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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,356 in Brasov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $2,217 in Brasov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $3,078 in Brasov.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 84% more expensive than in Brasov, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Brasov is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.87

$12.13 RON 55.0

51.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$55.7 RON 252

24.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.19

$7.85 RON 35.58

80.00%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$3.85 RON 17.44

-18.70%

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

$3.02 €2.60

$2.58 RON 11.71

17.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.35 RON 10.65

-16.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.45

$3.23 RON 14.63

23.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.11

$3.54 RON 16.06

34.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.08

$1.57 RON 7.13

-20.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.87

$1.49 RON 6.74

44.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.78 RON 8.10

-5.06%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.26

$3.55 RON 16.10

38.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.43

$9.18 RON 41.63

94.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.29

$7.13 RON 32.35

34.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.69

$13.44 RON 60.9

43.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.79

$1.59 RON 7.21

103.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.88

$1.63 RON 7.41

33.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.66 RON 7.52

60.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$2.86 RON 12.98

-3.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$0.85 RON 3.84

160.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.89

$0.88 RON 3.97

148.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.88 RON 3.97

72.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.80

$0.78 RON 3.54

17.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.14

$6.53 RON 29.59

9.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.02

$7.86 RON 35.63

3.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.31 RON 5.92

14.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.40

$1.88 RON 8.54

47.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.72

$1.08 RON 4.89

191.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.29

$23.95 RON 109

12.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$0.66 RON 2.98

392.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.70 RON 3.18

114.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.11

$6.81 RON 30.87

412.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.92 RON 8.69

-8.85%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$29.5K RON 134.0K

24.10%

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

$30.9K €26.7K

$27.3K RON 124.0K

13.19%

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

$188 €162

$187 RON 848

0.30%

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

$15.44 €13.32

$8.12 RON 36.84

90.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.61

$9.71 RON 44.04

289.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.34

$60.4 RON 274

-5.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.49

$14.51 RON 65.8

15.78%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.99

$9.78 RON 44.38

18.40%

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

$1,003 €865

$466 RON 2,115

115.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.7K

$7,246 RON 32.9K

134.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €77.0

$55.2 RON 250

61.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.27

$37.49 RON 170

9.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.9

$79.3 RON 360

38.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$95.4 RON 433

28.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,444

$726 RON 3,293

130.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,149

$483 RON 2,191

175.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,240

$1,358 RON 6,157

91.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,683

$1,087 RON 4,929

79.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,535

$3,208 RON 14.5K

136.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,634

$2,472 RON 11.2K

117.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,073

$1,156 RON 5,242

107.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

7.2

-56.11%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Brasov: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $726 in Brasov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 108% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $56.0 in Brasov for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $237 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 84% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,356 including rent). Brasov is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 108% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $726 in Brasov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $466 in Brasov. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,356 in Brasov versus $2,495 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 84% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.