Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Galati Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Galati

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,081 in Galati.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,677 in Galati.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,273 in Galati.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 130% more expensive than in Galati, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Galati is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$11.12 RON 50.4

65.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$44.77 RON 203

54.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$7.53 RON 34.12

86.59%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$2.64 RON 11.94

17.80%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$2.15 RON 9.73

37.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$1.95 RON 8.81

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$2.23 RON 10.12

78.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$3.25 RON 14.71

42.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.30 RON 5.89

1.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.74 RON 3.37

185.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.87 RON 8.46

-2.14%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$3.54 RON 16.04

45.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$8.03 RON 36.35

118.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$6.14 RON 27.83

54.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$9.03 RON 40.89

120.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$1.32 RON 5.96

140.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.57 RON 7.12

40.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.66 RON 7.52

57.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.90 RON 8.62

50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.97 RON 4.37

123.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.12 RON 5.06

88.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.91 RON 4.11

78.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.78 RON 3.51

12.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$5.90 RON 26.71

21.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$5.42 RON 24.56

53.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.02 RON 4.61

47.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.25 RON 5.67

120.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.78 RON 3.54

302.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$25.22 RON 114

4.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$0.63 RON 2.85

411.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.70 RON 3.15

115.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$7.21 RON 32.64

389.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.82 RON 8.25

-3.85%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$30.2K RON 136.7K

21.49%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$25.9K RON 117.5K

22.08%

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

$187 €161

$157 RON 710

19.30%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$8.09 RON 36.66

86.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$8.38 RON 37.96

348.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$39.72 RON 180

39.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$36.18 RON 164

-53.73%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$6.56 RON 29.70

78.51%

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

$1,011 €871

$625 RON 2,831

61.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$5,269 RON 23.9K

223.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$100 RON 453

-8.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$34.19 RON 155

19.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$63.1 RON 286

75.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$86.6 RON 392

45.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$401 RON 1,815

325.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$338 RON 1,529

284.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$794 RON 3,598

225.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$598 RON 2,708

222.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$1,687 RON 7,638

358.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$1,258 RON 5,698

327.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$911 RON 4,126

160.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

7.2

-56.11%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Galati: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $401 in Galati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 161% 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 $45.00 in Galati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $193 per month, with Galati 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 Galati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Galati differ by about 130% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,081 including rent). Galati is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 161% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $401 in Galati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $625 in Galati. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,081 in Galati versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Galati but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Galati 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 Galati 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 Galati gentler on the wallet – expenses run 130% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.