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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,265 in Brasov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,970 in Brasov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,675 in Brasov.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 87% more expensive than Brasov, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Brasov is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$12.18 RON 55.1

44.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$49.75 RON 225

37.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$8.19 RON 37.02

71.67%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.47 RON 15.69

-19.88%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.95 RON 8.81

43.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.10 RON 9.48

-1.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.25 RON 14.67

37.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.50 RON 15.80

31.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.49 RON 6.72

-16.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.33 RON 6.02

52.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.75 RON 7.89

9.71%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.39 RON 15.32

-2.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$8.49 RON 38.38

117.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$6.96 RON 31.46

36.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$11.91 RON 53.8

60.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.19 RON 5.39

121.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.64 RON 7.39

49.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.60 RON 7.24

32.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.53 RON 11.43

12.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.95 RON 4.30

114.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.07 RON 4.82

72.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.88 RON 3.99

67.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.85 RON 3.83

-1.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$5.82 RON 26.30

22.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$9.03 RON 40.82

-12.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.14 RON 5.14

21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.66 RON 7.50

39.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.91 RON 4.11

227.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$19.00 RON 85.9

54.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$0.77 RON 3.47

497.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.60 RON 2.73

245.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$6.88 RON 31.10

324.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.59 RON 7.20

15.72%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$27.7K RON 125.4K

40.64%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$27.4K RON 123.9K

19.30%

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

$188 €162

$167 RON 754

12.53%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$7.88 RON 35.63

190.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$9.28 RON 41.94

295.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$59.8 RON 270

-4.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$15.86 RON 71.7

30.52%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$10.84 RON 48.99

3.23%

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

$721 €620

$441 RON 1,995

63.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$6,608 RON 29.9K

127.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$65.8 RON 297

31.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$42.49 RON 192

-12.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$95.8 RON 433

6.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$97.2 RON 440

19.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$621 RON 2,808

146.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$419 RON 1,892

191.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$1,051 RON 4,751

156.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$701 RON 3,171

187.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$3,190 RON 14.4K

126.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$2,490 RON 11.3K

108.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$1,082 RON 4,892

118.00%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Brasov: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $621 in Brasov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 118% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $50.0 in Brasov for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $225 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 87% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,265 including rent). Brasov is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 118% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $621 in Brasov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $441 in Brasov. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Brasov versus $2,367 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 87% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.