Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Giurgiu Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Giurgiu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,151 in Giurgiu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,790 in Giurgiu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $2,430 in Giurgiu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 117% more expensive than in Giurgiu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Giurgiu is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$13.00 RON 58.7

41.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$55.4 RON 250

24.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$7.94 RON 35.84

77.96%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$3.84 RON 17.32

-18.49%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$2.52 RON 11.40

19.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.36 RON 10.65

-16.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$3.29 RON 14.87

21.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$3.59 RON 16.19

32.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.63 RON 7.38

-23.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.50 RON 6.79

44.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.82 RON 8.22

-7.14%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$3.73 RON 16.83

32.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.38

$9.61 RON 43.37

86.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$7.15 RON 32.28

34.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$12.90 RON 58.3

49.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$1.62 RON 7.29

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.60 RON 7.21

36.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.83 RON 8.27

45.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$2.88 RON 12.99

-3.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.81 RON 3.64

172.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$0.91 RON 4.09

140.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.88 RON 3.98

72.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.86 RON 3.88

6.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$6.18 RON 27.89

15.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$6.52 RON 29.42

24.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.31 RON 5.93

14.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$1.96 RON 8.86

41.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.75 RON 3.38

320.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

$23.00 RON 104

17.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$0.72 RON 3.26

351.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.67 RON 3.05

123.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$6.77 RON 30.58

415.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.92 RON 8.68

-8.85%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$30.3K RON 136.8K

21.02%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$27.2K RON 122.6K

13.90%

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

$188 €161

$191 RON 861

-1.65%

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

$15.44 €13.28

$8.21 RON 37.06

88.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.50

$9.80 RON 44.26

285.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.17

$40.91 RON 185

39.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

$21.88 RON 98.8

-23.22%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$10.11 RON 45.66

14.54%

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

$1,003 €862

$476 RON 2,147

110.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$7,114 RON 32.1K

139.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$53.0 RON 239

68.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$35.58 RON 161

14.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$80.9 RON 365

35.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$93.6 RON 423

31.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,439

$411 RON 1,856

306.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$302 RON 1,366

340.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$638 RON 2,881

306.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,677

$480 RON 2,169

305.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$1,958 RON 8,838

286.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$1,362 RON 6,147

294.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Giurgiu: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $411 in Giurgiu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $55.0 in Giurgiu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $238 per month, with Giurgiu 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 Giurgiu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Giurgiu differ by about 117% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,151 including rent). Giurgiu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,743 in Barcelona and $1,726 in Giurgiu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $411 in Giurgiu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $476 in Giurgiu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,151 in Giurgiu versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Giurgiu but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Giurgiu 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 Giurgiu 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 Giurgiu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.