Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Barlad Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Barlad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $1,036 in Barlad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $1,583 in Barlad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $2,131 in Barlad.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 123% more expensive than in Barlad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 73% above, Barlad is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.06

$9.37 RON 42.97

83.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.0

$45.54 RON 209

55.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.29

$8.11 RON 37.22

72.87%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.44

$2.69 RON 12.34

3.35%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$1.95 RON 8.94

42.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.68 RON 7.70

22.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.96

$2.25 RON 10.33

100.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.09

$2.69 RON 12.32

73.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.55 RON 7.10

-16.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.24 RON 5.68

72.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.69

$1.67 RON 7.68

15.57%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.38 RON 15.52

3.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.23

$8.34 RON 38.28

122.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.35

$6.72 RON 30.83

41.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.56

$10.44 RON 47.89

81.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.30

$1.18 RON 5.42

122.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.05

$1.60 RON 7.34

46.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.61 RON 7.38

29.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$2.01 RON 9.21

41.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.89 RON 4.10

120.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$0.99 RON 4.56

86.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.34

$0.87 RON 3.99

75.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$0.77 RON 3.54

16.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.93

$5.90 RON 27.04

14.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.82

$7.17 RON 32.91

8.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.08 RON 4.94

27.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$1.65 RON 7.55

40.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.62

$0.72 RON 3.28

316.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.08

$19.86 RON 91.1

44.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.01

$0.78 RON 3.56

487.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.70 RON 3.22

204.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.89

$6.88 RON 31.55

329.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.59 RON 7.31

13.21%

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

$38.5K €33.7K

$28.1K RON 128.7K

37.05%

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

$33.3K €29.1K

$27.3K RON 125.5K

21.63%

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

$185 €162

$151 RON 692

22.53%

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

$22.68 €19.87

$8.30 RON 38.09

173.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.22

$8.94 RON 41.01

311.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.6

$40.77 RON 187

41.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.57

$19.45 RON 89.2

8.95%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.49

$7.06 RON 32.37

53.40%

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

$727 €637

$433 RON 1,988

67.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €12.9K

$6,858 RON 31.5K

114.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €76.7

$67.4 RON 309

29.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.74

$38.67 RON 177

-3.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.5

$75.3 RON 345

37.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$91.7 RON 421

29.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,367

$391 RON 1,796

298.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,070

$287 RON 1,315

325.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,402

$591 RON 2,709

364.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,745

$443 RON 2,031

349.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,562

$1,722 RON 7,901

334.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,562

$1,423 RON 6,530

265.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,063

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.56

-48.32%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 21, 2026

Last update for Barlad: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $391 in Barlad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $46.00 in Barlad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $210 per month, with Barlad 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

Barcelona vs Barlad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Barlad differ by about 123% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,036 including rent). Barlad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,474 in Barcelona and $1,554 in Barlad to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $391 in Barlad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $433 in Barlad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,036 in Barlad versus $2,316 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Barlad but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Barlad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Barlad 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 Barlad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 123% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.