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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,435 in Zilina versus $1,375 in Cluj-Napoca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,090 in Zilina versus $2,092 in Cluj-Napoca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,744 in Zilina versus $2,808 in Cluj-Napoca.

Living in Zilina is roughly 4% more expensive than Cluj-Napoca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zilina 7% above, Cluj-Napoca 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.44 €8.08

$11.48 RON 50.1

-17.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 €42.99

$57.9 RON 253

-13.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.04 €6.88

$8.25 RON 35.98

-2.55%

Cappuccino

$2.55 €2.18

$3.53 RON 15.40

-27.76%

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

$1.76 €1.51

$2.33 RON 10.16

-24.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.28

$2.22 RON 9.67

-32.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 €1.95

$3.19 RON 13.92

-28.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.17

$3.90 RON 16.98

-34.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 €0.91

$1.72 RON 7.52

-37.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 €1.19

$1.31 RON 5.70

6.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.89 RON 8.26

8.47%

Eggs

$3.71 €3.17

$3.23 RON 14.10

14.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 €12.31

$9.79 RON 42.69

46.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.18 €6.15

$7.15 RON 31.19

0.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.23 €11.32

$11.97 RON 52.2

10.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 €1.56

$1.23 RON 5.37

48.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.77 RON 7.72

3.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.62 RON 7.07

47.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 €3.87

$2.37 RON 10.34

90.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 €1.17

$0.97 RON 4.21

41.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.55

$0.93 RON 4.06

94.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.04 RON 4.52

63.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.87 RON 3.78

-5.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.62

$6.51 RON 28.40

0.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 €5.21

$7.79 RON 33.97

-21.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.94

$1.17 RON 5.08

-5.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.96 RON 8.53

-23.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 €1.01

$0.67 RON 2.93

76.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.20 €19.86

$23.34 RON 102

-0.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.00 RON 4.36

40.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.87

$0.82 RON 3.57

24.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.51 €20.12

$9.52 RON 41.50

146.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.51

$1.64 RON 7.14

7.93%

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

$28.9K €24.8K

$28.3K RON 123.5K

2.09%

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

$25.2K €21.6K

$26.9K RON 117.1K

-6.00%

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

$236 €202

$158 RON 688

49.91%

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

$30.40 €26.02

$8.92 RON 38.87

240.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.59 €16.77

$10.05 RON 43.81

94.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.05 €31.72

$43.60 RON 190

-15.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.93 €10.21

$20.27 RON 88.4

-41.14%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.74

$7.93 RON 34.56

14.00%

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

$457 €392

$490 RON 2,136

-6.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,981 €5,975

$10.5K RON 45.8K

-33.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 €50.4

$70.7 RON 308

-16.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.66 €21.11

$40.62 RON 177

-39.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 €64.5

$85.1 RON 371

-11.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 €90.3

$99.6 RON 434

5.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$573 €491

$719 RON 3,135

-20.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$514 €440

$558 RON 2,432

-7.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 €815

$1,274 RON 5,554

-25.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 €643

$951 RON 4,144

-20.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,472 €2,972

$4,661 RON 20.3K

-25.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,999 €2,567

$3,361 RON 14.7K

-10.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,419 €1,215

$1,415 RON 6,171

0.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

5.85

-25.98%

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

Last update for Zilina: April 26, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $573 in Zilina and $719 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zilina pays 0% 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: $50.0 in Zilina vs $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca. Groceries flip the comparison at $264 vs $232, with Cluj-Napoca cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Cluj-Napoca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Zilina pays 0% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $573 in Zilina versus $719 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cluj-Napoca runs roughly 1% less than in Zilina. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $457 in Zilina versus $490 in Cluj-Napoca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,375 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,435 in Zilina, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cluj-Napoca but tight or insufficient in Zilina. The gap between the two cities makes Cluj-Napoca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cluj-Napoca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Zilina, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Zilina 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 Cluj-Napoca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Zilina. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.