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: $3,059 in Esch-sur-Alzette versus $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,442 in Esch-sur-Alzette versus $2,123 in Cluj-Napoca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,826 in Esch-sur-Alzette versus $2,860 in Cluj-Napoca.

Living in Esch-sur-Alzette is roughly 121% more expensive than Cluj-Napoca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Esch-sur-Alzette 128% above, Cluj-Napoca 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.26 €20.01

$11.53 RON 52.1

101.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 €50.8

$58.1 RON 263

1.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.33 €13.19

$8.21 RON 37.10

86.72%

Cappuccino

$4.76 €4.09

$3.37 RON 15.25

41.25%

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

$2.46 €2.11

$2.42 RON 10.93

1.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.25

$2.19 RON 9.90

19.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.45 €3.83

$3.25 RON 14.70

36.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 €3.29

$3.90 RON 17.61

-2.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.74 RON 7.85

-24.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 €3.34

$1.33 RON 6.03

191.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 €2.99

$1.84 RON 8.31

89.13%

Eggs

$4.66 €4.01

$3.24 RON 14.64

43.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$32.17 €27.67

$10.15 RON 45.88

216.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.09 €13.84

$6.89 RON 31.15

133.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.03 €23.26

$12.08 RON 54.6

123.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.35

$1.23 RON 5.57

121.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.73 RON 7.81

7.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 €2.65

$1.55 RON 7.02

99.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 €3.06

$2.33 RON 10.51

52.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 €2.87

$1.02 RON 4.60

226.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$0.97 RON 4.38

116.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.04 RON 4.70

90.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.88 RON 3.98

22.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.03 €6.05

$6.53 RON 29.52

7.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.05 €8.64

$7.94 RON 35.87

26.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.95 €3.40

$1.13 RON 5.10

249.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$2.05 RON 9.26

123.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 RON 3.18

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.33 RON 105

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.70 €10.07

$1.00 RON 4.52

1070.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.32 €2.85

$0.89 RON 4.02

273.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.59 €40.08

$9.45 RON 42.70

393.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 €1.62

$1.69 RON 7.63

11.24%

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

$28.4K RON 128.6K

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

$27.1K RON 122.3K

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

$281 €242

$161 RON 730

74.08%

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

$33.51 €28.83

$9.19 RON 41.52

264.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.7 €78.0

$9.66 RON 43.65

838.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.85 €36.86

$44.75 RON 202

-4.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.86 RON 89.8

Cinema Ticket

$16.24 €13.97

$8.25 RON 37.30

96.85%

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

$1,549 €1,333

$491 RON 2,220

215.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K RON 49.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.3 €61.3

$70.9 RON 320

0.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.77 €35.07

$39.43 RON 178

3.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 €115

$84.2 RON 380

59.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 €137

$99.5 RON 450

60.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,683 €1,448

$692 RON 3,129

143.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 €1,319

$550 RON 2,485

178.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,087 €2,656

$1,244 RON 5,625

148.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 €2,280

$923 RON 4,174

187.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,559 €6,502

$4,494 RON 20.3K

68.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,332 €5,447

$3,328 RON 15.0K

90.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,877 €3,335

$1,378 RON 6,231

181.31%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,683 in Esch-sur-Alzette and $692 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Esch-sur-Alzette pays 181% 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 $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $482 vs $232 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 121% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Esch-sur-Alzette pays 181% more on average, 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: $1,683 in Esch-sur-Alzette versus $692 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,549 in Esch-sur-Alzette versus $491 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 $59.0 in Esch-sur-Alzette. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca versus $3,059 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 121% less than in Esch-sur-Alzette. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.