Cost of Living Comparison Between Elbasan and Cluj-Napoca Cost of Living Comparison Between Elbasan and Cluj-Napoca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $911 in Elbasan versus $1,410 in Cluj-Napoca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,427 in Elbasan versus $2,116 in Cluj-Napoca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,943 in Elbasan versus $2,823 in Cluj-Napoca.

Living in Elbasan costs roughly 35% less than in Cluj-Napoca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Elbasan is 32% below, Cluj-Napoca is 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.23 ALL 752

$11.57 RON 52.1

-20.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ALL 2,659

$57.8 RON 260

-43.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.87 ALL 560

$7.95 RON 35.82

-13.58%

Cappuccino

$1.79 ALL 146

$3.45 RON 15.55

-48.12%

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

$1.33 ALL 108

$2.39 RON 10.77

-44.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ALL 60.5

$2.15 RON 9.70

-65.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 ALL 143

$3.27 RON 14.74

-46.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ALL 194

$3.92 RON 17.66

-39.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ALL 152

$1.72 RON 7.76

8.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ALL 70.0

$1.33 RON 5.99

-35.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ALL 127

$1.81 RON 8.14

-13.81%

Eggs

$2.91 ALL 237

$3.23 RON 14.53

-9.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.74 ALL 794

$9.92 RON 44.67

-1.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.19 ALL 423

$6.93 RON 31.23

-25.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.45 ALL 1,014

$11.73 RON 52.8

6.14%

Apples (1kg)

$0.90 ALL 73.1

$1.19 RON 5.37

-24.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 ALL 198

$1.77 RON 7.99

36.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 ALL 102

$1.56 RON 7.02

-19.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.98 ALL 80.0

$2.40 RON 10.81

-59.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 ALL 80.0

$1.01 RON 4.57

-2.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 ALL 87.2

$0.99 RON 4.44

8.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 ALL 74.4

$1.08 RON 4.88

-15.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ALL 49.20

$0.93 RON 4.17

-35.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.17 ALL 340

$6.30 RON 28.37

-33.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.13 ALL 662

$7.74 RON 34.88

5.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ALL 75.4

$1.16 RON 5.22

-20.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 ALL 117

$2.03 RON 9.15

-29.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ALL 39.76

$0.67 RON 3.04

-26.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.52 ALL 1,509

$22.89 RON 103

-19.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 ALL 289

$0.94 RON 4.24

276.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 ALL 100.0

$0.81 RON 3.65

51.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.03 ALL 1,143

$9.22 RON 41.53

52.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 ALL 180

$1.71 RON 7.71

29.24%

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

$21.3K ALL 1.7M

$28.2K RON 127.2K

-24.55%

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

$27.2K ALL 2.2M

$26.2K RON 118.1K

3.60%

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

$67.6 ALL 5,513

$158 RON 710

-57.09%

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

$17.33 ALL 1,412

$9.08 RON 40.89

90.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.47 ALL 1,261

$10.12 RON 45.59

52.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.1 ALL 5,309

$43.69 RON 197

49.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ALL 1,364

$20.27 RON 91.3

-17.46%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ALL 461

$7.87 RON 35.46

-28.21%

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

$139 ALL 11.3K

$491 RON 2,212

-71.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,732 ALL 141.2K

$10.7K RON 48.0K

-83.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.46 ALL 3,868

$69.4 RON 312

-31.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.80 ALL 2,755

$39.78 RON 179

-15.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 ALL 7,602

$85.1 RON 383

9.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$178 ALL 14.5K

$98.9 RON 445

80.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$285 ALL 23.2K

$707 RON 3,184

-59.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$198 ALL 16.1K

$554 RON 2,495

-64.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$431 ALL 35.1K

$1,274 RON 5,737

-66.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ALL 24.3K

$928 RON 4,179

-67.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,349 ALL 110.0K

$4,811 RON 21.7K

-71.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$847 ALL 69.1K

$3,473 RON 15.6K

-75.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 ALL 44.1K

$1,352 RON 6,090

-59.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

5.85

4.27%

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

Last update for Elbasan: June 14, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $285 in Elbasan and $707 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 150% 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: $33.00 in Elbasan vs $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $231 per month, with Elbasan 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

Elbasan vs Cluj-Napoca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elbasan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cluj-Napoca earns 150% less. 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: $285 in Elbasan versus $707 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Elbasan runs roughly 24% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $139 in Elbasan versus $491 in Cluj-Napoca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $911 in Elbasan versus $1,410 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Elbasan but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Elbasan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Elbasan 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, Elbasan 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.

Expats usually find Elbasan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.