Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Brasov Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Brasov

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,254 in Brasov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,956 in Brasov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,657 in Brasov.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 85% more expensive than in Brasov, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Brasov is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$12.42 RON 57.0

42.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$50.8 RON 233

37.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$8.07 RON 37.03

75.46%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.58 RON 16.40

-21.79%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.90 RON 8.73

47.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$2.01 RON 9.24

2.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$3.25 RON 14.91

41.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$3.42 RON 15.67

37.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.54 RON 7.07

-20.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.29 RON 5.92

57.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.81 RON 8.32

9.39%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.36 RON 15.41

3.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$8.83 RON 40.47

107.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$7.03 RON 32.24

39.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$11.75 RON 53.9

62.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.14 RON 5.25

139.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.66 RON 7.60

43.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.55 RON 7.11

34.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.49 RON 11.40

10.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.94 RON 4.33

108.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.06 RON 4.88

68.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.88 RON 4.02

68.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.79 RON 3.64

15.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$5.85 RON 26.82

21.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$7.84 RON 35.94

0.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.11 RON 5.08

24.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.71 RON 7.85

39.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.91 RON 4.16

230.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$18.69 RON 85.7

57.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$0.77 RON 3.53

466.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.60 RON 2.76

255.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$6.78 RON 31.11

336.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.61 RON 7.36

13.04%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$28.1K RON 128.9K

34.83%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$27.5K RON 126.2K

17.67%

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

$189 €165

$165 RON 757

14.46%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$8.19 RON 37.54

172.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$8.83 RON 40.49

320.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$60.0 RON 275

-3.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$15.81 RON 72.5

30.68%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$10.79 RON 49.49

0.74%

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

$706 €618

$447 RON 2,051

57.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$6,652 RON 30.5K

123.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$68.0 RON 312

31.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$42.68 RON 196

-14.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$95.6 RON 439

8.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$98.3 RON 451

21.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$626 RON 2,870

152.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$428 RON 1,962

189.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$1,029 RON 4,720

163.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$699 RON 3,205

191.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

$3,177 RON 14.6K

136.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

$2,402 RON 11.0K

118.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$1,127 RON 5,171

109.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

7.7

-55.97%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Brasov: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $626 in Brasov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 110% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $51.0 in Brasov for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $223 per month, with Brasov 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 Brasov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Brasov differ by about 85% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,254 including rent). Brasov is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 110% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $626 in Brasov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $447 in Brasov. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,254 in Brasov versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brasov but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Brasov 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 Brasov 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 Brasov gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.