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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,123 in Iasi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,706 in Iasi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,288 in Iasi.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 108% more expensive than Iasi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$10.49 RON 47.43

62.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$50.4 RON 228

37.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$7.06 RON 31.91

95.18%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.61 RON 11.79

5.75%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$2.09 RON 9.45

33.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.71 RON 7.75

16.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.56 RON 11.58

70.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$3.36 RON 15.18

41.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.38 RON 6.25

-6.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.21 RON 5.49

69.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.88 RON 8.52

5.85%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$3.26 RON 14.76

3.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$7.95 RON 35.97

136.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$6.69 RON 30.28

39.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$10.95 RON 49.51

74.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.24 RON 5.62

117.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.55 RON 7.01

50.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.80 RON 8.12

17.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.97 RON 8.90

44.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.98 RON 4.45

101.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.05 RON 4.77

71.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.01 RON 4.56

43.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.80 RON 3.63

7.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$6.07 RON 27.45

11.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$6.70 RON 30.32

17.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.14 RON 5.14

21.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.97 RON 8.93

20.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.79 RON 3.57

269.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$27.90 RON 126

2.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.93 RON 4.21

379.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.75 RON 3.41

173.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$8.26 RON 37.38

257.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.68 RON 7.58

8.33%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$28.3K RON 128.2K

37.02%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$27.6K RON 124.6K

20.14%

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

$189 €163

$158 RON 717

19.45%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$8.26 RON 37.35

176.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$10.26 RON 46.40

266.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$46.57 RON 211

23.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$18.66 RON 84.4

11.15%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$8.14 RON 36.80

32.92%

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

$728 €628

$462 RON 2,090

57.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$6,957 RON 31.5K

112.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$63.1 RON 285

40.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$43.17 RON 195

-14.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$84.9 RON 384

20.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$88.8 RON 402

30.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$480 RON 2,170

227.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$362 RON 1,639

236.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$744 RON 3,366

275.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$550 RON 2,486

259.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$2,956 RON 13.4K

162.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$2,005 RON 9,071

158.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$1,181 RON 5,340

98.49%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Iasi: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $480 in Iasi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 98% 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 $50.0 in Iasi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $211 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 108% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,123 including rent). Iasi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 98% more on average, 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $480 in Iasi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $462 in Iasi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,123 in Iasi versus $2,337 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 108% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.