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: $1,002 in Harare versus $1,361 in Cluj-Napoca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,678 in Harare versus $2,124 in Cluj-Napoca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,354 in Harare versus $2,887 in Cluj-Napoca.

Living in Harare costs roughly 26% less than in Cluj-Napoca, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Harare is 25% below, Cluj-Napoca is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.10 ZWL 270

$11.38 RON 52.0

-11.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 ZWL 1,319

$57.6 RON 263

-14.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 ZWL 192

$7.94 RON 36.25

-9.32%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ZWL 78.7

$3.53 RON 16.13

-16.43%

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

$0.71 ZWL 18.89

$2.37 RON 10.84

-70.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ZWL 12.37

$2.12 RON 9.70

-78.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ZWL 39.59

$3.13 RON 14.29

-52.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ZWL 54.2

$4.02 RON 18.35

-49.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ZWL 42.76

$1.77 RON 8.08

-9.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ZWL 27.39

$1.31 RON 5.97

-22.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 ZWL 50.7

$1.81 RON 8.29

4.97%

Eggs

$2.09 ZWL 55.8

$3.34 RON 15.24

-37.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 ZWL 293

$9.83 RON 44.90

11.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.55 ZWL 175

$7.27 RON 33.21

-9.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.25 ZWL 167

$12.00 RON 54.8

-47.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 ZWL 80.8

$1.23 RON 5.62

145.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 ZWL 44.69

$1.77 RON 8.08

-5.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 ZWL 60.0

$1.56 RON 7.12

43.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ZWL 43.84

$2.36 RON 10.79

-30.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ZWL 39.93

$0.94 RON 4.31

58.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ZWL 53.1

$0.97 RON 4.43

105.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 ZWL 26.80

$1.09 RON 4.98

-8.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ZWL 27.48

$0.92 RON 4.21

11.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.13 ZWL 30.24

$6.44 RON 29.40

-82.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.28 ZWL 248

$7.54 RON 34.42

23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 ZWL 31.62

$1.17 RON 5.33

0.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ZWL 46.39

$1.96 RON 8.95

-11.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ZWL 27.47

$0.67 RON 3.05

53.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.17 ZWL 1,127

$23.24 RON 106

81.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 ZWL 137

$0.99 RON 4.51

418.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 ZWL 52.4

$0.82 RON 3.75

139.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.10 ZWL 136

$9.11 RON 41.61

-44.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 ZWL 43.21

$1.69 RON 7.70

-4.14%

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

$19.7K ZWL 526.9K

$28.4K RON 129.9K

-30.66%

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

$23.6K ZWL 630.1K

$27.0K RON 123.4K

-12.74%

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

$59.4 ZWL 1,588

$158 RON 723

-62.46%

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

$17.75 ZWL 474

$8.72 RON 39.83

103.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.8 ZWL 2,505

$9.91 RON 45.28

846.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 ZWL 1,436

$43.33 RON 198

24.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.35 ZWL 383

$20.21 RON 92.3

-29.00%

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 ZWL 263

$7.86 RON 35.91

25.19%

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

$273 ZWL 7,296

$492 RON 2,249

-44.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,310 ZWL 195.3K

$10.5K RON 47.9K

-30.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.62 ZWL 524

$70.0 RON 320

-71.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.62 ZWL 578

$41.01 RON 187

-47.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.26 ZWL 942

$84.2 RON 385

-58.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.29 ZWL 1,077

$101 RON 462

-60.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 ZWL 10.8K

$712 RON 3,250

-43.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 ZWL 7,446

$548 RON 2,502

-49.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$975 ZWL 26.1K

$1,267 RON 5,788

-23.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$706 ZWL 18.9K

$940 RON 4,294

-24.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$915 ZWL 24.4K

$4,857 RON 22.2K

-81.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$387 ZWL 10.3K

$3,404 RON 15.5K

-88.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$401 ZWL 10.7K

$1,325 RON 6,050

-69.71%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $405 in Harare and $712 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 230% 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 $222 vs $233 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 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 230% lower in Cluj-Napoca. 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: $405 in Harare versus $712 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 81% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $273 in Harare versus $492 in Cluj-Napoca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,002 in Harare versus $1,361 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 36% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.