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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $946 in Cugir.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,403 in Cugir.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,861 in Cugir.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 149% more expensive than in Cugir, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Cugir is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$6.45 RON 29.32

165.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$22.59 RON 103

201.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$8.12 RON 36.91

67.98%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.73 RON 7.87

60.69%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.44 RON 6.53

95.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.32 RON 6.02

48.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.58 RON 7.17

180.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.31 RON 10.52

99.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.51 RON 6.89

-15.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.32 RON 6.02

61.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.50 RON 6.81

32.67%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$3.18 RON 14.47

5.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$9.29 RON 42.25

104.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$6.48 RON 29.46

47.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$11.25 RON 51.2

66.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.12 RON 5.11

136.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.51 RON 6.85

55.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.53 RON 6.97

36.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$2.48 RON 11.26

10.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.73 RON 3.31

168.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.98 RON 4.45

84.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.69 RON 3.13

118.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.73 RON 3.32

21.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$5.92 RON 26.91

14.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$5.34 RON 24.28

48.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.21 RON 5.51

13.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.72 RON 7.81

39.53%

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

$20.17 RON 91.7

42.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$0.59 RON 2.70

676.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.50 RON 2.29

308.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$5.84 RON 26.55

391.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.47 RON 6.68

23.81%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$27.6K RON 125.4K

42.59%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$25.9K RON 117.7K

25.47%

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

$187 €162

$140 RON 638

33.09%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$8.65 RON 39.33

157.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$9.25 RON 42.05

293.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$42.06 RON 191

36.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$19.42 RON 88.3

6.80%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$7.85 RON 35.70

37.20%

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

$725 €628

$500 RON 2,273

44.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$10.3K RON 46.9K

47.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$34.93 RON 159

151.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$9.41 RON 42.76

291.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$84.0 RON 382

23.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$92.1 RON 419

28.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$393 RON 1,786

287.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$292 RON 1,326

320.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$579 RON 2,631

371.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$432 RON 1,965

359.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$1,991 RON 9,050

275.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,396 RON 6,346

275.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$536 RON 2,436

346.57%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Cugir: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $393 in Cugir. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 347% 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 $23.00 in Cugir for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $210 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 149% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $946 including rent). Cugir is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 347% 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 $393 in Cugir. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $500 in Cugir. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $946 in Cugir versus $2,359 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 149% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.