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Cluj-Napoca vs Novi Sad cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ท๐ด Cluj-Napoca
๐ท๐ธ Novi Sad
At a glance
- Where Novi Sad is clearly cheaper: Haircut (33%โ), Scooter rental (30%โ), Entry ticket (26%โ)
- Where Cluj-Napoca is clearly cheaper: SIM card (46%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (33%โ), Taxi (28%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: safety โ Cluj-Napoca 1 vs Novi Sad 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Cluj-Napoca | Novi Sad | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | lei 50$10.8 | RSD 1,200$12 | Cluj-Napoca โ10% |
| Street food1 item | lei 30$6.45 | RSD 550$5.5 | Novi Sad โ15% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | lei 100$21.5 | RSD 2,200$22 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | lei 15$3.23 | RSD 280$2.8 | Novi Sad โ13% |
| Beerone bottle | lei 14$3.01 | RSD 300$3 | similar |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | lei 28$6.02 | RSD 700$7 | Cluj-Napoca โ14% |
| Bottled water | lei 3.5$0.75 | RSD 70$0.7 | Novi Sad โ7% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | lei 6$1.29 | RSD 120$1.2 | Novi Sad โ7% |
| Taxi5 km in town | lei 25$5.38 | RSD 750$7.5 | Cluj-Napoca โ28% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | lei 15$3.23 | RSD 480$4.8 | Cluj-Napoca โ33% |
| Transitone ride | lei 4$0.86 | RSD 100$1 | Cluj-Napoca โ14% |
| Scooter rentalper day | lei 80$17.2 | RSD 1,200$12 | Novi Sad โ30% |
| Hotel night3-star | lei 400$86 | RSD 7,000$70 | Novi Sad โ19% |
| Studio rent (month) | lei 2,400$516 | RSD 45,000$450 | Novi Sad โ13% |
| Laundry | lei 40$8.6 | RSD 900$9 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | lei 25$5.38 | RSD 1,000$10 | Cluj-Napoca โ46% |
| Haircutcut | lei 45$9.68 | RSD 650$6.5 | Novi Sad โ33% |
| Massage1 hour | lei 180$38.7 | RSD 3,500$35 | Novi Sad โ10% |
| Half-day tourper person | lei 180$38.7 | RSD 4,000$40 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | lei 25$5.38 | RSD 400$4 | Novi Sad โ26% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Cluj-Napoca or Novi Sad?
Cluj-Napoca and Novi Sad cost about the same. Daily budget $162 vs $154; a month $2,344 vs $2,333.
Which is easier to travel, Cluj-Napoca or Novi Sad?
About the same: Cluj-Napoca 1.8/5, Novi Sad 2.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Cluj-Napoca and Novi Sad?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Cluj-Napoca is about $2,344 and Novi Sad about $2,333 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.