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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,051 in Calafat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,530 in Calafat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,009 in Calafat.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 136% more expensive than in Calafat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Calafat is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.31

$7.85 RON 35.96

138.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$37.73 RON 173

84.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.98

$7.61 RON 34.86

80.95%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.15 RON 9.85

44.19%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.59 RON 7.29

77.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.93 RON 4.26

102.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.08 RON 4.94

268.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.94

$2.03 RON 9.28

123.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.20 RON 5.51

5.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.80 RON 3.66

170.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.41 RON 6.47

24.82%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.46

$2.43 RON 11.13

111.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.56

$7.14 RON 32.70

150.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.40

$6.81 RON 31.21

41.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.54

$6.47 RON 29.63

211.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$1.03 RON 4.71

215.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.57 RON 7.19

42.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$1.35 RON 6.18

92.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.58 RON 7.23

74.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$0.65 RON 2.96

240.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$0.79 RON 3.64

168.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.78 RON 3.60

98.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.74 RON 3.41

28.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.39

$5.65 RON 25.89

29.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.00

$6.79 RON 31.12

18.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.34

$0.93 RON 4.28

65.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.56 RON 7.12

78.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.70

$0.79 RON 3.60

293.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.51

$22.67 RON 104

14.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.58 RON 2.64

463.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.53 RON 2.43

179.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.83

$6.74 RON 30.86

408.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.58 RON 7.23

9.49%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$27.3K RON 125.0K

33.31%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$27.2K RON 124.4K

12.44%

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

$187 €163

$204 RON 935

-8.34%

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

$15.14 €13.18

$7.64 RON 35.01

98.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.80

$6.66 RON 30.50

465.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.69

$40.90 RON 187

36.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.87

$21.36 RON 97.8

-20.04%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.93

$7.62 RON 34.93

49.74%

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

$997 €867

$438 RON 2,007

127.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$8,568 RON 39.2K

92.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.6

$59.0 RON 270

57.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.88

$44.26 RON 203

-6.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.8

$82.2 RON 377

35.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$88.7 RON 406

41.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,486

$409 RON 1,874

317.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,119

$302 RON 1,385

325.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,233

$636 RON 2,913

303.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,690

$474 RON 2,172

309.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,656

$1,939 RON 8,882

294.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,497

$1,406 RON 6,440

267.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,044

$849 RON 3,891

176.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

-47.33%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Calafat: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $409 in Calafat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 176% 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 $38.00 in Calafat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $175 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 136% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,051 including rent). Calafat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 176% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $409 in Calafat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $438 in Calafat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 92% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,051 in Calafat versus $2,476 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 136% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.