Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Oradea Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Oradea

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,085 in Oradea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,631 in Oradea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,178 in Oradea.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 115% more expensive than Oradea, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Oradea is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$9.31 RON 42.13

83.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$51.9 RON 235

33.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$7.92 RON 35.83

73.99%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.99 RON 13.53

-7.69%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.83 RON 8.29

52.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.69 RON 7.66

17.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.31 RON 10.45

88.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.71 RON 12.27

74.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.62 RON 7.34

-20.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.17 RON 5.29

75.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.45 RON 6.55

37.24%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$3.24 RON 14.66

4.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$9.20 RON 41.60

104.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$7.24 RON 32.76

29.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$10.63 RON 48.08

79.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.14 RON 5.17

136.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.63 RON 7.36

43.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.57 RON 7.11

35.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.62 RON 7.34

75.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.80 RON 3.61

146.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.92 RON 4.18

95.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.05 RON 4.73

38.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.81 RON 3.67

6.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$5.99 RON 27.09

13.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$6.02 RON 27.22

31.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.01 RON 4.58

37.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.79 RON 8.09

32.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.67 RON 3.04

335.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$18.56 RON 84.0

54.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.78 RON 3.55

471.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.75 RON 3.37

173.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$8.15 RON 36.85

262.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.58 RON 7.14

15.19%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$28.1K RON 127.3K

37.99%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$26.4K RON 119.3K

25.51%

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

$189 €163

$156 RON 705

21.36%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$7.79 RON 35.25

192.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$8.65 RON 39.15

334.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$49.56 RON 224

16.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$14.24 RON 64.4

45.65%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$6.94 RON 31.37

55.91%

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

$728 €628

$426 RON 1,927

70.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$8,024 RON 36.3K

84.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$66.6 RON 301

33.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$41.19 RON 186

-10.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$76.2 RON 345

33.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$68.5 RON 310

69.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$420 RON 1,898

273.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$318 RON 1,439

282.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$598 RON 2,704

367.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$431 RON 1,952

357.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$2,022 RON 9,147

283.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$1,942 RON 8,783

166.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$958 RON 4,332

144.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.88

-50.73%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Oradea: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $420 in Oradea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 145% 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 $52.0 in Oradea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $211 per month, with Oradea 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 Oradea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Oradea differ by about 115% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,085 including rent). Oradea is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 145% 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 $420 in Oradea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $426 in Oradea. 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 $1,085 in Oradea versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Oradea but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Oradea 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 Oradea 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 Oradea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 115% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.