Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cugir Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cugir

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $951 in Cugir.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,397 in Cugir.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,844 in Cugir.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 146% more expensive than Cugir, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Cugir is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$6.37 RON 27.77

176.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$23.07 RON 101

197.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$7.90 RON 34.45

74.05%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.68 RON 7.32

64.29%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.43 RON 6.22

94.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.31 RON 5.71

56.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$1.63 RON 7.12

182.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.26 RON 9.86

103.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.48 RON 6.46

-13.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.26 RON 5.49

67.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.48 RON 6.47

33.11%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$3.23 RON 14.08

6.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$9.56 RON 41.66

96.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$6.34 RON 27.63

49.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$11.27 RON 49.13

68.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$1.10 RON 4.78

147.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.54 RON 6.72

53.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.59 RON 6.93

30.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$2.47 RON 10.79

11.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.72 RON 3.15

173.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.98 RON 4.26

82.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.72 RON 3.14

109.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.78 RON 3.38

15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$6.00 RON 26.15

12.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$7.01 RON 30.56

7.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.22 RON 5.31

18.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.69 RON 7.35

42.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.70 RON 3.07

332.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$20.10 RON 87.7

41.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$0.59 RON 2.57

650.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.54 RON 2.36

279.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$5.90 RON 25.72

397.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.48 RON 6.44

27.70%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$27.6K RON 120.4K

40.35%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$26.8K RON 117.0K

20.55%

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

$189 €161

$139 RON 604

36.06%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$8.60 RON 37.49

158.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$9.38 RON 40.90

292.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$41.61 RON 181

39.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$19.03 RON 83.0

10.30%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$7.83 RON 34.14

41.12%

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

$726 €622

$488 RON 2,129

48.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$10.1K RON 44.2K

50.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$35.20 RON 153

150.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$9.44 RON 41.16

291.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$83.8 RON 365

22.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$91.0 RON 397

30.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$394 RON 1,720

286.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$292 RON 1,274

316.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$585 RON 2,552

377.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$443 RON 1,934

357.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$1,798 RON 7,841

294.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,554 RON 6,777

211.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$584 RON 2,547

311.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.66

-49.10%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cugir: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $394 in Cugir. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 311% 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 $23.00 in Cugir for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $214 per month, with Cugir 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 Cugir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Cugir differ by about 146% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $951 including rent). Cugir is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 311% 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 $394 in Cugir. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $488 in Cugir. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $951 in Cugir versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cugir but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Cugir 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 Cugir 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 Cugir gentler on the wallet – expenses run 146% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.