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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $987 in Roman versus $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,496 in Roman versus $2,123 in Cluj-Napoca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,004 in Roman versus $2,860 in Cluj-Napoca.

Living in Roman costs roughly 29% less than in Cluj-Napoca, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Roman is 26% below, Cluj-Napoca is 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.23 RON 55.7

$11.53 RON 52.5

6.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.08 RON 123

$58.1 RON 265

-53.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.97 RON 36.29

$8.21 RON 37.36

-2.92%

Cappuccino

$3.36 RON 15.31

$3.37 RON 15.35

-0.30%

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

$1.14 RON 5.19

$2.42 RON 11.01

-52.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 RON 9.49

$2.19 RON 9.97

-4.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 RON 15.01

$3.25 RON 14.81

1.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 RON 10.77

$3.90 RON 17.74

-39.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 RON 6.98

$1.74 RON 7.91

-12.07%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 RON 3.99

$1.33 RON 6.07

-33.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 RON 7.55

$1.84 RON 8.37

-9.78%

Eggs

$3.01 RON 13.72

$3.24 RON 14.74

-7.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.62 RON 39.25

$10.15 RON 46.20

-15.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 RON 32.14

$6.89 RON 31.38

2.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.64 RON 53.0

$12.08 RON 55.0

-3.64%

Apples (1kg)

$0.91 RON 4.14

$1.23 RON 5.61

-26.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 RON 6.71

$1.73 RON 7.87

-15.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 6.99

$1.55 RON 7.07

-0.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 RON 10.23

$2.33 RON 10.59

-3.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 RON 3.80

$1.02 RON 4.63

-17.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 RON 4.66

$0.97 RON 4.41

5.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 RON 4.03

$1.04 RON 4.73

-15.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 RON 3.74

$0.88 RON 4.01

-6.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 RON 27.31

$6.53 RON 29.73

-8.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.71 RON 30.53

$7.94 RON 36.13

-15.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 RON 5.03

$1.13 RON 5.13

-1.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 RON 7.74

$2.05 RON 9.33

-17.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 RON 3.07

$0.70 RON 3.20

-2.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.08 RON 91.4

$23.33 RON 106

-13.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 RON 3.27

$1.00 RON 4.56

-28.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 RON 2.93

$0.89 RON 4.05

-28.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.84 RON 31.15

$9.45 RON 43.00

-27.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 RON 7.55

$1.69 RON 7.69

-1.78%

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

$28.4K RON 129.2K

$28.4K RON 129.5K

-0.27%

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

$27.4K RON 124.6K

$27.1K RON 123.2K

1.15%

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

$91.1 RON 415

$161 RON 735

-43.53%

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

$3.48 RON 15.83

$9.19 RON 41.82

-62.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.62 RON 25.56

$9.66 RON 43.95

-41.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.73 RON 185

$44.75 RON 204

-8.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.27 RON 87.7

$19.86 RON 90.4

-2.97%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 RON 49.25

$8.25 RON 37.56

31.15%

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

$324 RON 1,474

$491 RON 2,236

-34.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,501 RON 29.6K

$10.8K RON 49.3K

-39.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.6 RON 303

$70.9 RON 323

-6.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.36 RON 79.0

$39.43 RON 180

-55.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 RON 438

$84.2 RON 383

14.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.87 RON 154

$99.5 RON 453

-65.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 RON 1,751

$692 RON 3,151

-44.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 RON 1,305

$550 RON 2,503

-47.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$592 RON 2,694

$1,244 RON 5,665

-52.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 RON 1,969

$923 RON 4,203

-53.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,602 RON 7,291

$4,494 RON 20.5K

-64.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,480 RON 6,737

$3,328 RON 15.2K

-55.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$865 RON 3,937

$1,378 RON 6,275

-37.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.7

5.85

31.62%

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

Last update for Roman: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $385 in Roman and $692 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 59% 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: $27.00 in Roman vs $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $232 per month, with Roman 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

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

Roman is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cluj-Napoca earns 59% 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: $385 in Roman 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 Roman runs roughly 16% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $324 in Roman versus $491 in Cluj-Napoca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $987 in Roman versus $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Roman but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Roman the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Roman 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, Roman 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 Roman gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.