Cost of Living Comparison Between Targu Mures and Cluj-Napoca Cost of Living Comparison Between Targu Mures and Cluj-Napoca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,077 in Targu Mures versus $1,384 in Cluj-Napoca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,554 in Targu Mures versus $2,092 in Cluj-Napoca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,031 in Targu Mures versus $2,800 in Cluj-Napoca.

Living in Targu Mures costs roughly 22% less than in Cluj-Napoca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Targu Mures is 20% below, Cluj-Napoca is 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.54 RON 37.04

$11.62 RON 50.4

-26.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.00 RON 178

$56.4 RON 245

-27.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.00 RON 39.05

$7.91 RON 34.31

13.78%

Cappuccino

$2.30 RON 9.97

$3.52 RON 15.29

-34.66%

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

$1.32 RON 5.71

$2.40 RON 10.42

-45.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 RON 5.00

$2.20 RON 9.54

-47.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 RON 9.24

$3.14 RON 13.63

-32.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 RON 12.26

$3.94 RON 17.10

-28.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 RON 6.75

$1.80 RON 7.79

-13.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 RON 5.25

$1.29 RON 5.62

-6.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 RON 7.12

$1.88 RON 8.14

-12.77%

Eggs

$3.07 RON 13.31

$3.37 RON 14.63

-8.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.82 RON 38.29

$10.21 RON 44.33

-13.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.21 RON 31.27

$7.27 RON 31.57

-0.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 RON 55.1

$12.10 RON 52.5

4.88%

Apples (1kg)

$0.98 RON 4.25

$1.24 RON 5.40

-20.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 RON 5.70

$1.79 RON 7.77

-26.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 RON 6.62

$1.64 RON 7.11

-6.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 RON 8.45

$2.40 RON 10.42

-18.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.04

$0.94 RON 4.09

-1.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 RON 4.00

$0.91 RON 3.96

1.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 RON 3.45

$1.03 RON 4.48

-23.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 RON 3.48

$0.95 RON 4.12

-15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 RON 27.26

$6.55 RON 28.43

-4.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 RON 35.20

$7.75 RON 33.65

4.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 RON 4.66

$1.12 RON 4.86

-4.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 RON 7.14

$2.05 RON 8.91

-19.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 RON 2.43

$0.71 RON 3.07

-21.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.85 RON 64.5

$22.87 RON 99.2

-35.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 RON 4.16

$0.99 RON 4.29

-3.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 RON 3.17

$0.84 RON 3.63

-13.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.25 RON 31.45

$9.08 RON 39.39

-20.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 RON 7.00

$1.68 RON 7.29

-4.17%

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

$28.1K RON 121.9K

$28.6K RON 123.9K

-1.59%

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

$28.2K RON 122.4K

$26.5K RON 115.2K

6.22%

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

$172 RON 745

$158 RON 685

8.86%

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

$8.68 RON 37.67

$9.15 RON 39.69

-5.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.64 RON 41.84

$10.13 RON 43.97

-4.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.95 RON 204

$43.86 RON 190

7.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 RON 81.1

$20.09 RON 87.2

-7.02%

Cinema Ticket

$5.93 RON 25.72

$8.10 RON 35.17

-26.79%

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

$1,387 RON 6,019

$479 RON 2,080

189.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,872 RON 29.8K

$10.6K RON 46.2K

-35.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 RON 308

$68.8 RON 299

3.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.67 RON 137

$39.64 RON 172

-20.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.4 RON 323

$83.6 RON 363

-11.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 RON 355

$98.6 RON 428

-16.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 RON 1,930

$704 RON 3,056

-36.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$312 RON 1,354

$565 RON 2,451

-44.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$567 RON 2,459

$1,283 RON 5,569

-55.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$412 RON 1,788

$930 RON 4,037

-55.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,379 RON 10.3K

$4,717 RON 20.5K

-49.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,556 RON 6,754

$3,404 RON 14.8K

-54.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,123 RON 4,872

$1,404 RON 6,093

-20.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.17

5.85

39.66%

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

Last update for Targu Mures: April 21, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $445 in Targu Mures and $704 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 25% 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: $41 in Targu Mures vs $56 in Cluj-Napoca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $218 vs $236 per month, with Targu Mures 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

Targu Mures vs Cluj-Napoca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Targu Mures is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cluj-Napoca earns 25% 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: $445 in Targu Mures versus $704 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Targu Mures runs roughly 54% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,387 in Targu Mures versus $479 in Cluj-Napoca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,077 in Targu Mures versus $1,384 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Targu Mures but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Targu Mures the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Targu Mures 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, Targu Mures 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 Targu Mures gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.