Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Alexandria, Romania

Name: Alexandria
Address: Alexandria, RO

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandria: $866 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $19,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
Learn more

Barcelona Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria
Learn more

Alexandria Living Index

Jump to prices

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Alexandria

🇷🇴 Romania

$866

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Alexandria

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Alexandria actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $866 in Alexandria.

Barcelona $2,453
Alexandria $866

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $1,322 in Alexandria.

Barcelona $3,509
Alexandria $1,322

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $1,778 in Alexandria.

Barcelona $4,564
Alexandria $1,778

Living in Barcelona is roughly 183% more expensive than in Alexandria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Alexandria is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.75

$8.43 RON 40.29

108.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.5

$29.79 RON 142

126.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.12

$7.52 RON 35.93

79.92%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.86

$1.69 RON 8.09

88.76%

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

$2.91 €2.61

$1.75 RON 8.38

66.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.70

$1.43 RON 6.85

32.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.59

$2.07 RON 9.89

93.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €4.06

$2.47 RON 11.80

83.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.43 RON 6.84

-8.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.81

$0.87 RON 4.16

132.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$1.13 RON 5.41

63.72%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.33

$2.11 RON 10.08

128.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 €14.99

$5.07 RON 24.24

230.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €8.17

$4.41 RON 21.05

106.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 €17.59

$7.92 RON 37.87

147.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.67

$0.91 RON 4.33

227.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$1.18 RON 5.64

71.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 €2.42

$0.97 RON 4.64

178.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.51

$0.92 RON 4.38

204.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.87

$0.65 RON 3.09

221.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$0.62 RON 2.94

233.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

$0.75 RON 3.59

94.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$0.83 RON 3.95

13.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 €6.15

$5.29 RON 25.27

29.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.06

$5.21 RON 24.89

51.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

$0.95 RON 4.56

48.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.27

$1.07 RON 5.10

137.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.82

$0.65 RON 3.12

383.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.45 €22.79

$41.63 RON 199

-38.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 €2.68

$0.43 RON 2.06

595.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$0.40 RON 1.91

272.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.89

$5.33 RON 25.45

526.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.61

$1.76 RON 8.42

2.27%

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

$33.2K €29.7K

$16.5K RON 78.9K

101.16%

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

$31.7K €28.4K

$22.4K RON 107.1K

41.50%

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

$180 €162

$116 RON 553

55.77%

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

$13.84 €12.39

$5.26 RON 25.15

163.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.70 €30.18

$7.55 RON 36.07

346.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 €46.13

$57.9 RON 277

-11.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.29

$24.58 RON 117

-35.07%

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 €9.85

$6.09 RON 29.12

80.46%

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

$917 €821

$318 RON 1,519

188.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.8K

$6,749 RON 32.2K

144.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 €77.9

$52.0 RON 248

67.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 €34.49

$22.29 RON 106

72.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.8

$62.0 RON 296

70.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €107

$63.6 RON 304

88.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 €1,522

$309 RON 1,475

450.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,214

$242 RON 1,155

460.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 €2,331

$573 RON 2,739

354.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 €1,847

$411 RON 1,966

401.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,915 €6,193

$1,269 RON 6,064

444.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,128 €4,592

$793 RON 3,792

546.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,211 €1,980

$846 RON 4,043

161.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

6.73

-51.26%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Alexandria: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3%

Alexandria

$242 27.9% 82.2% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$322 13.1%

Alexandria

$151 17.4% 53.2% $171

Eating Out

Barcelona

$268 10.9%

Alexandria

$138 16% 48.4% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$228 9.3%

Alexandria

$129 14.9% 43.6% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.4%

Alexandria

$90 10.4% 43.1% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Alexandria

$70 8.1% 4.6% $3.4

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

Alexandria

$47 5.4% 3.7% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $309 in Alexandria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays about 2.6 times 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: $67 in Barcelona vs $30 in Alexandria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $151 per month, with Alexandria cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇷🇴 Alexandria

🕒 Local time

21:14 9:14 PM

22:14 10:14 PM

1 h ahead of Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

45,434

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Alexandria 1,910 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Alexandria

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Barcelona vs Alexandria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandria wins on cost – living expenses run 65% lower than in Barcelona. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Alexandria the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Barcelona is about 2.6 times higher, 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: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $309 in Alexandria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,453 per month in Barcelona versus $866 in Alexandria – Alexandria is about 65% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Barcelona runs roughly 39% less than in Alexandria. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Alexandria is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Alexandria wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.