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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $806 in Miercurea Ciuc.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,290 in Miercurea Ciuc.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,774 in Miercurea Ciuc.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 193% more expensive than in Miercurea Ciuc, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Miercurea Ciuc is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$6.74 RON 30.64

154.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$23.10 RON 105

194.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$6.86 RON 31.17

98.83%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.79 RON 8.15

55.31%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.69 RON 7.66

66.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.46 RON 6.62

34.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$2.25 RON 10.22

96.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.25 RON 10.21

104.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.42 RON 6.43

-10.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.10 RON 5.00

93.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.13 RON 5.13

76.11%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$3.36 RON 15.29

0.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$8.63 RON 39.22

119.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$7.15 RON 32.49

33.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$6.39 RON 29.03

193.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$0.82 RON 3.74

223.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.46 RON 6.63

60.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.28 RON 5.82

63.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.90 RON 8.65

43.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.72 RON 3.27

172.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.88 RON 4.00

105.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.70 RON 3.18

115.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.70 RON 3.20

27.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$5.63 RON 25.59

20.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$5.46 RON 24.84

45.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.96 RON 4.34

42.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.13 RON 5.16

112.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.93 RON 4.25

212.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$23.44 RON 107

22.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$0.72 RON 3.27

536.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.65 RON 2.94

213.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$5.66 RON 25.75

407.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.59 RON 7.21

14.47%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$25.4K RON 115.6K

54.67%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$27.3K RON 124.0K

19.11%

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

$187 €162

$135 RON 615

37.86%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$5.77 RON 26.25

286.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$5.73 RON 26.05

534.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$35.10 RON 160

63.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$11.69 RON 53.1

77.42%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$5.04 RON 22.90

113.69%

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

$725 €628

$422 RON 1,918

71.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$6,870 RON 31.2K

120.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$46.74 RON 212

87.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$18.72 RON 85.1

96.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$75.2 RON 342

37.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$91.4 RON 416

29.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$211 RON 957

623.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$176 RON 800

597.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$453 RON 2,057

502.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$417 RON 1,895

375.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$1,549 RON 7,041

382.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,391 RON 6,326

276.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$718 RON 3,263

233.40%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Miercurea Ciuc: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $211 in Miercurea Ciuc. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 233% 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 $23.00 in Miercurea Ciuc for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $184 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 193% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $806 including rent). Miercurea Ciuc is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 233% 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 $211 in Miercurea Ciuc. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $422 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 $806 in Miercurea Ciuc versus $2,359 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 193% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.