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: $1,046 in Harare versus $1,488 in Cluj-Napoca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,730 in Harare versus $2,213 in Cluj-Napoca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,414 in Harare versus $2,938 in Cluj-Napoca.

Living in Harare costs roughly 30% less than in Cluj-Napoca, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Harare is 24% below, Cluj-Napoca is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.13 ZWL 270

$13.48 RON 61.0

-24.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.49 ZWL 1,052

$57.1 RON 259

-30.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.89 ZWL 157

$10.07 RON 45.59

-41.51%

Cappuccino

$3.11 ZWL 82.9

$3.92 RON 17.74

-20.66%

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

$1.00 ZWL 26.63

$2.47 RON 11.21

-59.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 ZWL 13.96

$2.47 RON 11.17

-78.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.49 ZWL 39.63

$3.36 RON 15.23

-55.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ZWL 52.3

$4.46 RON 20.21

-56.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ZWL 40.63

$1.74 RON 7.87

-12.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ZWL 27.63

$1.59 RON 7.21

-34.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 ZWL 45.17

$1.86 RON 8.41

-8.60%

Eggs

$1.95 ZWL 51.9

$3.90 RON 17.67

-50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.03 ZWL 321

$9.69 RON 43.87

24.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.66 ZWL 151

$7.78 RON 35.26

-27.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ZWL 180

$12.11 RON 54.8

-44.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 ZWL 81.5

$1.49 RON 6.73

105.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ZWL 44.78

$1.79 RON 8.11

-6.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 ZWL 55.4

$1.96 RON 8.90

6.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 ZWL 39.37

$2.57 RON 11.65

-42.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ZWL 46.19

$1.00 RON 4.53

73.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 ZWL 47.80

$1.05 RON 4.75

70.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 ZWL 32.22

$1.03 RON 4.69

17.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ZWL 26.62

$1.03 RON 4.68

-2.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.97 ZWL 52.5

$6.76 RON 30.60

-70.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.19 ZWL 245

$7.54 RON 34.16

21.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 ZWL 36.24

$1.29 RON 5.83

5.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ZWL 52.1

$1.86 RON 8.42

5.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ZWL 27.03

$0.79 RON 3.60

27.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 ZWL 1,584

$32.36 RON 147

83.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.03 ZWL 107

$0.92 RON 4.15

338.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 ZWL 54.8

$0.98 RON 4.42

110.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 ZWL 133

$9.12 RON 41.30

-45.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 ZWL 49.74

$1.91 RON 8.63

-2.09%

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

$22.2K ZWL 591.1K

$29.3K RON 132.8K

-24.34%

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

$27.2K ZWL 724.3K

$26.1K RON 118.4K

3.97%

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

$55.1 ZWL 1,468

$165 RON 745

-66.54%

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

$22.06 ZWL 588

$8.94 RON 40.48

146.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.6 ZWL 1,801

$10.16 RON 46.02

565.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.71 ZWL 1,325

$49.99 RON 226

-0.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.67 ZWL 604

$23.35 RON 106

-2.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.87 ZWL 263

$9.93 RON 44.99

-0.60%

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

$459 ZWL 12.2K

$624 RON 2,827

-26.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,938 ZWL 238.2K

$10.0K RON 45.3K

-10.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.74 ZWL 659

$93.8 RON 425

-73.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.99 ZWL 559

$49.38 RON 224

-57.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.49 ZWL 1,052

$103 RON 468

-61.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.14 ZWL 1,123

$117 RON 530

-64.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$399 ZWL 10.6K

$677 RON 3,065

-41.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 ZWL 8,374

$557 RON 2,524

-43.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 ZWL 22.3K

$1,195 RON 5,413

-30.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$752 ZWL 20.0K

$844 RON 3,824

-10.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$937 ZWL 25.0K

$4,864 RON 22.0K

-80.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$385 ZWL 10.3K

$3,549 RON 16.1K

-89.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$428 ZWL 11.4K

$1,340 RON 6,070

-68.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.69

6.8

101.32%

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

Last update for Harare: September 6, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $399 in Harare and $677 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 213% 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: $39.00 in Harare vs $57.0 in Cluj-Napoca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $246 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, Sport & Entertainment, Clothing & Footwear. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 213% 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: $399 in Harare versus $677 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 84% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $459 in Harare versus $624 in Cluj-Napoca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,046 in Harare versus $1,488 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 42% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.