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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,106 in Ploiesti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,633 in Ploiesti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,160 in Ploiesti.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Ploiesti is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.96

$9.66 RON 44.11

77.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.3

$42.57 RON 194

59.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.89

$7.77 RON 35.49

75.55%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.42

$2.60 RON 11.87

6.92%

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

$2.82 €2.46

$1.90 RON 8.66

48.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$1.90 RON 8.69

3.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.86

$2.25 RON 10.28

96.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.01

$3.37 RON 15.41

36.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.39 RON 6.37

-8.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.05 RON 4.80

102.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$1.77 RON 8.07

12.43%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.93

$3.22 RON 14.70

4.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.53

$8.80 RON 40.18

115.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.31

$7.13 RON 32.55

33.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.33

$9.23 RON 42.14

102.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$1.17 RON 5.33

126.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.48 RON 6.77

58.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.82

$1.28 RON 5.87

63.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.89 RON 8.65

44.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.76 RON 3.48

157.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.58

$0.89 RON 4.09

103.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$0.70 RON 3.21

115.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$0.81 RON 3.68

9.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.91

$5.77 RON 26.36

17.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.90

$7.01 RON 32.01

12.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.91 RON 4.17

50.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.09

$1.44 RON 6.58

66.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.54

$0.61 RON 2.77

377.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.98

$19.65 RON 89.8

45.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.99

$0.72 RON 3.30

536.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.78

$0.65 RON 2.95

213.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €25.03

$5.77 RON 26.37

397.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.55 RON 7.10

17.42%

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

$39.3K €34.3K

$24.5K RON 112.1K

60.16%

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

$32.5K €28.3K

$27.2K RON 124.2K

19.38%

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

$187 €163

$146 RON 668

27.65%

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

$22.29 €19.43

$8.52 RON 38.91

161.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.71

$10.10 RON 46.13

260.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €50.2

$51.8 RON 237

11.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.08

$20.24 RON 92.4

2.47%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.39

$6.82 RON 31.12

57.92%

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

$725 €632

$419 RON 1,915

72.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.2K

$6,861 RON 31.3K

120.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.6

$81.7 RON 373

7.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €32.09

$41.76 RON 191

-11.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.2

$73.3 RON 335

41.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$99.1 RON 453

19.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,328

$532 RON 2,429

186.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,070

$335 RON 1,530

266.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,378

$757 RON 3,458

260.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,730

$467 RON 2,135

324.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,511

$1,976 RON 9,023

278.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,571

$1,291 RON 5,895

306.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,086

$1,009 RON 4,609

137.06%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ploiesti: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $532 in Ploiesti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 137% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $43.00 in Ploiesti for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $201 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 ($2,359 vs $1,106 including rent). Ploiesti is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 137% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $532 in Ploiesti. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $419 in Ploiesti. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,106 in Ploiesti versus $2,359 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.