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: $1,287 in Iasi versus $1,488 in Cluj-Napoca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,944 in Iasi versus $2,213 in Cluj-Napoca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,601 in Iasi versus $2,938 in Cluj-Napoca.

Living in Iasi costs roughly 14% less than in Cluj-Napoca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Iasi is 7% below, Cluj-Napoca is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.18 RON 50.6

$13.48 RON 61.0

-17.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.31 RON 201

$57.1 RON 259

-22.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.84 RON 35.52

$10.07 RON 45.59

-22.14%

Cappuccino

$2.97 RON 13.45

$3.92 RON 17.74

-24.23%

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

$2.21 RON 10.02

$2.47 RON 11.21

-10.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 RON 8.66

$2.47 RON 11.17

-22.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 RON 15.30

$3.36 RON 15.23

0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 RON 17.65

$4.46 RON 20.21

-12.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.55

$1.74 RON 7.87

-4.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 RON 6.26

$1.59 RON 7.21

-13.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 RON 9.29

$1.86 RON 8.41

10.22%

Eggs

$3.52 RON 15.94

$3.90 RON 17.67

-9.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.36 RON 37.88

$9.69 RON 43.87

-13.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.64 RON 30.08

$7.78 RON 35.26

-14.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.43 RON 47.22

$12.11 RON 54.8

-13.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.45 RON 6.58

$1.49 RON 6.73

-2.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 RON 7.72

$1.79 RON 8.11

-4.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.06

$1.96 RON 8.90

-9.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 RON 10.25

$2.57 RON 11.65

-12.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 RON 4.00

$1.00 RON 4.53

-12.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 RON 4.07

$1.05 RON 4.75

-14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 RON 5.51

$1.03 RON 4.69

18.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 RON 4.58

$1.03 RON 4.68

-1.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 RON 30.90

$6.76 RON 30.60

0.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.51 RON 29.47

$7.54 RON 34.16

-13.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 RON 6.33

$1.29 RON 5.83

8.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RON 10.05

$1.86 RON 8.42

19.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 RON 3.84

$0.79 RON 3.60

7.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.56 RON 129

$32.36 RON 147

-11.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 RON 4.20

$0.92 RON 4.15

1.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 RON 4.14

$0.98 RON 4.42

-6.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 RON 39.44

$9.12 RON 41.30

-4.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 RON 8.35

$1.91 RON 8.63

-3.66%

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

$30.0K RON 135.7K

$29.3K RON 132.8K

2.17%

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

$28.6K RON 129.6K

$26.1K RON 118.4K

9.47%

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

$191 RON 865

$165 RON 745

16.04%

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

$7.82 RON 35.41

$8.94 RON 40.48

-12.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.07 RON 41.07

$10.16 RON 46.02

-10.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.91 RON 212

$49.99 RON 226

-6.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.58 RON 75.1

$23.35 RON 106

-28.99%

Cinema Ticket

$8.78 RON 39.77

$9.93 RON 44.99

-11.58%

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

$414 RON 1,874

$624 RON 2,827

-33.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,254 RON 32.8K

$10.0K RON 45.3K

-27.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.3 RON 337

$93.8 RON 425

-20.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.27 RON 182

$49.38 RON 224

-18.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.5 RON 428

$103 RON 468

-8.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.1 RON 435

$117 RON 530

-17.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$558 RON 2,525

$677 RON 3,065

-17.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,031

$557 RON 2,524

-19.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 RON 4,222

$1,195 RON 5,413

-22.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$692 RON 3,135

$844 RON 3,824

-18.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,998 RON 13.6K

$4,864 RON 22.0K

-38.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,996 RON 9,041

$3,549 RON 16.1K

-43.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 RON 5,450

$1,340 RON 6,070

-10.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.18

6.8

5.59%

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

Last update for Iasi: September 5, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $558 in Iasi and $677 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: $44.00 in Iasi vs $57.0 in Cluj-Napoca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $224 vs $246 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, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 16% 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: $558 in Iasi 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 Iasi runs roughly 13% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $414 in Iasi versus $624 in Cluj-Napoca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,287 in Iasi versus $1,488 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 16% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.