Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ploiesti Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ploiesti

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,099 in Ploiesti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,635 in Ploiesti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,171 in Ploiesti.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 113% more expensive than Ploiesti, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Ploiesti is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$9.54 RON 43.17

79.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$42.16 RON 191

64.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$7.70 RON 34.82

78.96%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.68 RON 12.14

2.99%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.90 RON 8.61

46.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.86 RON 8.42

6.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.28 RON 10.31

91.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$3.38 RON 15.28

40.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.36 RON 6.13

-5.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.10 RON 4.96

86.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.70 RON 7.71

17.06%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$3.25 RON 14.68

4.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$8.79 RON 39.77

113.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$6.84 RON 30.95

36.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$9.25 RON 41.83

106.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.21 RON 5.46

123.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.41 RON 6.40

65.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.30 RON 5.88

63.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.88 RON 8.50

51.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.76 RON 3.43

159.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.94 RON 4.24

91.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.74 RON 3.36

95.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.80 RON 3.62

7.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$5.61 RON 25.37

20.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$6.95 RON 31.44

13.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.97 RON 4.37

43.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.36 RON 6.15

74.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.56 RON 2.52

421.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$19.42 RON 87.8

47.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.66 RON 2.99

575.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.61 RON 2.77

236.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$5.63 RON 25.46

424.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.61 RON 7.27

13.04%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$24.6K RON 111.2K

57.92%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$26.9K RON 121.5K

23.25%

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

$189 €163

$147 RON 667

28.34%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$8.15 RON 36.87

179.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$10.13 RON 45.80

271.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$50.5 RON 228

14.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$20.17 RON 91.2

2.83%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$6.79 RON 30.72

59.35%

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

$728 €628

$434 RON 1,962

67.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$6,887 RON 31.2K

114.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$84.3 RON 381

5.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$41.80 RON 189

-11.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$73.3 RON 331

39.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$98.2 RON 444

18.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$533 RON 2,412

194.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$342 RON 1,547

256.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$757 RON 3,426

269.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$468 RON 2,119

321.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$2,039 RON 9,223

280.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$1,315 RON 5,949

293.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$1,050 RON 4,748

123.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.62

-48.79%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ploiesti: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $533 in Ploiesti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 123% 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 $42.00 in Ploiesti for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $200 per month, with Ploiesti 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 Ploiesti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ploiesti differ by about 113% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,099 including rent). Ploiesti is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 123% 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 $533 in Ploiesti. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $434 in Ploiesti. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,099 in Ploiesti versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ploiesti but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ploiesti 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 Ploiesti 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 Ploiesti gentler on the wallet – expenses run 113% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.