Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Craiova Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Craiova

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,115 in Craiova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,639 in Craiova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,163 in Craiova.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 110% more expensive than Craiova, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Craiova is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$8.96 RON 40.53

90.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$46.48 RON 210

48.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$7.99 RON 36.16

72.47%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.59 RON 11.73

6.56%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$2.09 RON 9.44

33.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.87 RON 8.44

6.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.35 RON 10.61

85.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$3.52 RON 15.94

34.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.51 RON 6.84

-14.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.00 RON 4.51

105.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.71 RON 7.72

16.37%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$3.27 RON 14.78

3.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$7.76 RON 35.10

142.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$6.54 RON 29.60

43.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$9.45 RON 42.75

102.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.28 RON 5.80

110.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.69 RON 7.64

38.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.57 RON 7.11

35.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.87 RON 8.47

52.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.03 RON 4.68

91.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.12 RON 5.07

60.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.80 RON 3.61

81.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.80 RON 3.64

7.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$6.03 RON 27.26

12.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$6.00 RON 27.16

31.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.31 RON 5.95

6.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.26 RON 10.24

4.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.67 RON 3.02

335.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$23.28 RON 105

23.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.57 RON 2.58

682.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.83 RON 3.77

146.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$7.10 RON 32.12

316.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.61 RON 7.27

13.04%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$27.5K RON 124.6K

40.96%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$27.8K RON 125.9K

18.91%

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

$189 €163

$212 RON 957

-10.59%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$8.06 RON 36.48

182.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$11.54 RON 52.2

225.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$36.06 RON 163

60.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$18.75 RON 84.8

10.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$6.69 RON 30.28

61.73%

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

$728 €628

$436 RON 1,971

67.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$8,920 RON 40.4K

65.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$80.5 RON 364

10.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$36.68 RON 166

0.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$78.5 RON 355

30.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$87.8 RON 397

32.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$387 RON 1,751

305.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$307 RON 1,389

296.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$727 RON 3,287

284.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$448 RON 2,028

340.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$2,639 RON 11.9K

193.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$2,047 RON 9,260

152.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$998 RON 4,516

134.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.28

-46.02%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Craiova: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $387 in Craiova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 135% 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 $46.00 in Craiova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $203 per month, with Craiova 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 Craiova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Craiova differ by about 110% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,115 including rent). Craiova is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 135% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $387 in Craiova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $436 in Craiova. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,115 in Craiova versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Craiova but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Craiova 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 Craiova 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 Craiova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 110% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.