Cost of Living Comparison Between Harare and Cluj-Napoca Cost of Living Comparison Between Harare and Cluj-Napoca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $991 in Harare versus $1,374 in Cluj-Napoca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,663 in Harare versus $2,111 in Cluj-Napoca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,335 in Harare versus $2,848 in Cluj-Napoca.

Living in Harare costs roughly 28% less than in Cluj-Napoca, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Harare is 26% below, Cluj-Napoca is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.11 ZWL 271

$11.58 RON 52.6

-12.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.12 ZWL 1,316

$57.8 RON 263

-14.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 ZWL 188

$8.08 RON 36.71

-13.24%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ZWL 78.2

$3.53 RON 16.07

-17.28%

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

$0.68 ZWL 18.14

$2.30 RON 10.45

-70.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ZWL 11.60

$2.13 RON 9.70

-79.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 ZWL 40.76

$3.28 RON 14.91

-53.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ZWL 52.1

$4.02 RON 18.27

-51.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ZWL 43.51

$1.79 RON 8.14

-9.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ZWL 27.43

$1.35 RON 6.13

-24.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 ZWL 51.7

$1.89 RON 8.61

2.12%

Eggs

$2.09 ZWL 56.1

$3.26 RON 14.82

-35.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.86 ZWL 291

$10.25 RON 46.59

5.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.46 ZWL 173

$7.06 RON 32.11

-8.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.21 ZWL 166

$12.06 RON 54.8

-48.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 ZWL 80.7

$1.18 RON 5.39

155.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ZWL 45.12

$1.72 RON 7.83

-2.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 ZWL 59.0

$1.63 RON 7.43

34.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 ZWL 45.76

$2.42 RON 10.99

-29.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ZWL 39.79

$0.95 RON 4.33

56.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 ZWL 55.3

$0.93 RON 4.25

121.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ZWL 27.57

$1.08 RON 4.92

-4.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ZWL 25.49

$0.88 RON 4.01

7.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.11 ZWL 29.76

$6.56 RON 29.81

-83.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.94 ZWL 240

$7.76 RON 35.27

15.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 ZWL 30.05

$1.16 RON 5.26

-3.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 ZWL 47.29

$1.96 RON 8.90

-9.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 ZWL 27.39

$0.67 RON 3.04

52.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.56 ZWL 1,140

$22.65 RON 103

87.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 ZWL 135

$1.00 RON 4.53

405.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 ZWL 53.1

$0.86 RON 3.92

130.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.14 ZWL 138

$9.43 RON 42.88

-45.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 ZWL 43.09

$1.70 RON 7.75

-5.29%

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

$20.0K ZWL 536.2K

$28.5K RON 129.6K

-29.78%

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

$23.6K ZWL 633.4K

$26.7K RON 121.4K

-11.44%

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

$58.9 ZWL 1,577

$156 RON 708

-62.20%

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

$17.40 ZWL 466

$9.13 RON 41.50

90.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$94.1 ZWL 2,521

$9.87 RON 44.87

853.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ZWL 1,427

$44.65 RON 203

19.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.15 ZWL 379

$20.25 RON 92.1

-30.12%

Cinema Ticket

$9.94 ZWL 266

$8.27 RON 37.57

20.19%

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

$279 ZWL 7,483

$481 RON 2,187

-41.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,278 ZWL 195.0K

$10.5K RON 47.7K

-30.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.51 ZWL 523

$69.5 RON 316

-71.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.18 ZWL 567

$40.69 RON 185

-47.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$34.22 ZWL 917

$84.5 RON 384

-59.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.55 ZWL 1,086

$99.9 RON 454

-59.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 ZWL 10.8K

$707 RON 3,212

-42.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 ZWL 7,507

$564 RON 2,564

-50.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$967 ZWL 25.9K

$1,261 RON 5,734

-23.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 ZWL 18.6K

$930 RON 4,230

-25.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$919 ZWL 24.6K

$4,832 RON 22.0K

-80.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$387 ZWL 10.4K

$3,491 RON 15.9K

-88.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$393 ZWL 10.5K

$1,369 RON 6,224

-71.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.31

5.85

127.52%

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

Last update for Harare: June 6, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $403 in Harare and $707 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 249% 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: $49.00 in Harare vs $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $234 per month, with Harare 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

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

Harare is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cluj-Napoca earns 249% less. 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: $403 in Harare versus $707 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Harare runs roughly 88% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $279 in Harare versus $481 in Cluj-Napoca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $991 in Harare versus $1,374 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Harare but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Harare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Harare 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, Harare 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 Harare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.