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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,109 in Craiova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,650 in Craiova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,191 in Craiova.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 113% more expensive than in Craiova, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Craiova is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$9.38 RON 42.65

82.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$45.95 RON 209

48.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$7.96 RON 36.18

71.36%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.49 RON 11.31

11.65%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$2.10 RON 9.54

34.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.92 RON 8.75

2.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$2.25 RON 10.21

96.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$3.35 RON 15.23

37.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.56 RON 7.09

-18.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.00 RON 4.54

113.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.71 RON 7.77

16.37%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$3.23 RON 14.66

4.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$7.72 RON 35.11

145.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$6.48 RON 29.47

47.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$9.81 RON 44.59

90.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.23 RON 5.61

115.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.70 RON 7.73

38.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.60 RON 7.27

30.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.84 RON 8.36

48.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.07 RON 4.88

83.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.14 RON 5.17

58.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.80 RON 3.64

88.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.80 RON 3.65

11.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$5.88 RON 26.74

15.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$6.34 RON 28.81

24.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.30 RON 5.91

5.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.25 RON 10.24

6.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.72 RON 3.28

304.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$23.02 RON 105

24.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$0.56 RON 2.54

717.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.89 RON 4.04

129.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$6.75 RON 30.69

325.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.60 RON 7.29

13.75%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$27.5K RON 124.9K

43.10%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$27.6K RON 125.6K

17.60%

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

$187 €162

$212 RON 964

-12.01%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$8.08 RON 36.73

175.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$11.58 RON 52.6

214.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$37.03 RON 168

55.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$18.97 RON 86.2

9.33%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$6.54 RON 29.76

64.68%

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

$725 €628

$434 RON 1,971

67.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$8,856 RON 40.3K

71.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$78.5 RON 357

11.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$37.91 RON 172

-2.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$77.6 RON 353

33.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$86.8 RON 394

36.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$386 RON 1,756

294.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$317 RON 1,439

287.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$706 RON 3,209

286.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$436 RON 1,980

355.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$2,735 RON 12.4K

173.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,998 RON 9,082

162.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$945 RON 4,297

153.12%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Craiova: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $386 in Craiova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 153% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $46.00 in Craiova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $204 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 113% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,109 including rent). Craiova is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 153% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $386 in Craiova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $434 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 $1,109 in Craiova versus $2,359 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 113% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.