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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,052 in Calafat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,550 in Calafat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,048 in Calafat.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 123% more expensive than Calafat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Calafat is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.04

$9.08 RON 39.51

93.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.7

$42.09 RON 183

63.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.74

$7.87 RON 34.23

74.71%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.27 RON 9.86

21.59%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.88 RON 3.83

215.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.90 RON 3.93

127.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.93

$1.13 RON 4.90

307.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.92

$2.12 RON 9.21

116.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.29 RON 5.61

-0.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.80

$0.89 RON 3.86

137.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.46 RON 6.36

34.93%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.94

$2.58 RON 11.22

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.08

$7.37 RON 32.05

155.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.07

$6.49 RON 28.22

45.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.24

$7.03 RON 30.58

170.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.32

$1.16 RON 5.05

134.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.58 RON 6.87

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.77

$1.39 RON 6.06

49.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.62 RON 7.06

70.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$0.68 RON 2.96

189.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.77 RON 3.37

132.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.80 RON 3.46

88.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.79 RON 3.42

13.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.77

$5.71 RON 24.85

18.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.44

$6.24 RON 27.16

20.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$0.96 RON 4.17

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.06 RON 8.95

16.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.68 RON 2.94

345.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.25

$20.15 RON 87.7

40.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$0.57 RON 2.46

677.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.54 RON 2.37

279.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.05

$6.78 RON 29.51

332.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.55 RON 6.73

21.94%

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

$38.7K €33.1K

$28.1K RON 122.2K

37.92%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$27.6K RON 120.2K

17.16%

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

$189 €161

$211 RON 919

-10.77%

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

$22.21 €18.96

$8.07 RON 35.12

175.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.44

$7.09 RON 30.85

419.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.52

$41.04 RON 179

41.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.93

$18.87 RON 82.1

11.23%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.44

$6.64 RON 28.87

66.42%

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

$726 €620

$430 RON 1,869

69.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$9,050 RON 39.4K

68.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.4

$79.0 RON 344

11.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.58

$37.35 RON 162

-0.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.6

$78.9 RON 343

29.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$85.6 RON 372

39.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,304

$394 RON 1,712

287.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,040

$289 RON 1,258

321.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,386

$589 RON 2,561

374.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,731

$440 RON 1,916

360.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,058

$2,061 RON 8,964

244.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,141

$1,400 RON 6,091

246.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,053

$873 RON 3,799

175.27%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Calafat: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $394 in Calafat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 175% 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 $42.00 in Calafat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $180 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 123% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,052 including rent). Calafat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 175% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $394 in Calafat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $430 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 $1,052 in Calafat versus $2,341 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 123% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.