Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Cluj-Napoca Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Cluj-Napoca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $2,123 in Cluj-Napoca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,860 in Cluj-Napoca.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 6% more expensive than Cluj-Napoca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Cluj-Napoca 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$11.53 RON 52.2

14.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$58.1 RON 263

-7.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$8.21 RON 37.15

14.74%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$3.37 RON 15.27

5.34%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$2.42 RON 10.94

-33.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$2.19 RON 9.91

-49.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$3.25 RON 14.72

-4.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$3.90 RON 17.64

18.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.74 RON 7.86

-2.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.33 RON 6.04

104.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.84 RON 8.32

3.80%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$3.24 RON 14.66

-21.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$10.15 RON 45.94

-1.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.89 RON 31.20

17.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$12.08 RON 54.7

-3.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$1.23 RON 5.57

141.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.73 RON 7.82

4.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.55 RON 7.03

29.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$2.33 RON 10.53

-12.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.02 RON 4.60

107.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$0.97 RON 4.39

134.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.04 RON 4.70

34.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.88 RON 3.99

28.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$6.53 RON 29.56

-34.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$7.94 RON 35.92

95.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.13 RON 5.10

55.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.05 RON 9.28

75.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.70 RON 3.18

-45.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$23.33 RON 106

-17.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$1.00 RON 4.53

38.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.89 RON 4.03

-68.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$9.45 RON 42.76

-42.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.69 RON 7.64

-23.08%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$28.4K RON 128.8K

-34.31%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$27.1K RON 122.5K

-14.53%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$161 RON 731

-74.68%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$9.19 RON 41.58

191.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$9.66 RON 43.71

210.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$44.75 RON 203

16.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$19.86 RON 89.9

35.15%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$8.25 RON 37.35

-23.64%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$491 RON 2,223

-11.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$10.8K RON 49.0K

-3.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$70.9 RON 321

-20.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$39.43 RON 178

12.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$84.2 RON 381

22.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$99.5 RON 450

6.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$692 RON 3,133

47.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$550 RON 2,489

14.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$1,244 RON 5,632

71.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$923 RON 4,180

34.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$4,494 RON 20.3K

-13.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$3,328 RON 15.1K

-37.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,378 RON 6,239

-19.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.85

93.85%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $692 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $232, with Cluj-Napoca cheaper for home cooking.

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

Mexico City vs Cluj-Napoca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cluj-Napoca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cluj-Napoca earns 24% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City 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 Cluj-Napoca runs roughly 22% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $491 in Cluj-Napoca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cluj-Napoca but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Cluj-Napoca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cluj-Napoca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mexico City 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 Cluj-Napoca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.