Cost of Living Comparison Between Esch-sur-Alzette and Cluj-Napoca Cost of Living Comparison Between Esch-sur-Alzette and Cluj-Napoca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,914 in Esch-sur-Alzette versus $1,497 in Cluj-Napoca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,496 in Esch-sur-Alzette versus $2,234 in Cluj-Napoca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,079 in Esch-sur-Alzette versus $2,972 in Cluj-Napoca.

Living in Esch-sur-Alzette is roughly 95% more expensive than in Cluj-Napoca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Esch-sur-Alzette 112% above, Cluj-Napoca 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.53 €20.31

$13.28 RON 60.2

77.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.2 €51.1

$57.0 RON 258

3.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.51 €13.38

$10.13 RON 45.93

53.11%

Cappuccino

$4.81 €4.15

$3.92 RON 17.76

22.70%

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

$2.46 €2.12

$2.54 RON 11.52

-3.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.32

$2.39 RON 10.84

12.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.30 €3.71

$3.24 RON 14.69

32.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 €3.28

$4.36 RON 19.80

-12.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.65

$1.74 RON 7.88

9.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 €3.39

$1.57 RON 7.10

149.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.44 €2.96

$1.90 RON 8.63

81.05%

Eggs

$4.61 €3.97

$3.99 RON 18.12

15.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$32.40 €27.96

$9.70 RON 43.99

234.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.18 €13.96

$7.75 RON 35.14

108.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.35 €23.60

$12.36 RON 56.0

121.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.34

$1.51 RON 6.86

80.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 €1.73

$1.81 RON 8.20

10.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 €2.67

$2.01 RON 9.13

53.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 €2.93

$2.63 RON 11.94

28.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 €2.97

$1.00 RON 4.56

244.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.00 RON 4.55

110.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 €1.73

$0.98 RON 4.44

104.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.07 RON 4.84

2.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.80 €5.87

$6.74 RON 30.55

0.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.56 €9.11

$7.76 RON 35.20

36.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.09 €3.53

$1.29 RON 5.84

217.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €3.94

$1.80 RON 8.17

153.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 RON 3.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.80 RON 144

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.65 €10.05

$0.97 RON 4.40

1101.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.75 €3.23

$1.01 RON 4.59

271.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.09 €40.64

$9.00 RON 40.84

423.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.91 RON 8.68

1.05%

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

$30.2K RON 136.9K

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

$26.4K RON 119.7K

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

$281 €243

$168 RON 760

67.94%

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

$33.31 €28.74

$8.78 RON 39.84

279.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.7 €80.9

$10.41 RON 47.20

800.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.05 €38.01

$48.20 RON 219

-8.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.92 RON 108

Cinema Ticket

$16.42 €14.17

$10.15 RON 46.03

61.77%

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

$1,575 €1,359

$613 RON 2,781

156.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K RON 45.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 €61.4

$92.4 RON 419

-22.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.03 €34.54

$47.93 RON 217

-16.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 €115

$105 RON 475

27.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 €137

$112 RON 510

41.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 €1,632

$665 RON 3,016

184.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 €1,234

$548 RON 2,484

161.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,476 €3,000

$1,212 RON 5,498

186.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,984 €2,575

$858 RON 3,893

247.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,611 €6,568

$4,765 RON 21.6K

59.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,217 €5,364

$3,587 RON 16.3K

73.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,811 €3,289

$1,365 RON 6,191

179.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.26

6.8

-52.06%

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

Last update for Esch-sur-Alzette: August 30, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,892 in Esch-sur-Alzette and $665 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Esch-sur-Alzette pays 179% 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: $59.0 in Esch-sur-Alzette vs $57.0 in Cluj-Napoca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $492 vs $248 per month, with Cluj-Napoca 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

Esch-sur-Alzette vs Cluj-Napoca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cluj-Napoca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 179% higher in Esch-sur-Alzette, 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: $1,892 in Esch-sur-Alzette versus $665 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,575 in Esch-sur-Alzette versus $613 in Cluj-Napoca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cluj-Napoca – a meal for two runs $57.0 versus $59.0 in Esch-sur-Alzette. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,497 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,914 in Esch-sur-Alzette, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cluj-Napoca but tight or insufficient in Esch-sur-Alzette. The gap between the two cities makes Cluj-Napoca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cluj-Napoca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Esch-sur-Alzette, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Esch-sur-Alzette 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 Cluj-Napoca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Esch-sur-Alzette. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.