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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,106 in Craiova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,643 in Craiova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,180 in Craiova.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 112% more expensive than Craiova, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Craiova is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$9.06 RON 39.52

94.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$45.77 RON 200

50.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$8.27 RON 36.06

66.26%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.49 RON 10.84

10.84%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$2.19 RON 9.53

26.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.96 RON 8.56

4.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$2.37 RON 10.32

94.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$3.44 RON 14.98

33.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.57 RON 6.83

-18.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.99 RON 4.31

113.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.69 RON 7.38

16.57%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$3.35 RON 14.60

2.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$7.70 RON 33.59

144.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$6.71 RON 29.25

40.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$9.78 RON 42.65

94.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$1.27 RON 5.53

114.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.66 RON 7.25

42.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.57 RON 6.85

32.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.82 RON 7.94

51.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.03 RON 4.50

91.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.10 RON 4.78

62.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.85 RON 3.70

77.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.76 RON 3.31

18.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$5.95 RON 25.95

13.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$6.35 RON 27.67

18.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.25 RON 5.47

15.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.19 RON 9.55

10.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.71 RON 3.09

326.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$23.01 RON 100

23.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$0.61 RON 2.65

626.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.81 RON 3.54

153.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$6.87 RON 29.96

326.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.57 RON 6.83

20.38%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$27.9K RON 121.4K

39.08%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$27.4K RON 119.4K

18.20%

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

$189 €161

$207 RON 902

-8.85%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$7.90 RON 34.45

181.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$11.74 RON 51.2

213.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$36.46 RON 159

59.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$18.49 RON 80.6

13.52%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$6.75 RON 29.43

63.70%

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

$726 €622

$445 RON 1,941

63.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$8,844 RON 38.6K

72.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$78.9 RON 344

11.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$37.74 RON 165

-2.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$78.6 RON 343

30.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$85.5 RON 373

39.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$382 RON 1,668

299.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$315 RON 1,374

286.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$720 RON 3,141

287.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$444 RON 1,935

356.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$2,730 RON 11.9K

159.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$2,095 RON 9,133

131.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$1,077 RON 4,697

123.18%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Craiova: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $382 in Craiova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 123% 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 $320 vs $205 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 112% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,106 including rent). Craiova is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 123% 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 $382 in Craiova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $445 in Craiova. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,106 in Craiova versus $2,341 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 112% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.