Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Constanta Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Constanta

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,336 in Barcelona versus $1,307 in Constanta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,475 in Barcelona versus $2,122 in Constanta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,614 in Barcelona versus $2,937 in Constanta.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 79% more expensive than Constanta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Constanta is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €14.88

$14.00 RON 60.8

24.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €59.6

$68.4 RON 297

2.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €11.86

$8.00 RON 34.71

73.88%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.34

$3.29 RON 14.29

-16.72%

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

$2.70 €2.30

$1.89 RON 8.19

42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.73

$1.30 RON 5.63

56.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 €3.85

$2.34 RON 10.15

92.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.93

$3.27 RON 14.19

40.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.77 RON 7.70

-27.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.79

$1.28 RON 5.57

64.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.70

$1.86 RON 8.07

6.99%

Eggs

$3.45 €2.95

$3.32 RON 14.40

3.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.61 €15.87

$9.63 RON 41.78

93.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.03

$6.74 RON 29.26

39.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 €15.95

$11.60 RON 50.4

61.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.22

$1.47 RON 6.38

77.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.79 RON 7.78

33.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.86

$1.78 RON 7.72

23.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 €2.40

$2.50 RON 10.83

12.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.73

$1.02 RON 4.41

99.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$1.11 RON 4.81

68.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.24

$0.98 RON 4.25

47.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.86 RON 3.72

6.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$6.46 RON 28.04

5.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 €6.58

$7.07 RON 30.68

9.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.10 RON 4.75

25.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €1.99

$1.86 RON 8.06

25.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.46

$0.66 RON 2.85

336.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.04 €24.77

$18.52 RON 80.4

56.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$0.94 RON 4.08

371.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$0.74 RON 3.22

189.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.96 €24.71

$7.94 RON 34.46

264.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.62

$1.67 RON 7.25

13.77%

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

$37.9K €32.3K

$27.5K RON 119.5K

37.67%

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

$33.3K €28.4K

$27.5K RON 119.4K

21.01%

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

$186 €158

$185 RON 803

0.28%

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

$22.17 €18.91

$8.06 RON 34.98

175.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.52 €31.15

$9.29 RON 40.30

293.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 €49.81

$58.4 RON 253

0.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.75 €17.70

$36.20 RON 157

-42.68%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 €9.47

$7.85 RON 34.05

41.40%

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

$705 €601

$542 RON 2,352

30.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$8,256 RON 35.8K

84.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 €73.7

$70.3 RON 305

22.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.88 €31.46

$64.4 RON 280

-42.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.8

$75.0 RON 325

38.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.4

$81.2 RON 352

42.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 €1,312

$582 RON 2,526

164.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,060

$458 RON 1,987

171.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 €2,327

$1,129 RON 4,899

141.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 €1,716

$866 RON 3,760

132.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,104

$2,648 RON 11.5K

170.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,843 €4,131

$2,052 RON 8,905

136.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,474 €2,111

$994 RON 4,313

148.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.78

-50.00%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 19, 2026

Last update for Constanta: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,538 in Barcelona and $582 in Constanta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 149% 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 in Barcelona vs $68 in Constanta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $229 per month, with Constanta 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 Constanta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Constanta differ by about 79% in total monthly costs ($2,336 vs $1,307 including rent). Constanta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 149% 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: $1,538 in Barcelona versus $582 in Constanta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $705 in Barcelona versus $542 in Constanta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,307 in Constanta versus $2,336 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Constanta but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Constanta 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 Constanta 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 Constanta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.