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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,131 in Galati.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,708 in Galati.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,285 in Galati.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 109% more expensive than Galati, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Galati is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$11.64 RON 52.6

51.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$45.31 RON 205

51.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$8.10 RON 36.60

73.58%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.62 RON 11.84

6.11%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.19 RON 9.90

27.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.89 RON 8.54

8.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.26 RON 10.23

97.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.30 RON 14.91

39.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.34 RON 6.04

-7.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.82 RON 3.69

147.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.94 RON 8.76

-1.03%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.62 RON 16.35

-8.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$8.60 RON 38.87

114.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$6.44 RON 29.11

47.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$9.15 RON 41.37

109.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.26 RON 5.68

109.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.68 RON 7.57

45.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.66 RON 7.50

27.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.85 RON 8.35

54.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.02 RON 4.59

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.14 RON 5.16

62.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.94 RON 4.23

56.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.78 RON 3.52

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$5.83 RON 26.35

22.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$5.45 RON 24.65

44.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.94 RON 4.23

46.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.30 RON 5.89

77.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.60 RON 2.73

396.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$27.10 RON 123

7.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$0.69 RON 3.12

566.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.62 RON 2.80

233.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$7.45 RON 33.68

291.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.53 RON 6.94

20.26%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$28.5K RON 128.9K

36.86%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$26.5K RON 119.8K

23.33%

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

$188 €162

$165 RON 747

13.69%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$8.46 RON 38.25

171.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$8.49 RON 38.36

332.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$33.83 RON 153

69.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$39.08 RON 177

-47.03%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$6.72 RON 30.37

66.52%

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

$721 €620

$647 RON 2,923

11.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$5,374 RON 24.3K

179.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$103 RON 465

-16.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$35.15 RON 159

5.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$62.9 RON 284

62.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$95.7 RON 433

21.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$426 RON 1,928

259.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$341 RON 1,539

258.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$619 RON 2,796

335.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$542 RON 2,449

271.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$1,678 RON 7,584

330.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$1,278 RON 5,779

305.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$958 RON 4,330

146.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.5

-47.85%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Galati: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $426 in Galati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 146% 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 $45.00 in Galati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $198 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 109% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,131 including rent). Galati is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 146% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $426 in Galati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $647 in Galati. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,131 in Galati versus $2,367 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 109% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.