Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ploiesti and Cluj-Napoca

For one person, living is cheaper in Ploiesti: $1,088 a month against $1,413 in Cluj-Napoca, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Ploiesti
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Ploiesti Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Cluj-Napoca
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Cluj-Napoca Living Index

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Ploiesti

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,088

/mo nomad

Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,413

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ploiesti and in Cluj-Napoca

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ploiesti and in Cluj-Napoca actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,088 in Ploiesti versus $1,413 in Cluj-Napoca.

Ploiesti $1,088
Cluj-Napoca $1,413

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,663 in Ploiesti versus $2,122 in Cluj-Napoca.

Ploiesti $1,663
Cluj-Napoca $2,122

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,238 in Ploiesti versus $2,831 in Cluj-Napoca.

Ploiesti $2,238
Cluj-Napoca $2,831

Living in Ploiesti costs roughly 23% less than in Cluj-Napoca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ploiesti is 20% below, Cluj-Napoca is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.59 RON 54.8

$12.53 RON 59.3

-7.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.97 RON 222

$54.5 RON 258

-13.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.85 RON 37.15

$9.73 RON 46.01

-19.32%

Cappuccino

$2.97 RON 14.07

$3.68 RON 17.42

-19.29%

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

$2.13 RON 10.07

$2.31 RON 10.92

-7.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 RON 10.01

$2.31 RON 10.93

-8.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 RON 11.81

$3.22 RON 15.24

-22.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 RON 15.71

$4.26 RON 20.14

-22.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 RON 7.46

$1.63 RON 7.69

-3.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 RON 5.54

$1.43 RON 6.78

-18.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 RON 7.11

$1.82 RON 8.63

-17.58%

Eggs

$3.24 RON 15.31

$3.82 RON 18.08

-15.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.85 RON 37.15

$9.16 RON 43.34

-14.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.60 RON 31.21

$7.08 RON 33.50

-6.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.28 RON 43.90

$11.76 RON 55.7

-21.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 RON 6.16

$1.40 RON 6.64

-7.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 RON 8.17

$1.70 RON 8.03

1.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 RON 6.55

$1.89 RON 8.96

-26.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 RON 9.47

$2.42 RON 11.43

-17.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 RON 3.71

$0.92 RON 4.36

-15.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 RON 3.67

$0.88 RON 4.15

-11.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 RON 3.28

$0.97 RON 4.59

-28.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 RON 3.68

$0.97 RON 4.61

-19.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.46

$6.21 RON 29.39

3.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.67 RON 31.58

$7.54 RON 35.66

-11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.69

$1.26 RON 5.96

-21.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 RON 6.63

$1.70 RON 8.05

-17.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 RON 3.90

$0.72 RON 3.42

13.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.31 RON 101

$31.02 RON 147

-31.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.62 RON 2.93

$0.88 RON 4.17

-29.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$0.93 RON 4.40

-31.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.38 RON 30.18

$8.51 RON 40.26

-25.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 RON 8.77

$1.92 RON 9.08

-3.65%

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

$28.8K RON 136.4K

$28.9K RON 136.7K

-0.25%

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

$25.2K RON 119.1K

$24.4K RON 115.2K

3.34%

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

$167 RON 792

$156 RON 739

7.24%

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

$6.27 RON 29.67

$8.74 RON 41.34

-28.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.86 RON 41.91

$9.61 RON 45.46

-7.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.37 RON 205

$46.29 RON 219

-6.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.38 RON 101

$21.98 RON 104

-2.73%

Cinema Ticket

$8.66 RON 40.98

$9.27 RON 43.87

-6.58%

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

$399 RON 1,889

$587 RON 2,775

-31.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,802 RON 27.5K

$9,749 RON 46.1K

-40.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.4 RON 347

$90.1 RON 426

-18.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.40 RON 201

$46.13 RON 218

-8.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.5 RON 442

$98.2 RON 465

-4.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.3 RON 460

$110 RON 522

-11.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$421 RON 1,990

$623 RON 2,950

-32.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 RON 1,371

$529 RON 2,502

-45.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$568 RON 2,685

$1,143 RON 5,407

-50.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 RON 2,170

$820 RON 3,881

-44.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,967 RON 9,305

$4,578 RON 21.7K

-57.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,226 RON 5,802

$3,358 RON 15.9K

-63.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$993 RON 4,698

$1,261 RON 5,964

-21.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.85

6.65

18.05%

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

Last update for Ploiesti: October 20, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ploiesti

$290 26.6%

Cluj-Napoca

$529 37.5% 82.5% $239

Groceries & Markets

Ploiesti

$200 18.4%

Cluj-Napoca

$233 16.5% 16.3% $33

Eating Out

Ploiesti

$188 17.3%

Cluj-Napoca

$217 15.3% 15.2% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ploiesti

$183 16.8%

Cluj-Napoca

$175 12.4% 4.4% $8.1

Clothing & Footwear

Ploiesti

$138 12.7%

Cluj-Napoca

$155 11% 12.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Ploiesti

$61 5.6%

Cluj-Napoca

$65 4.6% 6.8% $4.1

Getting Around

Ploiesti

$28 2.6%

Cluj-Napoca

$39 2.8% 38.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $421 in Ploiesti and $623 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 27% 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: $47.00 in Ploiesti vs $54.0 in Cluj-Napoca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $233 per month, with Ploiesti cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Ploiesti

🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca

🕒 Local time

17:24 5:24 PM

Same time as Ploiesti

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

224,406

324,576

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ploiesti Cluj-Napoca 280 km

From you

Ploiesti
Cluj-Napoca

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, eating out, and clothing. The 30% 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: $421 in Ploiesti versus $623 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 46% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $399 in Ploiesti versus $587 in Cluj-Napoca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,088 in Ploiesti versus $1,413 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 30% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.