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: $917 in Elbasan versus $1,361 in Cluj-Napoca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,433 in Elbasan versus $2,124 in Cluj-Napoca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,949 in Elbasan versus $2,887 in Cluj-Napoca.

Living in Elbasan costs roughly 33% less than in Cluj-Napoca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Elbasan is 31% below, Cluj-Napoca is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.47 ALL 770

$11.38 RON 51.7

-16.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.67 ALL 2,655

$57.6 RON 262

-43.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 ALL 579

$7.94 RON 36.09

-10.33%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ALL 147

$3.53 RON 16.06

-49.01%

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

$1.29 ALL 105

$2.37 RON 10.79

-45.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ALL 60.5

$2.12 RON 9.65

-64.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 ALL 147

$3.13 RON 14.23

-42.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 ALL 187

$4.02 RON 18.27

-42.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ALL 146

$1.77 RON 8.05

1.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 ALL 75.0

$1.31 RON 5.94

-29.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 ALL 121

$1.81 RON 8.25

-17.68%

Eggs

$3.00 ALL 244

$3.34 RON 15.17

-10.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 ALL 787

$9.83 RON 44.70

-1.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 ALL 442

$7.27 RON 33.06

-25.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.45 ALL 1,012

$12.00 RON 54.5

3.75%

Apples (1kg)

$0.87 ALL 70.5

$1.23 RON 5.59

-29.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 ALL 193

$1.77 RON 8.05

33.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 ALL 102

$1.56 RON 7.09

-19.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 ALL 75.5

$2.36 RON 10.74

-60.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 ALL 81.7

$0.94 RON 4.29

7.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 ALL 83.8

$0.97 RON 4.41

6.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 ALL 73.0

$1.09 RON 4.96

-17.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ALL 46.05

$0.92 RON 4.19

-38.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 ALL 321

$6.44 RON 29.27

-38.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.13 ALL 661

$7.54 RON 34.27

7.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ALL 73.0

$1.17 RON 5.31

-23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 ALL 116

$1.96 RON 8.91

-27.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 ALL 39.02

$0.67 RON 3.04

-28.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.61 ALL 1,512

$23.24 RON 106

-19.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 ALL 279

$0.99 RON 4.49

246.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 ALL 104

$0.82 RON 3.73

56.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.32 ALL 1,163

$9.11 RON 41.43

57.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 ALL 177

$1.69 RON 7.66

28.99%

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

$21.6K ALL 1.8M

$28.4K RON 129.3K

-24.08%

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

$27.7K ALL 2.2M

$27.0K RON 122.9K

2.37%

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

$66.8 ALL 5,425

$158 RON 720

-57.82%

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

$17.59 ALL 1,429

$8.72 RON 39.66

101.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.21 ALL 1,235

$9.91 RON 45.08

53.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.0 ALL 5,364

$43.33 RON 197

52.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.18 ALL 1,314

$20.21 RON 91.9

-19.94%

Cinema Ticket

$5.67 ALL 461

$7.86 RON 35.75

-27.86%

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

$139 ALL 11.3K

$492 RON 2,239

-71.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,791 ALL 145.5K

$10.5K RON 47.7K

-82.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.58 ALL 3,866

$70.0 RON 318

-32.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.42 ALL 2,797

$41.01 RON 186

-16.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 ALL 7,760

$84.2 RON 383

13.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$179 ALL 14.5K

$101 RON 460

76.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$286 ALL 23.2K

$712 RON 3,236

-59.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 ALL 15.7K

$548 RON 2,491

-64.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 ALL 33.8K

$1,267 RON 5,762

-67.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 ALL 24.0K

$940 RON 4,275

-68.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,310 ALL 106.5K

$4,857 RON 22.1K

-73.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$866 ALL 70.3K

$3,404 RON 15.5K

-74.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$550 ALL 44.7K

$1,325 RON 6,024

-58.46%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $286 in Elbasan and $712 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 141% 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 $233 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 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 141% 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: $286 in Elbasan versus $712 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 25% 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 $492 in Cluj-Napoca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $917 in Elbasan versus $1,361 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 48% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.