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: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $970 in Cugir.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $1,426 in Cugir.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $1,882 in Cugir.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 147% more expensive than in Cugir, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Cugir is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.42

$6.22 RON 28.40

184.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €61.1

$23.19 RON 106

202.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.91

$7.83 RON 35.76

74.46%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.39

$1.68 RON 7.66

63.10%

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

$2.79 €2.43

$1.43 RON 6.53

95.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$1.28 RON 5.87

53.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.81

$1.65 RON 7.52

164.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.99

$2.34 RON 10.68

95.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.46 RON 6.68

-11.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.26 RON 5.78

62.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.51 RON 6.92

31.13%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.96

$3.17 RON 14.49

6.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.26

$9.75 RON 44.55

91.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.34

$6.49 RON 29.63

47.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.43

$11.23 RON 51.3

67.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.40

$1.08 RON 4.93

154.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$1.51 RON 6.91

63.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.54 RON 7.04

36.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.46

$2.49 RON 11.36

13.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$0.73 RON 3.32

176.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.01 RON 4.63

83.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$0.67 RON 3.08

125.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.78

$0.79 RON 3.59

13.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.16

$6.03 RON 27.54

17.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.96

$5.94 RON 27.15

34.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.20 RON 5.47

19.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.00

$1.69 RON 7.71

35.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.51

$0.71 RON 3.22

305.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.77

$19.88 RON 90.8

42.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.82

$0.55 RON 2.49

696.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.87

$0.54 RON 2.49

296.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.44

$5.78 RON 26.41

404.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.63

$1.47 RON 6.73

26.53%

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

$39.0K €34.0K

$27.5K RON 125.7K

41.63%

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

$32.7K €28.5K

$26.0K RON 118.6K

25.94%

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

$189 €165

$139 RON 635

36.06%

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

$22.71 €19.82

$8.24 RON 37.63

175.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.85

$9.25 RON 42.24

294.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €50.3

$41.65 RON 190

38.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.64

$19.14 RON 87.5

11.65%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.43

$7.85 RON 35.87

37.71%

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

$726 €634

$500 RON 2,286

45.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.2K

$10.0K RON 45.9K

50.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €76.5

$34.05 RON 156

157.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €32.19

$9.41 RON 43.01

292.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.3

$82.9 RON 379

24.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €102

$93.2 RON 426

24.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,373

$384 RON 1,755

309.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,064

$290 RON 1,325

320.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,366

$593 RON 2,707

357.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,716

$434 RON 1,982

353.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,815

$1,724 RON 7,875

353.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,595

$1,315 RON 6,007

300.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,072

$558 RON 2,547

325.90%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Cugir: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $384 in Cugir. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 326% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $23.00 in Cugir for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $212 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 147% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $970 including rent). Cugir is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 326% 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $384 in Cugir. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 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 51% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $970 in Cugir versus $2,399 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 147% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.