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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,410 in Cluj-Napoca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $2,148 in Cluj-Napoca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,886 in Cluj-Napoca.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 3% more expensive than in Cluj-Napoca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 9% above, Cluj-Napoca 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$11.41 RON 52.4

14.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$57.8 RON 265

-6.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$8.14 RON 37.36

18.92%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$3.39 RON 15.54

10.32%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$2.35 RON 10.78

-31.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$2.11 RON 9.67

-45.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$3.26 RON 14.99

-0.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$4.02 RON 18.46

17.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.79 RON 8.23

-7.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.35 RON 6.19

103.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.86 RON 8.56

0.54%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$3.35 RON 15.38

-25.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$9.69 RON 44.47

5.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$7.06 RON 32.40

16.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$11.93 RON 54.8

-0.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.24 RON 5.71

142.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.72 RON 7.91

5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.64 RON 7.52

21.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$2.37 RON 10.90

-15.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$0.95 RON 4.35

118.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$0.93 RON 4.25

144.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.09 RON 4.99

33.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.90 RON 4.13

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$6.30 RON 28.94

-30.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$7.65 RON 35.10

122.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.17 RON 5.38

47.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.03 RON 9.32

76.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.71 RON 3.24

-45.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$23.37 RON 107

-20.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$0.95 RON 4.35

40.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.81 RON 3.72

-65.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$9.56 RON 43.86

-45.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.63 RON 7.47

-17.79%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$27.6K RON 126.7K

-29.67%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$27.1K RON 124.4K

-12.03%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$160 RON 734

-74.55%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$9.06 RON 41.60

196.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$10.14 RON 46.54

200.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$44.86 RON 206

17.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$19.93 RON 91.5

33.72%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$7.93 RON 36.41

-17.91%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$475 RON 2,180

-9.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$10.8K RON 49.4K

-2.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$70.0 RON 321

-18.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$39.45 RON 181

15.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$86.4 RON 397

20.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$100 RON 460

7.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$714 RON 3,278

40.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$559 RON 2,566

11.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$1,244 RON 5,709

69.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$943 RON 4,329

29.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$4,645 RON 21.3K

-16.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$3,395 RON 15.6K

-40.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$1,314 RON 6,032

-21.02%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $714 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 27% 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 $292 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 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 27% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City 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 Cluj-Napoca runs roughly 25% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $475 in Cluj-Napoca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,410 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,456 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 3% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.