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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,025 in Barlad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,587 in Barlad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,150 in Barlad.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 131% more expensive than Barlad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Barlad is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.26

$9.37 RON 42.67

87.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €59.4

$46.93 RON 214

45.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.20

$7.83 RON 35.66

79.57%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.70 RON 12.30

2.96%

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

$2.80 €2.43

$1.99 RON 9.04

40.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.74 RON 7.94

18.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.87

$2.35 RON 10.72

89.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.00

$2.71 RON 12.32

70.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.48 RON 6.74

-16.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.76

$1.19 RON 5.41

70.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$1.73 RON 7.89

10.98%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.87

$3.35 RON 15.26

-1.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.99

$8.39 RON 38.19

119.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.23

$6.87 RON 31.27

38.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.62

$10.50 RON 47.82

82.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.29

$1.13 RON 5.15

133.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.12

$1.60 RON 7.27

53.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.61 RON 7.32

31.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$1.93 RON 8.77

47.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.84 RON 3.84

142.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$0.92 RON 4.19

101.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.28

$0.90 RON 4.08

63.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.82 RON 3.72

2.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.20

$5.84 RON 26.60

22.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.84

$5.91 RON 26.89

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$1.03 RON 4.69

33.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.00

$1.69 RON 7.70

36.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.59

$0.71 RON 3.24

319.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.39

$19.73 RON 89.8

48.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.99

$0.76 RON 3.48

505.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.74 RON 3.35

179.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.32

$7.09 RON 32.26

311.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.54 RON 7.00

19.48%

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

$39.0K €33.8K

$28.3K RON 128.8K

37.86%

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

$32.7K €28.4K

$26.9K RON 122.5K

21.49%

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

$188 €163

$147 RON 668

27.99%

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

$22.93 €19.90

$7.88 RON 35.86

190.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.85

$9.12 RON 41.52

302.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.78

$41.89 RON 191

36.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.96

$18.99 RON 86.5

9.00%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.71

$7.07 RON 32.20

58.27%

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

$721 €625

$433 RON 1,971

66.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.1K

$6,944 RON 31.6K

116.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.8

$68.0 RON 309

26.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €32.16

$38.52 RON 175

-3.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.5

$75.3 RON 343

35.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$91.2 RON 415

27.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,331

$396 RON 1,802

287.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,059

$292 RON 1,327

318.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,339

$585 RON 2,665

360.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,747

$443 RON 2,018

354.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,264

$1,967 RON 8,954

267.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,502

$1,223 RON 5,566

324.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,047

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barlad: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $396 in Barlad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $47.00 in Barlad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $207 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 131% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,025 including rent). Barlad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $1,537 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $396 in Barlad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 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 53% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,025 in Barlad versus $2,367 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 131% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.