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: $3,061 in Esch-sur-Alzette versus $1,410 in Cluj-Napoca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,447 in Esch-sur-Alzette versus $2,148 in Cluj-Napoca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,834 in Esch-sur-Alzette versus $2,886 in Cluj-Napoca.

Living in Esch-sur-Alzette is roughly 117% more expensive than in Cluj-Napoca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Esch-sur-Alzette 129% above, Cluj-Napoca 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.36 €20.41

$11.41 RON 52.1

104.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 €50.0

$57.8 RON 264

-0.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.49 €13.53

$8.14 RON 37.15

90.29%

Cappuccino

$4.76 €4.16

$3.39 RON 15.46

40.41%

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

$2.58 €2.26

$2.35 RON 10.72

9.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 €2.31

$2.11 RON 9.61

25.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.45 €3.89

$3.26 RON 14.90

36.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 €3.26

$4.02 RON 18.36

-7.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.79 RON 8.18

-23.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 €3.36

$1.35 RON 6.16

184.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 €2.97

$1.86 RON 8.51

82.80%

Eggs

$4.70 €4.11

$3.35 RON 15.29

40.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$32.03 €27.99

$9.69 RON 44.22

230.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.02 €13.99

$7.06 RON 32.22

126.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.02 €23.61

$11.93 RON 54.5

126.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 €2.33

$1.24 RON 5.68

115.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.71

$1.72 RON 7.86

13.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 €2.75

$1.64 RON 7.47

92.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €2.94

$2.37 RON 10.84

42.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.27 €2.86

$0.95 RON 4.33

244.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.92

$0.93 RON 4.23

135.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.71

$1.09 RON 4.96

79.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.94

$0.90 RON 4.10

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.17

$6.30 RON 28.78

12.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.24 €8.94

$7.65 RON 34.91

33.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.97 €3.47

$1.17 RON 5.35

239.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 €4.11

$2.03 RON 9.27

132.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.37 RON 107

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.68 €10.20

$0.95 RON 4.32

1129.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.47 €3.03

$0.81 RON 3.70

328.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.92 €41.00

$9.56 RON 43.62

390.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.60

$1.63 RON 7.43

12.27%

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

$27.6K RON 126.0K

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

$27.1K RON 123.7K

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

$279 €244

$160 RON 730

74.39%

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

$33.24 €29.04

$9.06 RON 41.37

266.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.2 €78.8

$10.14 RON 46.28

789.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.99 €37.56

$44.86 RON 205

-4.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.93 RON 91.0

Cinema Ticket

$16.04 €14.01

$7.93 RON 36.21

102.27%

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

$1,531 €1,338

$475 RON 2,167

222.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K RON 49.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 €61.9

$70.0 RON 320

1.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 €35.24

$39.45 RON 180

2.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 €118

$86.4 RON 395

56.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 €136

$100 RON 458

55.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,656 €1,447

$714 RON 3,260

131.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 €1,315

$559 RON 2,551

169.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,108 €2,715

$1,244 RON 5,677

149.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,607 €2,278

$943 RON 4,304

176.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,373 €6,442

$4,645 RON 21.2K

58.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,160 €5,382

$3,395 RON 15.5K

81.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,791 €3,312

$1,314 RON 5,998

188.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.26

5.85

-44.27%

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

Last update for Esch-sur-Alzette: July 14, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,656 in Esch-sur-Alzette and $714 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Esch-sur-Alzette pays 188% 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: $57.0 in Esch-sur-Alzette vs $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca. Groceries flip the comparison at $481 vs $232, with Cluj-Napoca cheaper for home cooking.

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 117% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 188% 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: $1,656 in Esch-sur-Alzette versus $714 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,531 in Esch-sur-Alzette versus $475 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 $58.0 versus $57.0 in Esch-sur-Alzette. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,410 in Cluj-Napoca versus $3,061 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 117% less than in Esch-sur-Alzette. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.