Cost of Living Comparison Between Ploiesti and Cluj-Napoca Cost of Living Comparison Between Ploiesti and Cluj-Napoca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,099 in Ploiesti versus $1,374 in Cluj-Napoca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,635 in Ploiesti versus $2,111 in Cluj-Napoca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,171 in Ploiesti versus $2,848 in Cluj-Napoca.

Living in Ploiesti costs roughly 20% less than in Cluj-Napoca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ploiesti is 18% below, Cluj-Napoca is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.54 RON 43.17

$11.58 RON 52.4

-17.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.16 RON 191

$57.8 RON 261

-27.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.70 RON 34.82

$8.08 RON 36.53

-4.70%

Cappuccino

$2.68 RON 12.14

$3.53 RON 15.99

-24.08%

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

$1.90 RON 8.61

$2.30 RON 10.40

-17.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 RON 8.42

$2.13 RON 9.65

-12.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 RON 10.31

$3.28 RON 14.84

-30.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 RON 15.28

$4.02 RON 18.18

-15.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 RON 6.13

$1.79 RON 8.11

-24.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 RON 4.96

$1.35 RON 6.10

-18.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 RON 7.71

$1.89 RON 8.56

-10.05%

Eggs

$3.25 RON 14.68

$3.26 RON 14.75

-0.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.79 RON 39.77

$10.25 RON 46.36

-14.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 30.95

$7.06 RON 31.96

-3.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.25 RON 41.83

$12.06 RON 54.6

-23.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 RON 5.46

$1.18 RON 5.36

2.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 RON 6.40

$1.72 RON 7.80

-18.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 RON 5.88

$1.63 RON 7.39

-20.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 RON 8.50

$2.42 RON 10.93

-22.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 RON 3.43

$0.95 RON 4.30

-20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.24

$0.93 RON 4.23

1.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 RON 3.36

$1.08 RON 4.89

-31.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 RON 3.62

$0.88 RON 3.99

-9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.61 RON 25.37

$6.56 RON 29.67

-14.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.95 RON 31.44

$7.76 RON 35.09

-10.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 RON 4.37

$1.16 RON 5.23

-16.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 RON 6.15

$1.96 RON 8.86

-30.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 RON 2.52

$0.67 RON 3.02

-16.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.42 RON 87.8

$22.65 RON 102

-14.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 RON 2.99

$1.00 RON 4.51

-34.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.77

$0.86 RON 3.90

-29.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.63 RON 25.46

$9.43 RON 42.67

-40.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 RON 7.27

$1.70 RON 7.71

-5.29%

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

$24.6K RON 111.2K

$28.5K RON 128.9K

-13.74%

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

$26.9K RON 121.5K

$26.7K RON 120.8K

0.60%

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

$147 RON 667

$156 RON 704

-5.30%

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

$8.15 RON 36.87

$9.13 RON 41.29

-10.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.13 RON 45.80

$9.87 RON 44.65

2.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.5 RON 228

$44.65 RON 202

13.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.17 RON 91.2

$20.25 RON 91.6

-0.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.79 RON 30.72

$8.27 RON 37.39

-17.90%

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

$434 RON 1,962

$481 RON 2,176

-9.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,887 RON 31.2K

$10.5K RON 47.5K

-34.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.3 RON 381

$69.5 RON 314

21.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.80 RON 189

$40.69 RON 184

2.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.3 RON 331

$84.5 RON 382

-13.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.2 RON 444

$99.9 RON 452

-1.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 RON 2,412

$707 RON 3,196

-24.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 RON 1,547

$564 RON 2,552

-39.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$757 RON 3,426

$1,261 RON 5,706

-39.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 RON 2,119

$930 RON 4,209

-49.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,039 RON 9,223

$4,832 RON 21.9K

-57.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,315 RON 5,949

$3,491 RON 15.8K

-62.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,050 RON 4,748

$1,369 RON 6,194

-23.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

5.85

13.16%

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

Last update for Ploiesti: June 7, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $533 in Ploiesti and $707 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 30% 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: $42.00 in Ploiesti vs $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $234 per month, with Ploiesti 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

Ploiesti vs Cluj-Napoca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ploiesti is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cluj-Napoca earns 30% 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: $533 in Ploiesti versus $707 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ploiesti runs roughly 17% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $434 in Ploiesti versus $481 in Cluj-Napoca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,099 in Ploiesti versus $1,374 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ploiesti but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Ploiesti the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ploiesti 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, Ploiesti 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 Ploiesti gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.