Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Drobeta-Turnu Severin and Cluj-Napoca

For one person, living is cheaper in Drobeta-Turnu Severin: $879 a month against $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Romania
Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Drobeta-Turnu Severin
🇷🇴 Romania
$879
/mo nomad
Cluj-Napoca
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,423
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Drobeta-Turnu Severin and in Cluj-Napoca

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Drobeta-Turnu Severin and in Cluj-Napoca actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $879 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin versus $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca.

  • Drobeta-Turnu Severin $879
  • Cluj-Napoca $1,423

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,464 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin versus $2,126 in Cluj-Napoca.

  • Drobeta-Turnu Severin $1,464
  • Cluj-Napoca $2,126

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,049 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin versus $2,830 in Cluj-Napoca.

  • Drobeta-Turnu Severin $2,049
  • Cluj-Napoca $2,830

Living in Drobeta-Turnu Severin costs roughly 38% less than in Cluj-Napoca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Drobeta-Turnu Severin is 35% below, Cluj-Napoca is 5% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Drobeta-Turnu Severin
Cluj-Napoca
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.26 RON 39.70
$12.58 RON 60.5
-34.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.17 RON 203
$54.8 RON 263
-23.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.21 RON 34.67
$9.59 RON 46.11
-24.82%
Cappuccino
$3.17 RON 15.23
$3.78 RON 18.15
-16.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 RON 10.20
$2.30 RON 11.07
-7.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.81 RON 8.72
$2.22 RON 10.68
-18.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.20 RON 15.38
$3.32 RON 15.94
-3.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.01 RON 19.26
$4.20 RON 20.17
-4.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Drobeta-Turnu Severin
Cluj-Napoca
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.39 RON 6.68
$1.60 RON 7.70
-13.13%
White Bread (500g)
$1.14 RON 5.48
$1.44 RON 6.93
-20.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.39 RON 6.66
$1.69 RON 8.14
-17.75%
Eggs
$3.47 RON 16.69
$3.76 RON 18.05
-7.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.80 RON 37.50
$9.07 RON 43.57
-14.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.06 RON 29.12
$7.14 RON 34.30
-15.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.92 RON 38.06
$11.46 RON 55.1
-30.89%
Apples (1kg)
$1.16 RON 5.57
$1.39 RON 6.66
-16.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.56 RON 7.48
$1.58 RON 7.60
-1.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.50 RON 7.21
$1.88 RON 9.04
-20.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.50 RON 12.02
$2.37 RON 11.38
5.49%
Potato (1kg)
$0.70 RON 3.39
$0.92 RON 4.43
-23.91%
Onion (1kg)
$0.60 RON 2.90
$0.90 RON 4.32
-33.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 RON 4.92
$0.90 RON 4.34
13.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.86 RON 4.15
$1.01 RON 4.84
-14.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.07 RON 29.18
$6.42 RON 30.86
-5.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.34 RON 35.30
$7.41 RON 35.62
-0.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.98 RON 4.70
$1.25 RON 5.98
-21.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 RON 6.42
$1.73 RON 8.31
-22.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Drobeta-Turnu Severin
Cluj-Napoca
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.72 RON 3.44
$0.76 RON 3.65
-5.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.78 RON 105
$44.23 RON 213
-50.76%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.99 RON 4.74
$0.84 RON 4.01
17.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.87 RON 4.19
$0.96 RON 4.62
-9.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.60 RON 41.32
$8.27 RON 39.74
3.99%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.93 RON 9.29
$1.94 RON 9.32
-0.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.1K RON 135.0K
$28.3K RON 136.1K
-0.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.1K RON 120.8K
$24.7K RON 118.9K
1.57%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Drobeta-Turnu Severin
Cluj-Napoca
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$115 RON 554
$151 RON 725
-23.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.89 RON 42.72
$8.44 RON 40.55
5.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.21 RON 58.7
$9.16 RON 44.04
33.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Drobeta-Turnu Severin
Cluj-Napoca
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.61 RON 186
$47.36 RON 228
-18.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.24 RON 97.3
$22.01 RON 106
-8.04%
Cinema Ticket
$6.74 RON 32.40
$9.35 RON 44.95
-27.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Drobeta-Turnu Severin
Cluj-Napoca
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$447 RON 2,149
$577 RON 2,774
-22.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,809 RON 32.7K
$9,450 RON 45.4K
-27.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Drobeta-Turnu Severin
Cluj-Napoca
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$75.0 RON 360
$87.1 RON 419
-13.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.99 RON 154
$44.26 RON 213
-27.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.1 RON 423
$98.8 RON 475
-10.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.6 RON 430
$107 RON 513
-16.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Drobeta-Turnu Severin
Cluj-Napoca
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$384 RON 1,844
$668 RON 3,212
-42.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$171 RON 822
$536 RON 2,575
-68.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$598 RON 2,873
$1,227 RON 5,895
-51.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$441 RON 2,120
$807 RON 3,881
-45.36%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,883 RON 9,048
$4,568 RON 22.0K
-58.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,317 RON 6,330
$3,342 RON 16.1K
-60.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Drobeta-Turnu Severin
Cluj-Napoca
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$932 RON 4,482
$1,241 RON 5,962
-24.83%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.02
6.65
5.56%

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

Last update for Drobeta-Turnu Severin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Drobeta-Turnu Severin
$196
Cluj-Napoca
$230 17.4% $34
Accommodation & Living
Drobeta-Turnu Severin
$171
Cluj-Napoca
$536 213% $365
Eating Out
Drobeta-Turnu Severin
$166
Cluj-Napoca
$218 31.6% $52
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Drobeta-Turnu Severin
$136
Cluj-Napoca
$168 23.6% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Drobeta-Turnu Severin
$128
Cluj-Napoca
$152 18.4% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Drobeta-Turnu Severin
$52
Cluj-Napoca
$66 26.8% $14
Getting Around
Drobeta-Turnu Severin
$30
Cluj-Napoca
$53 76.4% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $384 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin and $668 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 33% 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: $42 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin vs $55 in Cluj-Napoca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $230 per month, with Drobeta-Turnu Severin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇷🇴 Drobeta-Turnu Severin
🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca
🕒 Local time
17:45 5:45 PM
17:45 5:45 PM
Same time as Drobeta-Turnu Severin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
92,617
324,576
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.81 RON (1 RON = 0.208 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Drobeta-Turnu Severin Cluj-Napoca 250 km
From you
  • Drobeta-Turnu Severin
  • Cluj-Napoca

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
Drobeta-Turnu Severin vs Cluj-Napoca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Drobeta-Turnu Severin cheaper than Cluj-Napoca?
Drobeta-Turnu Severin is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Drobeta-Turnu Severin or Cluj-Napoca?
On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Drobeta-Turnu Severin. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Drobeta-Turnu Severin and Cluj-Napoca?
Rent for a central apartment: $384 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin versus $668 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Drobeta-Turnu Severin runs roughly 51% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $447 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin versus $577 in Cluj-Napoca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Drobeta-Turnu Severin or in Cluj-Napoca?
At $879 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin versus $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Drobeta-Turnu Severin but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Drobeta-Turnu Severin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Drobeta-Turnu Severin or in Cluj-Napoca?
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.
Which city is safer, Drobeta-Turnu Severin or Cluj-Napoca?
Safety-wise, Drobeta-Turnu Severin and Cluj-Napoca are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Drobeta-Turnu Severin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Drobeta-Turnu Severin vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?