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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,488 in Cluj-Napoca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $2,213 in Cluj-Napoca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,938 in Cluj-Napoca.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 13% more expensive than in Cluj-Napoca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 22% above, Cluj-Napoca 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$13.48 RON 61.0

-9.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$57.1 RON 259

-5.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$10.07 RON 45.59

10.13%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$3.92 RON 17.74

4.59%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$2.47 RON 11.21

-31.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$2.47 RON 11.17

-43.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$3.36 RON 15.23

-0.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$4.46 RON 20.21

31.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.74 RON 7.87

6.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.59 RON 7.21

99.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.86 RON 8.41

11.29%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$3.90 RON 17.67

-24.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$9.69 RON 43.87

29.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$7.78 RON 35.26

29.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$12.11 RON 54.8

32.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$1.49 RON 6.73

127.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.79 RON 8.11

16.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$1.96 RON 8.90

8.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$2.57 RON 11.65

-6.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.00 RON 4.53

113.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.05 RON 4.75

91.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.03 RON 4.69

50.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$1.03 RON 4.68

32.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$6.76 RON 30.60

-14.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$7.54 RON 34.16

135.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.29 RON 5.83

60.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$1.86 RON 8.42

147.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.79 RON 3.60

-53.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$32.36 RON 147

-34.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$0.92 RON 4.15

122.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.98 RON 4.42

-40.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$9.12 RON 41.30

-33.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.91 RON 8.63

-18.85%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$29.3K RON 132.8K

-21.97%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$26.1K RON 118.4K

4.19%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$165 RON 745

-59.05%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$8.94 RON 40.48

242.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$10.16 RON 46.02

266.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$49.99 RON 226

22.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$23.35 RON 106

16.15%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$9.93 RON 44.99

-28.40%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$624 RON 2,827

-26.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$10.0K RON 45.3K

36.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$93.8 RON 425

-20.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$49.38 RON 224

15.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$103 RON 468

11.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$117 RON 530

3.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$677 RON 3,065

69.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$557 RON 2,524

27.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$1,195 RON 5,413

115.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$844 RON 3,824

53.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$4,864 RON 22.0K

-17.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$3,549 RON 16.1K

-39.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$1,340 RON 6,070

-19.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.8

66.18%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $677 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 $57.0 in Cluj-Napoca. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $246, 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, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 24% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City 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 Cluj-Napoca runs roughly 53% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $624 in Cluj-Napoca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,488 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,677 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 13% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.