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: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $820 in Miercurea Ciuc.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $1,300 in Miercurea Ciuc.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $1,780 in Miercurea Ciuc.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Miercurea Ciuc is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$6.84 RON 30.82

158.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$23.07 RON 104

203.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$6.96 RON 31.36

96.26%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$1.79 RON 8.05

53.07%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.69 RON 7.63

65.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.53 RON 6.90

28.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.18 RON 9.81

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$2.21 RON 9.97

107.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.35 RON 6.09

-4.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.05 RON 4.71

95.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.13 RON 5.10

75.22%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$3.39 RON 15.26

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$8.65 RON 38.97

115.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$7.21 RON 32.48

32.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$6.48 RON 29.17

190.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$0.83 RON 3.75

231.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.43 RON 6.44

72.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$1.30 RON 5.83

61.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$1.98 RON 8.90

42.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$0.67 RON 3.04

201.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.89 RON 4.00

107.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.70 RON 3.14

115.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.70 RON 3.17

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$5.69 RON 25.64

24.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$5.61 RON 25.27

42.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.89 RON 4.00

60.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.13 RON 5.10

102.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$0.89 RON 4.02

223.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

$22.88 RON 103

24.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$0.72 RON 3.25

508.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$0.65 RON 2.92

229.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$5.62 RON 25.33

418.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.61 RON 7.23

15.53%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$25.4K RON 114.6K

53.21%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$27.4K RON 123.5K

19.22%

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

$189 €163

$133 RON 599

42.15%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$5.74 RON 25.87

295.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$5.85 RON 26.33

524.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$34.82 RON 157

65.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

$11.68 RON 52.6

82.96%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$5.19 RON 23.38

108.29%

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

$726 €625

$429 RON 1,934

69.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$6,799 RON 30.6K

122.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$45.89 RON 207

91.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$18.07 RON 81.4

104.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$74.5 RON 335

39.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$91.7 RON 413

27.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$210 RON 947

648.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$170 RON 767

616.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$467 RON 2,104

480.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$410 RON 1,847

379.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

$1,559 RON 7,022

400.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

$1,456 RON 6,559

261.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$732 RON 3,298

224.27%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Miercurea Ciuc: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $210 in Miercurea Ciuc. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 224% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $23.00 in Miercurea Ciuc for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 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 ($2,399 vs $820 including rent). Miercurea Ciuc is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 224% 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $210 in Miercurea Ciuc. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $429 in Miercurea Ciuc. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $820 in Miercurea Ciuc versus $2,399 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.