Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Miercurea Ciuc Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Miercurea Ciuc

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $802 in Miercurea Ciuc.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,274 in Miercurea Ciuc.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,746 in Miercurea Ciuc.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 192% more expensive than Miercurea Ciuc, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Miercurea Ciuc is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$6.76 RON 29.45

160.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$23.18 RON 101

196.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$6.93 RON 30.22

98.41%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.79 RON 7.79

54.19%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.69 RON 7.38

64.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.48 RON 6.47

38.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$2.21 RON 9.63

108.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.21 RON 9.62

107.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.41 RON 6.16

-9.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.09 RON 4.74

93.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.12 RON 4.88

75.89%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$3.36 RON 14.67

2.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$8.82 RON 38.45

113.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$6.96 RON 30.34

35.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$6.43 RON 28.02

195.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$0.83 RON 3.60

227.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.40 RON 6.09

69.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.29 RON 5.61

61.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.95 RON 8.51

41.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.72 RON 3.15

173.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.88 RON 3.84

103.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.71 RON 3.10

112.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.72 RON 3.12

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$5.80 RON 25.29

16.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$5.71 RON 24.87

32.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$0.94 RON 4.09

53.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.17 RON 5.12

105.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.94 RON 4.10

222.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$23.20 RON 101

22.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$0.67 RON 2.92

561.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.62 RON 2.69

230.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$5.82 RON 25.36

403.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.54 RON 6.72

22.73%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$24.7K RON 107.6K

57.00%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$27.1K RON 118.3K

19.28%

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

$189 €161

$132 RON 574

43.15%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$5.86 RON 25.54

279.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$5.68 RON 24.77

548.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$34.04 RON 148

70.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$11.70 RON 51.0

79.40%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$5.14 RON 22.43

114.98%

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

$726 €622

$434 RON 1,894

67.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$6,832 RON 29.8K

122.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$45.35 RON 198

94.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$18.73 RON 81.7

97.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$73.6 RON 321

39.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$92.9 RON 405

28.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$203 RON 886

650.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$170 RON 740

618.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$465 RON 2,027

501.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$408 RON 1,780

396.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$1,588 RON 6,925

346.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,474 RON 6,427

228.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$744 RON 3,242

223.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.5

-47.85%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Miercurea Ciuc: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $203 in Miercurea Ciuc. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 223% 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 $23.00 in Miercurea Ciuc for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $185 per month, with Miercurea Ciuc 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 Miercurea Ciuc: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Miercurea Ciuc differ by about 192% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $802 including rent). Miercurea Ciuc is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 223% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $203 in Miercurea Ciuc. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $434 in Miercurea Ciuc. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $802 in Miercurea Ciuc versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Miercurea Ciuc but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Miercurea Ciuc 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 Miercurea Ciuc 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 Miercurea Ciuc gentler on the wallet – expenses run 192% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.