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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,126 in Giurgiu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,744 in Giurgiu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,363 in Giurgiu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 106% more expensive than in Giurgiu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Giurgiu is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$12.40 RON 56.9

42.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$50.8 RON 233

37.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$7.97 RON 36.59

77.67%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.44 RON 15.81

-18.60%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.98 RON 9.09

41.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$2.11 RON 9.68

-2.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$3.30 RON 15.17

39.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$3.48 RON 15.99

34.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.55 RON 7.12

-20.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.31 RON 6.01

54.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.85 RON 8.48

7.03%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.36 RON 15.43

3.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$8.65 RON 39.69

111.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$7.13 RON 32.72

37.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$12.01 RON 55.1

59.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.13 RON 5.20

141.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.72 RON 7.90

38.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.56 RON 7.14

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.39 RON 10.98

15.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.93 RON 4.29

110.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.03 RON 4.72

73.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.93 RON 4.28

59.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.77 RON 3.55

18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$5.93 RON 27.24

20.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$7.82 RON 35.89

0.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.09 RON 4.99

26.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.65 RON 7.58

44.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.68 RON 3.11

342.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$19.65 RON 90.2

49.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$0.71 RON 3.24

514.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.75 RON 3.43

184.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$7.02 RON 32.23

321.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.60 RON 7.32

13.75%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$27.8K RON 127.5K

36.44%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$28.0K RON 128.7K

15.50%

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

$189 €166

$166 RON 763

13.71%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$7.89 RON 36.24

182.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$8.88 RON 40.74

318.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$41.64 RON 191

39.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$19.08 RON 87.6

8.28%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$11.10 RON 51.0

-2.07%

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

$706 €618

$449 RON 2,063

57.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$6,444 RON 29.6K

130.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$67.4 RON 309

32.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$43.62 RON 200

-16.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$97.5 RON 447

6.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$97.2 RON 446

22.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$396 RON 1,817

298.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$286 RON 1,311

333.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$591 RON 2,712

359.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$431 RON 1,976

373.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$1,824 RON 8,371

312.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,447 RON 6,644

261.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Giurgiu: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $396 in Giurgiu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $51.0 in Giurgiu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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 106% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,126 including rent). Giurgiu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,480 in Barcelona and $1,689 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $396 in Giurgiu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $449 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 $1,126 in Giurgiu versus $2,320 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 106% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.