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: $1,409 in Zilina versus $1,374 in Cluj-Napoca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,085 in Zilina versus $2,111 in Cluj-Napoca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,762 in Zilina versus $2,848 in Cluj-Napoca.

Living in Zilina is roughly 3% more expensive than Cluj-Napoca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zilina 5% above, Cluj-Napoca 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.37 €8.07

$11.58 RON 52.4

-19.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 €43.21

$57.8 RON 261

-13.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 €6.82

$8.08 RON 36.53

-1.98%

Cappuccino

$2.62 €2.26

$3.53 RON 15.99

-25.78%

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

$1.81 €1.56

$2.30 RON 10.40

-21.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.22

$2.13 RON 9.65

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 €2.04

$3.28 RON 14.84

-28.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 €2.21

$4.02 RON 18.18

-36.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.79 RON 8.11

-39.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.35 RON 6.10

2.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.89 RON 8.56

4.23%

Eggs

$3.71 €3.20

$3.26 RON 14.75

13.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 €12.21

$10.25 RON 46.36

38.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.18 €6.19

$7.06 RON 31.96

1.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.01 €11.21

$12.06 RON 54.6

7.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.18 RON 5.36

50.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.72 RON 7.80

5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 €1.98

$1.63 RON 7.39

41.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 €3.90

$2.42 RON 10.93

86.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.95 RON 4.30

50.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.93 RON 4.23

93.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.08 RON 4.89

59.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.88 RON 3.99

-9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 €5.74

$6.56 RON 29.67

1.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 €5.21

$7.76 RON 35.09

-22.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.90

$1.16 RON 5.23

-10.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.96 RON 8.86

-26.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.67 RON 3.02

70.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.76 €19.61

$22.65 RON 102

0.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.00 RON 4.51

41.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.89

$0.86 RON 3.90

19.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.26 €20.04

$9.43 RON 42.67

146.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.70 RON 7.71

3.53%

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

$29.0K €25.0K

$28.5K RON 128.9K

1.75%

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

$25.1K €21.6K

$26.7K RON 120.8K

-5.91%

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

$243 €210

$156 RON 704

56.33%

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

$31.35 €27.01

$9.13 RON 41.29

243.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.80 €17.06

$9.87 RON 44.65

100.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.11 €32.84

$44.65 RON 202

-14.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.89 €10.25

$20.25 RON 91.6

-41.28%

Cinema Ticket

$9.34 €8.05

$8.27 RON 37.39

12.94%

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

$465 €401

$481 RON 2,176

-3.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,831 €5,886

$10.5K RON 47.5K

-34.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 €50.7

$69.5 RON 314

-15.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.20 €20.85

$40.69 RON 184

-40.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 €65.8

$84.5 RON 382

-9.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €93.8

$99.9 RON 452

8.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 €503

$707 RON 3,196

-17.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 €437

$564 RON 2,552

-10.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 €804

$1,261 RON 5,706

-26.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 €663

$930 RON 4,209

-17.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 €3,006

$4,832 RON 21.9K

-27.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,070 €2,645

$3,491 RON 15.8K

-12.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,415 €1,219

$1,369 RON 6,194

3.34%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $583 in Zilina and $707 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zilina pays 3% 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 $261 vs $234, 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 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Zilina pays 3% 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: $583 in Zilina versus $707 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 0% less than in Zilina. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Zilina versus $481 in Cluj-Napoca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,374 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,409 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 3% less than in Zilina. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.