Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Calafat Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Calafat

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $1,051 in Calafat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $1,557 in Calafat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $2,063 in Calafat.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 128% more expensive than Calafat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Calafat is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$9.12 RON 41.06

93.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$41.25 RON 186

69.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$8.00 RON 36.05

70.75%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$2.32 RON 10.46

18.10%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.93 RON 4.20

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.87 RON 3.94

125.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.13 RON 5.11

285.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$2.04 RON 9.21

124.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.29 RON 5.83

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.90 RON 4.05

127.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.51 RON 6.81

31.13%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.54 RON 11.45

33.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$7.68 RON 34.60

142.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$6.78 RON 30.52

41.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$6.78 RON 30.56

177.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.18 RON 5.33

133.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.62 RON 7.30

52.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$1.35 RON 6.10

55.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$1.58 RON 7.11

78.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$0.66 RON 2.97

206.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.83 RON 3.76

122.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.79 RON 3.55

91.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.75 RON 3.36

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$5.93 RON 26.72

19.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$5.99 RON 26.98

33.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.97 RON 4.35

47.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.04 RON 9.20

12.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$0.67 RON 3.04

329.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

$19.50 RON 87.8

45.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$0.61 RON 2.73

618.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$0.50 RON 2.25

328.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$6.93 RON 31.20

320.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.60 RON 7.19

16.25%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$27.7K RON 124.7K

40.76%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$27.0K RON 121.7K

21.03%

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

$189 €163

$207 RON 932

-8.60%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$8.16 RON 36.73

178.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$6.89 RON 31.05

429.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$41.66 RON 188

38.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

$19.37 RON 87.2

10.33%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$6.50 RON 29.29

66.31%

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

$726 €625

$442 RON 1,990

64.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$8,885 RON 40.0K

69.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$78.1 RON 352

12.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$37.49 RON 169

-1.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$77.8 RON 350

33.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$86.0 RON 387

35.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$395 RON 1,778

298.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$289 RON 1,300

322.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$591 RON 2,661

358.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$433 RON 1,952

353.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

$2,097 RON 9,445

272.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

$1,434 RON 6,458

267.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$830 RON 3,738

186.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-43.50%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 14, 2026

Last update for Calafat: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $395 in Calafat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 186% 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 $41.00 in Calafat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $181 per month, with Calafat 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 Calafat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Calafat differ by about 128% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $1,051 including rent). Calafat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 186% 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $395 in Calafat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $442 in Calafat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,051 in Calafat versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Calafat but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Calafat 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 Calafat 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 Calafat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.