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: $1,156 in Iasi versus $1,410 in Cluj-Napoca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,753 in Iasi versus $2,148 in Cluj-Napoca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,350 in Iasi versus $2,886 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 13% below, Cluj-Napoca is 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.39 RON 47.70

$11.41 RON 52.4

-8.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 RON 237

$57.8 RON 265

-10.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 RON 32.67

$8.14 RON 37.36

-12.53%

Cappuccino

$2.63 RON 12.09

$3.39 RON 15.54

-22.42%

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

$2.11 RON 9.67

$2.35 RON 10.78

-10.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 RON 7.86

$2.11 RON 9.67

-18.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 RON 11.35

$3.26 RON 14.99

-24.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 RON 15.43

$4.02 RON 18.46

-16.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 RON 6.55

$1.79 RON 8.23

-20.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 RON 5.59

$1.35 RON 6.19

-9.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 RON 8.66

$1.86 RON 8.56

1.61%

Eggs

$3.09 RON 14.16

$3.35 RON 15.38

-7.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 RON 37.29

$9.69 RON 44.47

-16.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.93 RON 31.79

$7.06 RON 32.40

-1.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.88 RON 49.95

$11.93 RON 54.8

-8.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.66

$1.24 RON 5.71

-0.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.14

$1.72 RON 7.91

-9.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 RON 7.86

$1.64 RON 7.52

4.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.92 RON 8.80

$2.37 RON 10.90

-18.99%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.31

$0.95 RON 4.35

-1.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 RON 4.60

$0.93 RON 4.25

7.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 RON 4.59

$1.09 RON 4.99

-8.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 RON 3.94

$0.90 RON 4.13

-4.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 RON 28.81

$6.30 RON 28.94

-0.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.39 RON 29.32

$7.65 RON 35.10

-16.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 RON 5.04

$1.17 RON 5.38

-5.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 RON 8.83

$2.03 RON 9.32

-5.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 RON 3.65

$0.71 RON 3.24

11.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.96 RON 128

$23.37 RON 107

19.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 RON 4.31

$0.95 RON 4.35

-1.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 RON 3.26

$0.81 RON 3.72

-12.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 RON 37.36

$9.56 RON 43.86

-14.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 RON 7.71

$1.63 RON 7.47

3.07%

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

$28.5K RON 130.9K

$27.6K RON 126.7K

3.32%

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

$27.7K RON 127.2K

$27.1K RON 124.4K

2.33%

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

$157 RON 718

$160 RON 734

-2.12%

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

$8.51 RON 39.08

$9.06 RON 41.60

-6.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.26 RON 47.09

$10.14 RON 46.54

1.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.27 RON 217

$44.86 RON 206

5.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.50 RON 84.9

$19.93 RON 91.5

-7.18%

Cinema Ticket

$8.00 RON 36.74

$7.93 RON 36.41

0.88%

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

$471 RON 2,160

$475 RON 2,180

-0.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,866 RON 31.5K

$10.8K RON 49.4K

-36.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 RON 280

$70.0 RON 321

-12.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.56 RON 200

$39.45 RON 181

10.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 RON 398

$86.4 RON 397

0.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.5 RON 401

$100 RON 460

-12.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$473 RON 2,172

$714 RON 3,278

-33.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 RON 1,649

$559 RON 2,566

-35.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 RON 3,405

$1,244 RON 5,709

-40.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$533 RON 2,448

$943 RON 4,329

-43.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,911 RON 13.4K

$4,645 RON 21.3K

-37.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,932 RON 8,869

$3,395 RON 15.6K

-43.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,182 RON 5,426

$1,314 RON 6,032

-10.05%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $473 in Iasi and $714 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 11% 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: $52.0 in Iasi vs $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $211 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, salaries run 11% 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: $473 in Iasi versus $714 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 20% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $471 in Iasi versus $475 in Cluj-Napoca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,156 in Iasi versus $1,410 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.