Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galati and Cluj-Napoca

For one person, living is cheaper in Galati: $1,190 a month against $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Galati
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Galati Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Cluj-Napoca
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Cluj-Napoca Living Index

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Galati

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,190

/mo nomad

Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,423

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Galati and in Cluj-Napoca

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Galati and in Cluj-Napoca actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,190 in Galati versus $1,423 in Cluj-Napoca.

Galati $1,190
Cluj-Napoca $1,423

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,683 in Galati versus $2,126 in Cluj-Napoca.

Galati $1,683
Cluj-Napoca $2,126

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,176 in Galati versus $2,830 in Cluj-Napoca.

Galati $2,176
Cluj-Napoca $2,830

Living in Galati costs roughly 16% less than in Cluj-Napoca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Galati is 13% below, Cluj-Napoca is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 RON 50.6

$12.58 RON 59.9

-15.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.85 RON 199

$54.8 RON 261

-23.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.37 RON 35.10

$9.59 RON 45.71

-23.15%

Cappuccino

$2.52 RON 12.00

$3.78 RON 17.99

-33.33%

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

$2.10 RON 10.02

$2.30 RON 10.98

-8.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 RON 8.87

$2.22 RON 10.59

-16.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 RON 9.83

$3.32 RON 15.80

-37.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 RON 15.14

$4.20 RON 20.00

-24.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 RON 5.67

$1.60 RON 7.64

-25.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 RON 3.32

$1.44 RON 6.87

-51.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 RON 8.43

$1.69 RON 8.07

4.73%

Eggs

$3.40 RON 16.22

$3.76 RON 17.89

-9.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 RON 35.68

$9.07 RON 43.20

-17.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.91 RON 28.15

$7.14 RON 34.01

-17.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.54 RON 40.68

$11.46 RON 54.6

-25.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.12

$1.39 RON 6.60

-7.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 RON 7.66

$1.58 RON 7.53

1.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 RON 7.20

$1.88 RON 8.97

-19.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 RON 8.38

$2.37 RON 11.28

-25.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 RON 4.56

$0.92 RON 4.39

4.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 RON 4.79

$0.90 RON 4.28

12.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 RON 3.83

$0.90 RON 4.31

-11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 RON 3.18

$1.01 RON 4.79

-33.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 RON 27.82

$6.42 RON 30.59

-9.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.31 RON 25.31

$7.41 RON 35.31

-28.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 RON 4.52

$1.25 RON 5.93

-24.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 RON 5.63

$1.73 RON 8.24

-31.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 RON 3.65

$0.76 RON 3.61

1.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.96 RON 128

$44.23 RON 211

-39.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.88

$0.84 RON 3.98

-28.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 RON 3.34

$0.96 RON 4.58

-27.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 RON 33.85

$8.27 RON 39.39

-14.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 RON 8.15

$1.94 RON 9.24

-11.86%

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

$28.5K RON 135.6K

$28.3K RON 135.0K

0.49%

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

$24.7K RON 117.5K

$24.7K RON 117.9K

-0.30%

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

$146 RON 695

$151 RON 719

-3.28%

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

$7.61 RON 36.27

$8.44 RON 40.20

-9.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.70 RON 36.68

$9.16 RON 43.66

-15.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.70 RON 175

$47.36 RON 226

-22.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.89 RON 166

$22.01 RON 105

58.52%

Cinema Ticket

$6.24 RON 29.75

$9.35 RON 44.57

-33.26%

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

$601 RON 2,865

$577 RON 2,750

4.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,839 RON 23.1K

$9,450 RON 45.0K

-48.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.2 RON 463

$87.1 RON 415

11.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.71 RON 151

$44.26 RON 211

-28.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.9 RON 290

$98.8 RON 471

-38.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.6 RON 399

$107 RON 509

-21.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 RON 2,451

$668 RON 3,184

-23.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 RON 2,244

$536 RON 2,552

-12.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$778 RON 3,705

$1,227 RON 5,844

-36.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 RON 2,623

$807 RON 3,847

-31.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,723 RON 8,210

$4,568 RON 21.8K

-62.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,324 RON 6,309

$3,342 RON 15.9K

-60.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$911 RON 4,341

$1,241 RON 5,911

-26.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

6.65

8.27%

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

Last update for Galati: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Galati

$471 39.6%

Cluj-Napoca

$536 37.7% 13.8% $65

Groceries & Markets

Galati

$182 15.3%

Cluj-Napoca

$230 16.2% 26.4% $48

Eating Out

Galati

$170 14.3%

Cluj-Napoca

$218 15.3% 28.3% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Galati

$161 13.5%

Cluj-Napoca

$168 11.8% 4.5% $7.2

Clothing & Footwear

Galati

$123 10.3%

Cluj-Napoca

$152 10.7% 23.2% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Galati

$49 4.1%

Cluj-Napoca

$66 4.6% 34.3% $17

Getting Around

Galati

$34 2.9%

Cluj-Napoca

$53 3.7% 55% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $514 in Galati and $668 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 36% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $42 in Galati vs $55 in Cluj-Napoca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $230 per month, with Galati cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Galati

🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca

🕒 Local time

18:46 6:46 PM

Same time as Galati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

249,432

324,576

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Galati Cluj-Napoca 370 km

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Galati
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Galati is about 16% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Galati. 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: $514 in Galati versus $668 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Galati runs roughly 39% less than in Cluj-Napoca. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $601 in Galati versus $577 in Cluj-Napoca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Galati gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Galati and Cluj-Napoca are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Galati gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.