Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Iasi Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Iasi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,141 in Iasi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,746 in Iasi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,351 in Iasi.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 107% more expensive than in Iasi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Iasi is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.96

$10.56 RON 48.20

62.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.3

$51.0 RON 233

33.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.89

$6.75 RON 30.83

102.07%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.42

$2.61 RON 11.92

6.51%

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

$2.82 €2.46

$2.00 RON 9.13

41.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$1.68 RON 7.67

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.86

$2.50 RON 11.40

77.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.01

$3.37 RON 15.41

36.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.39 RON 6.34

-8.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.26 RON 5.75

69.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$1.82 RON 8.33

9.34%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.93

$3.25 RON 14.83

3.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.53

$8.14 RON 37.18

132.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.31

$6.85 RON 31.29

39.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.33

$11.03 RON 50.4

69.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$1.24 RON 5.67

113.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.62 RON 7.39

45.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.82

$1.77 RON 8.10

18.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.91 RON 8.74

42.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.95 RON 4.33

106.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.01 RON 4.63

79.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.03 RON 4.72

46.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$0.86 RON 3.91

3.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.91

$6.18 RON 28.22

9.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.90

$6.58 RON 30.07

20.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.14 RON 5.19

20.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.09

$1.90 RON 8.69

26.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.54

$0.79 RON 3.60

268.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.98

$27.68 RON 126

3.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.99

$0.88 RON 4.03

420.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.78

$0.74 RON 3.39

175.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €25.03

$8.29 RON 37.86

246.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.66 RON 7.60

9.64%

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

$39.3K €34.3K

$28.5K RON 130.0K

38.09%

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

$32.5K €28.3K

$27.2K RON 124.4K

19.22%

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

$187 €163

$157 RON 715

19.23%

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

$22.29 €19.43

$8.32 RON 38.01

167.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.71

$9.70 RON 44.30

274.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €50.2

$46.92 RON 214

22.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.08

$18.18 RON 83.0

14.08%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.39

$8.16 RON 37.25

31.99%

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

$725 €632

$469 RON 2,142

54.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.2K

$6,858 RON 31.3K

120.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.6

$62.5 RON 285

40.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €32.09

$43.78 RON 200

-15.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.2

$84.1 RON 384

22.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$87.7 RON 400

35.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,328

$474 RON 2,166

221.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,070

$361 RON 1,647

240.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,378

$730 RON 3,335

273.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,730

$535 RON 2,441

271.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,511

$2,958 RON 13.5K

152.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,571

$1,951 RON 8,909

168.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,086

$1,168 RON 5,334

104.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

7.37

-54.00%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Iasi: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $474 in Iasi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 105% 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 $51.0 in Iasi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $213 per month, with Iasi 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 Iasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Iasi differ by about 107% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,141 including rent). Iasi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 105% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $474 in Iasi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $469 in Iasi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,141 in Iasi versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Iasi but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Iasi 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 Iasi 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 Iasi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.