470 less a year. The total is higher in Cluj-Napoca despite lower rent and utilities.

68

Cost of Living Index in Cluj-Napoca
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Cluj-Napoca Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Zilina
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Zilina Living Index

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Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,423

/mo nomad

Zilina

🇸🇰 Slovakia

$1,384

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,384 in Zilina.

Cluj-Napoca $1,423
Zilina $1,384

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,054 in Zilina.

Cluj-Napoca $2,126
Zilina $2,054

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,830 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,724 in Zilina.

Cluj-Napoca $2,830
Zilina $2,724

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 3% more expensive than in Zilina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cluj-Napoca 5% above, Zilina 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.58 RON 60.2

$10.19 €9.13

23.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 RON 262

$55.3 €49.53

-0.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.59 RON 45.90

$7.93 €7.11

20.93%

Cappuccino

$3.78 RON 18.07

$2.46 €2.20

53.66%

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

$2.30 RON 11.02

$1.75 €1.57

31.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RON 10.63

$1.44 €1.29

54.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 RON 15.87

$2.26 €2.02

46.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 RON 20.08

$2.29 €2.05

83.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 RON 7.67

$1.05 €0.94

52.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 RON 6.90

$1.39 €1.25

3.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 RON 8.10

$1.95 €1.74

-13.33%

Eggs

$3.76 RON 17.97

$3.81 €3.41

-1.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.07 RON 43.38

$12.77 €11.44

-28.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.14 RON 34.15

$7.21 €6.46

-0.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.46 RON 54.8

$12.38 €11.09

-7.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 RON 6.63

$1.66 €1.48

-16.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 RON 7.56

$2.03 €1.82

-22.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 RON 9.00

$2.41 €2.16

-21.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 RON 11.33

$4.42 €3.96

-46.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RON 4.41

$1.35 €1.21

-31.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 RON 4.30

$1.52 €1.36

-40.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 RON 4.32

$1.67 €1.49

-46.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 RON 4.81

$0.83 €0.75

21.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.42 RON 30.72

$6.24 €5.60

2.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.41 RON 35.46

$5.75 €5.15

28.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 RON 5.96

$1.01 €0.91

23.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 RON 8.28

$1.44 €1.29

20.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 RON 3.63

$1.15 €1.03

-33.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.23 RON 212

$22.09 €19.79

100.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 RON 4.00

$1.70 €1.53

-50.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 RON 4.60

$1.10 €0.99

-12.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.27 RON 39.56

$21.95 €19.67

-62.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 RON 9.27

$1.77 €1.58

9.60%

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

$28.3K RON 135.5K

$24.9K €22.3K

13.98%

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

$24.7K RON 118.4K

$26.5K €23.8K

-6.73%

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

$151 RON 722

$235 €210

-35.77%

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

$8.44 RON 40.37

$19.04 €17.06

-55.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.16 RON 43.84

$20.11 €18.02

-54.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.36 RON 227

$36.47 €32.68

29.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.01 RON 105

$11.35 €10.17

93.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.35 RON 44.75

$9.43 €8.45

-0.85%

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

$577 RON 2,761

$414 €371

39.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,450 RON 45.2K

$6,597 €5,911

43.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 RON 417

$65.2 €58.5

33.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.26 RON 212

$28.10 €25.18

57.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 RON 473

$81.2 €72.7

21.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 RON 511

$94.6 €84.7

12.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$668 RON 3,197

$589 €528

13.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 RON 2,563

$482 €431

11.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 RON 5,868

$916 €821

33.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$807 RON 3,863

$764 €685

5.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,568 RON 21.9K

$3,388 €3,036

34.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,342 RON 16.0K

$2,900 €2,599

15.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,241 RON 5,935

$1,391 €1,247

-10.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

3.79

75.46%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: October 25, 2026

Last update for Zilina: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cluj-Napoca

$536 37.7%

Zilina

$482 34.8% 10.1% $54

Groceries & Markets

Cluj-Napoca

$230 16.2%

Zilina

$254 18.4% 10.5% $24

Eating Out

Cluj-Napoca

$218 15.3%

Zilina

$163 11.8% 25% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cluj-Napoca

$168 11.8%

Zilina

$274 19.8% 62.7% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Cluj-Napoca

$152 10.7%

Zilina

$121 8.8% 20.1% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Cluj-Napoca

$66 4.6%

Zilina

$55 4% 16.3% $11

Getting Around

Cluj-Napoca

$53 3.7%

Zilina

$34 2.5% 35.9% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $668 in Cluj-Napoca and $589 in Zilina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zilina pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $55 in Cluj-Napoca vs $55 in Zilina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $254 per month, with Cluj-Napoca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca

🇸🇰 Zilina

🕒 Local time

18:50 6:50 PM

17:50 5:50 PM

1 h behind Cluj-Napoca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

324,576

81,494

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.78 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to RON in detail →

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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 Zilina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zilina is about 3% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Cluj-Napoca. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $668 in Cluj-Napoca versus $589 in Zilina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $577 in Cluj-Napoca versus $414 in Zilina. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Zilina runs roughly 50% less than in Cluj-Napoca. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Zilina gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Zilina 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 Zilina are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.