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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,118 in Giurgiu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,722 in Giurgiu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,325 in Giurgiu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 112% more expensive than Giurgiu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Giurgiu is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$12.28 RON 55.5

43.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$51.6 RON 233

32.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$8.04 RON 36.33

74.88%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.45 RON 15.60

-19.42%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.01 RON 9.08

39.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.07 RON 9.34

-0.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.27 RON 14.80

36.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.55 RON 16.06

29.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.48 RON 6.68

-16.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.29 RON 5.83

57.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.82 RON 8.23

5.49%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.23 RON 14.62

2.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$8.64 RON 39.06

113.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$6.80 RON 30.73

39.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$11.91 RON 53.8

60.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.19 RON 5.38

121.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.70 RON 7.70

44.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.56 RON 7.05

35.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.39 RON 10.82

19.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.95 RON 4.31

114.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.07 RON 4.84

72.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.87 RON 3.95

68.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.84 RON 3.79

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$5.73 RON 25.90

24.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$8.72 RON 39.42

-9.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.10 RON 4.97

25.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.72 RON 7.75

34.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.67 RON 3.04

344.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$20.01 RON 90.5

46.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$0.76 RON 3.45

505.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.69 RON 3.11

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$6.88 RON 31.09

324.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.59 RON 7.19

15.72%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$27.5K RON 124.3K

41.86%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$28.0K RON 126.7K

16.69%

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

$188 €162

$164 RON 740

14.78%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$7.88 RON 35.62

190.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$8.82 RON 39.85

316.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$41.38 RON 187

38.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$18.84 RON 85.2

9.87%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$11.10 RON 50.2

0.81%

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

$721 €620

$457 RON 2,064

57.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$6,443 RON 29.1K

133.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$68.1 RON 308

26.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$42.17 RON 191

-12.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$96.6 RON 437

5.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$97.6 RON 441

18.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$387 RON 1,748

296.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$291 RON 1,316

319.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$596 RON 2,692

352.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$434 RON 1,960

364.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$1,835 RON 8,293

293.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$1,372 RON 6,203

278.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

7.7

-55.97%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Giurgiu: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $387 in Giurgiu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $52.0 in Giurgiu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $223 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 112% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,118 including rent). Giurgiu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $1,678 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $387 in Giurgiu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $457 in Giurgiu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,118 in Giurgiu versus $2,367 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 112% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.