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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $916 in Cugir.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,367 in Cugir.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,817 in Cugir.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 170% more expensive than in Cugir, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Cugir is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.31

$6.22 RON 28.51

201.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$22.49 RON 103

208.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.98

$7.58 RON 34.71

81.66%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.65 RON 7.56

87.88%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.36 RON 6.22

108.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.22 RON 5.57

54.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.52 RON 6.96

161.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.94

$2.19 RON 10.03

106.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.19 RON 5.46

6.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.30 RON 5.98

66.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.86 RON 8.50

-5.38%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.46

$2.78 RON 12.75

84.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.56

$7.58 RON 34.72

135.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.40

$5.11 RON 23.41

88.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.54

$10.73 RON 49.17

87.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$1.71 RON 7.82

90.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.88 RON 8.62

18.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$1.72 RON 7.89

51.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.50 RON 6.87

84.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$0.77 RON 3.55

187.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$0.92 RON 4.24

130.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.25 RON 5.71

24.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.86 RON 3.92

10.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.39

$5.69 RON 26.09

29.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.00

$6.23 RON 28.52

29.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.34

$1.30 RON 5.96

18.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.82 RON 8.32

53.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.70

$0.73 RON 3.37

326.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.51

$23.12 RON 106

11.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.53 RON 2.43

516.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.53 RON 2.45

179.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.83

$5.44 RON 24.92

529.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.41 RON 6.44

22.70%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$29.4K RON 134.7K

23.68%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$26.0K RON 119.1K

17.45%

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

$187 €163

$129 RON 590

45.34%

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

$15.14 €13.18

$8.48 RON 38.84

78.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.80

$7.63 RON 34.95

393.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.69

$40.17 RON 184

39.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.87

$20.99 RON 96.1

-18.63%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.93

$5.37 RON 24.58

112.48%

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

$997 €867

$167 RON 765

496.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$3,975 RON 18.2K

315.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.6

$33.64 RON 154

175.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.88

$8.84 RON 40.51

366.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.8

$74.6 RON 342

49.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$77.0 RON 353

62.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,486

$396 RON 1,815

330.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,119

$304 RON 1,395

322.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,233

$624 RON 2,860

310.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,690

$473 RON 2,166

310.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,656

$1,878 RON 8,602

307.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,497

$1,414 RON 6,479

265.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,044

$548 RON 2,510

328.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

7.35

-57.01%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Cugir: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $396 in Cugir. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 329% 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 $22.00 in Cugir for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $200 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 170% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $916 including rent). Cugir is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 329% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $396 in Cugir. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $167 in Cugir. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $916 in Cugir versus $2,476 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 170% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.