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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,115 in Ploiesti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,625 in Ploiesti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,136 in Ploiesti.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 110% more expensive than Ploiesti, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Ploiesti is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$9.71 RON 42.35

81.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$42.01 RON 183

63.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$7.99 RON 34.86

72.09%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.65 RON 11.54

4.15%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.92 RON 8.35

44.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.91 RON 8.32

7.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$2.26 RON 9.86

103.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$3.46 RON 15.10

32.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.40 RON 6.09

-8.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.09 RON 4.73

93.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.68 RON 7.33

17.26%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$3.41 RON 14.86

0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$8.67 RON 37.79

117.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$6.87 RON 29.94

37.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$9.01 RON 39.28

110.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$1.22 RON 5.32

122.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.40 RON 6.12

69.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.34 RON 5.85

55.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.88 RON 8.20

46.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.77 RON 3.35

155.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.89 RON 3.88

101.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.71 RON 3.08

112.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.80 RON 3.48

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$5.75 RON 25.06

17.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$6.71 RON 29.25

12.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$0.93 RON 4.04

54.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.37 RON 5.96

75.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.55 RON 2.41

450.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$19.28 RON 84.1

47.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$0.71 RON 3.10

523.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.66 RON 2.86

210.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$5.78 RON 25.19

407.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.62 RON 7.05

16.67%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$25.4K RON 110.7K

52.54%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$27.2K RON 118.5K

19.07%

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

$189 €161

$146 RON 638

28.84%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$8.48 RON 36.97

161.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$9.81 RON 42.78

275.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$50.9 RON 222

13.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$20.18 RON 88.0

4.01%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$7.11 RON 30.98

55.41%

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

$726 €622

$424 RON 1,850

71.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$6,841 RON 29.8K

122.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$81.8 RON 357

7.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$43.15 RON 188

-14.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$75.6 RON 330

35.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$96.8 RON 422

23.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$529 RON 2,307

188.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$336 RON 1,466

262.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$757 RON 3,302

268.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$469 RON 2,045

332.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$2,052 RON 8,948

245.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,358 RON 5,919

257.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$1,080 RON 4,709

122.60%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ploiesti: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $529 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 $320 vs $199 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 110% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,115 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $529 in Ploiesti. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $424 in Ploiesti. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,115 in Ploiesti versus $2,341 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 110% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.