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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,143 in Ploiesti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,742 in Ploiesti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,341 in Ploiesti.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 117% more expensive than in Ploiesti, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Ploiesti is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$12.06 RON 54.6

52.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$48.43 RON 219

43.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$8.14 RON 36.85

72.60%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$3.11 RON 14.10

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

$2.96 €2.55

$2.16 RON 9.80

37.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$2.20 RON 9.96

-11.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$2.69 RON 12.18

48.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$3.55 RON 16.08

30.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.64 RON 7.45

-19.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.23 RON 5.59

71.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.63 RON 7.38

12.27%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$3.34 RON 15.14

54.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$8.36 RON 37.85

110.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$6.90 RON 31.23

37.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$9.78 RON 44.28

103.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$1.37 RON 6.22

131.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.80 RON 8.16

22.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.46 RON 6.61

78.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$2.02 RON 9.17

41.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.75 RON 3.41

189.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.79 RON 3.56

167.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.67 RON 3.05

141.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.81 RON 3.67

8.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$6.59 RON 29.83

8.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$6.94 RON 31.45

20.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.03 RON 4.69

45.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.53 RON 6.94

79.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.87 RON 3.95

260.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$22.18 RON 100

18.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$0.63 RON 2.87

411.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.63 RON 2.85

139.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$6.66 RON 30.17

429.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.90 RON 8.61

-7.89%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$29.8K RON 135.1K

22.88%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$26.6K RON 120.4K

19.17%

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

$187 €161

$162 RON 732

15.77%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$6.72 RON 30.42

124.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$9.20 RON 41.66

308.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$44.96 RON 204

23.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$22.19 RON 100

-24.56%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$8.64 RON 39.15

35.53%

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

$1,011 €871

$428 RON 1,937

136.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$6,196 RON 28.1K

175.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$76.8 RON 348

19.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$44.77 RON 203

-8.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$96.9 RON 439

14.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$103 RON 466

22.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$438 RON 1,983

289.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$303 RON 1,373

328.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$611 RON 2,766

323.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$483 RON 2,189

299.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$2,020 RON 9,146

282.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$1,308 RON 5,924

311.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$1,026 RON 4,648

131.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

7.85

-59.75%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ploiesti: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $438 in Ploiesti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 131% 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 $48.00 in Ploiesti for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $210 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 117% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,143 including rent). Ploiesti is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 131% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $438 in Ploiesti. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $428 in Ploiesti. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,143 in Ploiesti versus $2,482 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 117% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.