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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,137 in Iasi versus $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,720 in Iasi versus $2,123 in Cluj-Napoca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,303 in Iasi versus $2,860 in Cluj-Napoca.

Living in Iasi costs roughly 18% less than in Cluj-Napoca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Iasi is 15% below, Cluj-Napoca is 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.52 RON 47.60

$11.53 RON 52.2

-8.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.4 RON 233

$58.1 RON 263

-11.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.73 RON 30.47

$8.21 RON 37.15

-18.03%

Cappuccino

$2.68 RON 12.14

$3.37 RON 15.27

-20.47%

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

$2.08 RON 9.39

$2.42 RON 10.94

-14.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 RON 7.88

$2.19 RON 9.91

-20.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.46 RON 11.12

$3.25 RON 14.72

-24.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 RON 15.48

$3.90 RON 17.64

-12.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 RON 6.33

$1.74 RON 7.86

-19.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 RON 5.51

$1.33 RON 6.04

-8.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 RON 8.46

$1.84 RON 8.32

1.63%

Eggs

$3.21 RON 14.51

$3.24 RON 14.66

-0.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.95 RON 35.99

$10.15 RON 45.94

-21.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.70 RON 30.33

$6.89 RON 31.20

-2.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 RON 49.73

$12.08 RON 54.7

-9.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 RON 5.61

$1.23 RON 5.57

0.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.33

$1.73 RON 7.82

-6.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 RON 7.84

$1.55 RON 7.03

11.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 RON 8.90

$2.33 RON 10.53

-15.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 RON 4.48

$1.02 RON 4.60

-2.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 RON 4.73

$0.97 RON 4.39

8.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 RON 4.69

$1.04 RON 4.70

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 RON 3.89

$0.88 RON 3.99

-2.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.37 RON 28.85

$6.53 RON 29.56

-2.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.61 RON 29.92

$7.94 RON 35.92

-16.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 RON 4.95

$1.13 RON 5.10

-3.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 RON 8.97

$2.05 RON 9.28

-3.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 RON 3.84

$0.70 RON 3.18

21.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.13 RON 123

$23.33 RON 106

16.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 RON 4.04

$1.00 RON 4.53

-11.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 RON 3.17

$0.89 RON 4.03

-21.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 RON 35.49

$9.45 RON 42.76

-17.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 RON 7.52

$1.69 RON 7.64

-1.78%

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

$28.5K RON 129.2K

$28.4K RON 128.8K

0.32%

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

$27.3K RON 123.7K

$27.1K RON 122.5K

1.02%

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

$156 RON 708

$161 RON 731

-3.13%

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

$8.47 RON 38.36

$9.19 RON 41.58

-7.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.21 RON 46.23

$9.66 RON 43.71

5.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.10 RON 213

$44.75 RON 203

5.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.25 RON 82.6

$19.86 RON 89.9

-8.11%

Cinema Ticket

$8.17 RON 37.00

$8.25 RON 37.35

-0.97%

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

$463 RON 2,095

$491 RON 2,223

-5.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,028 RON 31.8K

$10.8K RON 49.0K

-35.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 RON 282

$70.9 RON 321

-12.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.79 RON 194

$39.43 RON 178

8.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 RON 391

$84.2 RON 381

2.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 RON 393

$99.5 RON 450

-12.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 RON 2,147

$692 RON 3,133

-31.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 RON 1,636

$550 RON 2,489

-34.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 RON 3,396

$1,244 RON 5,632

-39.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 RON 2,492

$923 RON 4,180

-40.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,076 RON 13.9K

$4,494 RON 20.3K

-31.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,997 RON 9,038

$3,328 RON 15.1K

-40.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,191 RON 5,390

$1,378 RON 6,239

-13.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.37

5.85

25.98%

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

Last update for Iasi: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $474 in Iasi and $692 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 16% 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: $51.0 in Iasi vs $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $212 vs $232 per month, with Iasi 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

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

Iasi is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cluj-Napoca earns 16% 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: $474 in Iasi versus $692 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Iasi runs roughly 16% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $463 in Iasi versus $491 in Cluj-Napoca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,137 in Iasi versus $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Iasi but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Iasi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Iasi 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, Iasi 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 Iasi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.