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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,039 in Calafat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,539 in Calafat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,038 in Calafat.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 127% more expensive than in Calafat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Calafat is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$9.15 RON 41.62

87.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$42.16 RON 192

61.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$7.86 RON 35.73

73.54%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.35 RON 10.70

18.30%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.88 RON 4.00

220.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.89 RON 4.05

120.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.12 RON 5.09

295.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.08 RON 9.46

121.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.30 RON 5.89

-2.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.84 RON 3.81

153.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.49 RON 6.76

33.56%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.50 RON 11.35

34.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$7.60 RON 34.57

149.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$6.75 RON 30.68

41.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$7.03 RON 31.94

166.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.13 RON 5.16

134.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.59 RON 7.22

47.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.42 RON 6.44

47.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.58 RON 7.17

72.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.66 RON 3.00

196.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.83 RON 3.77

118.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.84 RON 3.83

79.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.73 RON 3.34

21.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$5.92 RON 26.94

14.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$6.55 RON 29.77

20.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.96 RON 4.36

42.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.13 RON 9.69

12.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.67 RON 3.04

334.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$19.92 RON 90.6

43.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$0.60 RON 2.71

663.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.50 RON 2.26

308.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$7.00 RON 31.81

310.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.57 RON 7.12

15.92%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$28.4K RON 129.0K

38.52%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$27.6K RON 125.7K

17.47%

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

$187 €162

$206 RON 938

-9.53%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$8.14 RON 37.00

173.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$6.99 RON 31.77

420.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$41.99 RON 191

37.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$19.47 RON 88.5

6.52%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$6.42 RON 29.21

67.76%

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

$725 €628

$432 RON 1,962

67.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$8,832 RON 40.2K

71.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$78.0 RON 354

12.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$37.32 RON 170

-1.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$79.5 RON 362

30.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$85.7 RON 390

38.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$393 RON 1,786

287.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$296 RON 1,346

314.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$595 RON 2,705

358.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$434 RON 1,974

356.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$1,762 RON 8,009

323.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,245 RON 5,662

321.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$819 RON 3,724

192.10%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Calafat: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $393 in Calafat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 192% 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 $42.00 in Calafat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $182 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 127% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,039 including rent). Calafat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 192% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $393 in Calafat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $432 in Calafat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,039 in Calafat versus $2,359 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 127% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.