Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Constanta

For one person, living is cheaper in Constanta: $1,318 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Constanta, Romania
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Constanta
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,318
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Constanta

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Constanta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $1,318 in Constanta.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Constanta $1,318

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $1,960 in Constanta.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Constanta $1,960

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $2,603 in Constanta.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Constanta $2,603

Living in Barcelona is roughly 86% more expensive than in Constanta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Constanta is 3% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Constanta
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.76
$12.62 RON 60.5
39.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.5
$63.2 RON 303
6.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.12
$7.41 RON 35.53
82.59%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.86
$3.27 RON 15.70
-2.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.61
$1.79 RON 8.60
62.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$1.23 RON 5.88
53.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.59
$2.20 RON 10.57
82.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.06
$3.21 RON 15.40
41.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Constanta
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.65 RON 7.89
-20.61%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.21 RON 5.82
66.94%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$1.63 RON 7.81
13.50%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.33
$2.89 RON 13.86
67.13%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €15.00
$8.78 RON 42.11
90.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.17
$5.79 RON 27.77
57.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.60
$9.01 RON 43.23
117.98%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.67
$1.36 RON 6.51
119.12%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.58 RON 7.56
27.85%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.42
$1.54 RON 7.37
75.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.51
$2.58 RON 12.38
8.53%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$0.91 RON 4.36
129.67%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.85
$0.97 RON 4.67
113.40%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$1.01 RON 4.85
44.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$0.83 RON 3.97
13.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.16
$6.35 RON 30.44
8.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.07
$6.21 RON 29.80
27.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.00 RON 4.82
41.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.27
$1.76 RON 8.43
44.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Constanta
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
$0.62 RON 2.97
406.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.80
$18.71 RON 89.7
36.02%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.68
$0.88 RON 4.20
239.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$0.73 RON 3.52
104.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.91
$7.24 RON 34.73
360.91%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.91 RON 9.17
-5.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.7K
$28.8K RON 138.0K
15.38%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.4K
$25.3K RON 121.5K
25.12%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Constanta
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$169 RON 809
6.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.40
$7.47 RON 35.81
85.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.20
$7.48 RON 35.86
350.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Constanta
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.16
$52.1 RON 250
-1.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.30
$13.45 RON 64.5
18.66%
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.85
$6.96 RON 33.38
57.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Constanta
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €821
$552 RON 2,649
65.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
$7,704 RON 36.9K
113.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Constanta
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €78.0
$64.9 RON 311
34.06%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.51
$45.42 RON 218
-15.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.8
$87.5 RON 419
20.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €107
$85.6 RON 411
39.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Constanta
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,523
$691 RON 3,315
145.82%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,214
$519 RON 2,490
161.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,332
$1,051 RON 5,042
147.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,848
$746 RON 3,577
176.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,196
$2,582 RON 12.4K
167.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,595
$1,968 RON 9,437
160.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Constanta
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,981
$934 RON 4,480
136.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
6.99
-53.08%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Constanta: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Constanta
$519 61.7% $836
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Constanta
$204 36.6% $118
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Constanta
$192 28.3% $76
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Constanta
$184 19.4% $44
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Constanta
$128 19.3% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Constanta
$66 10.1% $7.5
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Constanta
$26 46.9% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $691 in Constanta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays about 2.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $63 in Constanta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $204 per month, with Constanta cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇷🇴 Constanta
🕒 Local time
04:07 4:07 AM
05:07 5:07 AM
1 h ahead of Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
283,872
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 4.8 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Constanta 2,170 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Constanta

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Constanta?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $1,318 in Constanta, so Constanta is about 46% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Barcelona or Constanta?
Average pay in Barcelona is about 2.4 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Constanta?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $691 in Constanta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Constanta?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $552 in Constanta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,318 in Constanta versus $2,453 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.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Constanta?
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.
Is Barcelona or Constanta safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Constanta are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Barcelona or Constanta?
Expats usually find Constanta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Barcelona vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?