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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,287 in Iasi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,944 in Iasi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,601 in Iasi.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 93% more expensive than in Iasi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Iasi is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$11.18 RON 50.6

64.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$44.31 RON 201

56.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$7.84 RON 35.52

79.21%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$2.97 RON 13.45

4.71%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$2.21 RON 10.02

33.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$1.91 RON 8.66

2.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$3.38 RON 15.30

18.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$3.90 RON 17.65

18.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.67 RON 7.55

-20.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.38 RON 6.26

52.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.05 RON 9.29

-10.73%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$3.52 RON 15.94

46.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$8.36 RON 37.88

110.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$6.64 RON 30.08

43.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$10.43 RON 47.22

91.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$1.45 RON 6.58

118.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.71 RON 7.72

29.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.78 RON 8.06

46.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$2.26 RON 10.25

26.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.88 RON 4.00

146.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.90 RON 4.07

134.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.22 RON 5.51

32.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.01 RON 4.58

-12.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$6.82 RON 30.90

5.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$6.51 RON 29.47

27.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.40 RON 6.33

7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.22 RON 10.05

23.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.85 RON 3.84

269.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$28.56 RON 129

-8.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$0.93 RON 4.20

246.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.92 RON 4.14

64.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$8.71 RON 39.44

304.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.84 RON 8.35

-4.89%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$30.0K RON 135.7K

22.39%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$28.6K RON 129.6K

10.68%

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

$187 €161

$191 RON 865

-2.04%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$7.82 RON 35.41

93.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$9.07 RON 41.07

314.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$46.91 RON 212

18.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$16.58 RON 75.1

0.97%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$8.78 RON 39.77

33.37%

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

$1,011 €871

$414 RON 1,874

144.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$7,254 RON 32.8K

135.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$74.3 RON 337

22.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$40.27 RON 182

1.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$94.5 RON 428

17.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$96.1 RON 435

31.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$558 RON 2,525

205.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$448 RON 2,031

189.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$932 RON 4,222

177.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$692 RON 3,135

178.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$2,998 RON 13.6K

157.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$1,996 RON 9,041

169.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$1,203 RON 5,450

97.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

7.18

-55.99%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Iasi: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $558 in Iasi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 97% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $44.00 in Iasi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $224 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 93% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,287 including rent). Iasi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 97% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $558 in Iasi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $414 in Iasi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,287 in Iasi versus $2,482 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 93% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.