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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,150 in Timisoara versus $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,792 in Timisoara versus $2,123 in Cluj-Napoca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,435 in Timisoara versus $2,860 in Cluj-Napoca.

Living in Timisoara costs roughly 17% less than in Cluj-Napoca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Timisoara is 14% below, Cluj-Napoca is 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.04 RON 40.92

$11.53 RON 52.2

-21.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.5 RON 265

$58.1 RON 263

0.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 RON 36.14

$8.21 RON 37.15

-2.80%

Cappuccino

$3.13 RON 14.18

$3.37 RON 15.27

-7.12%

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

$2.18 RON 9.86

$2.42 RON 10.94

-9.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 RON 8.98

$2.19 RON 9.91

-9.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.72 RON 12.33

$3.25 RON 14.72

-16.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 RON 15.85

$3.90 RON 17.64

-10.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 RON 6.94

$1.74 RON 7.86

-12.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 RON 5.79

$1.33 RON 6.04

-3.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 RON 6.76

$1.84 RON 8.32

-19.02%

Eggs

$3.24 RON 14.65

$3.24 RON 14.66

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.76 RON 44.19

$10.15 RON 45.94

-3.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 RON 29.03

$6.89 RON 31.20

-6.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 RON 51.5

$12.08 RON 54.7

-5.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.09 RON 4.93

$1.23 RON 5.57

-11.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 RON 6.88

$1.73 RON 7.82

-12.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.04

$1.55 RON 7.03

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 RON 11.70

$2.33 RON 10.53

10.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 RON 3.54

$1.02 RON 4.60

-23.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 RON 4.42

$0.97 RON 4.39

1.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 RON 3.01

$1.04 RON 4.70

-35.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 RON 3.33

$0.88 RON 3.99

-15.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 RON 26.49

$6.53 RON 29.56

-10.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.95 RON 35.97

$7.94 RON 35.92

0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 RON 5.45

$1.13 RON 5.10

6.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 RON 7.77

$2.05 RON 9.28

-16.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 RON 4.30

$0.70 RON 3.18

35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.04 RON 136

$23.33 RON 106

28.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 RON 4.07

$1.00 RON 4.53

-10.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 RON 3.76

$0.89 RON 4.03

-6.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.18 RON 32.52

$9.45 RON 42.76

-24.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 RON 7.12

$1.69 RON 7.64

-7.10%

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

$27.5K RON 124.4K

$28.4K RON 128.8K

-3.41%

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

$26.7K RON 120.7K

$27.1K RON 122.5K

-1.49%

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

$139 RON 628

$161 RON 731

-14.07%

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

$8.33 RON 37.73

$9.19 RON 41.58

-9.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 41.59

$9.66 RON 43.71

-4.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.01 RON 195

$44.75 RON 203

-3.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.00 RON 67.9

$19.86 RON 89.9

-24.47%

Cinema Ticket

$7.99 RON 36.18

$8.25 RON 37.35

-3.15%

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

$491 RON 2,221

$491 RON 2,223

-0.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K RON 46.6K

$10.8K RON 49.0K

-4.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.7 RON 356

$70.9 RON 321

11.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.23 RON 196

$39.43 RON 178

9.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 RON 375

$84.2 RON 381

-1.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 RON 429

$99.5 RON 450

-4.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 RON 2,242

$692 RON 3,133

-28.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 RON 1,622

$550 RON 2,489

-34.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 RON 3,349

$1,244 RON 5,632

-40.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 RON 2,746

$923 RON 4,180

-34.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,652 RON 12.0K

$4,494 RON 20.3K

-40.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,964 RON 8,892

$3,328 RON 15.1K

-40.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,217 RON 5,509

$1,378 RON 6,239

-11.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

5.85

13.85%

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

Last update for Timisoara: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $495 in Timisoara and $692 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 13% 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: $58.0 in Timisoara vs $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $232 per month, with Timisoara 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

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

Timisoara is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cluj-Napoca earns 13% 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: $495 in Timisoara 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 Timisoara runs roughly 29% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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

At $1,150 in Timisoara versus $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Timisoara but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Timisoara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Timisoara 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, Timisoara 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 Timisoara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.