Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Onesti Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Onesti

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,115 in Onesti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,690 in Onesti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,265 in Onesti.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 122% more expensive than in Onesti, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Onesti is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.31

$11.27 RON 51.6

66.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$43.42 RON 199

60.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.98

$7.53 RON 34.51

82.87%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.96 RON 13.56

4.73%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$2.22 RON 10.18

27.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.83 RON 8.38

2.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$3.37 RON 15.45

18.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.94

$4.05 RON 18.56

11.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.10 RON 5.04

15.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.37 RON 6.28

57.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.05 RON 9.41

-14.15%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.46

$3.25 RON 14.91

57.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.56

$7.71 RON 35.31

131.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.40

$6.49 RON 29.74

48.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.54

$10.17 RON 46.59

98.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$1.09 RON 4.98

198.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.56 RON 7.16

42.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$1.81 RON 8.30

43.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.21 RON 10.12

24.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$0.94 RON 4.32

135.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$0.97 RON 4.45

118.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.23 RON 5.64

26.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.65 RON 2.96

46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.39

$6.75 RON 30.92

8.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.00

$5.44 RON 24.92

47.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.34

$1.37 RON 6.27

12.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.15 RON 9.86

29.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.70

$0.79 RON 3.60

293.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.51

$23.04 RON 106

12.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.86 RON 3.95

280.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.92 RON 4.23

60.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.83

$8.64 RON 39.56

296.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.56 RON 7.15

10.90%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$29.7K RON 136.1K

22.42%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$29.3K RON 134.1K

4.33%

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

$187 €163

$190 RON 868

-1.30%

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

$15.14 €13.18

$7.78 RON 35.64

94.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.80

$9.08 RON 41.59

315.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.69

$40.46 RON 185

38.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.87

$21.43 RON 98.2

-20.30%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.93

$9.12 RON 41.80

25.11%

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

$997 €867

$411 RON 1,882

142.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$7,467 RON 34.2K

121.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.6

$39.66 RON 182

133.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.88

$40.29 RON 185

2.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.8

$96.8 RON 444

14.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$94.5 RON 433

32.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,486

$403 RON 1,845

323.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,119

$299 RON 1,368

330.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,233

$624 RON 2,857

311.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,690

$477 RON 2,185

307.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,656

$1,914 RON 8,767

299.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,497

$1,400 RON 6,413

269.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,044

$663 RON 3,039

254.01%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Onesti: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $403 in Onesti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 254% 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 $43.00 in Onesti for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $205 per month, with Onesti 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 Onesti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Onesti differ by about 122% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,115 including rent). Onesti is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 254% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $403 in Onesti. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $411 in Onesti. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,115 in Onesti versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Onesti but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Onesti 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 Onesti 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 Onesti gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.