Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Roman Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Roman

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,336 in Barcelona versus $996 in Roman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,475 in Barcelona versus $1,492 in Roman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,614 in Barcelona versus $1,987 in Roman.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 134% more expensive than Roman, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Roman is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €14.88

$12.01 RON 52.1

45.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €59.6

$27.97 RON 121

149.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €11.86

$7.95 RON 34.52

74.97%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.34

$3.44 RON 14.92

-20.35%

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

$2.70 €2.30

$1.17 RON 5.06

130.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.73

$2.01 RON 8.74

1.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 €3.85

$3.26 RON 14.13

38.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.93

$2.32 RON 10.06

98.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.53 RON 6.62

-16.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.79

$0.90 RON 3.89

133.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.70

$1.65 RON 7.15

20.61%

Eggs

$3.45 €2.95

$3.12 RON 13.56

10.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.61 €15.87

$8.92 RON 38.71

108.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.03

$7.13 RON 30.96

31.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 €15.95

$11.58 RON 50.3

61.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.22

$0.95 RON 4.13

174.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.53 RON 6.63

56.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.86

$1.52 RON 6.62

44.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 €2.40

$2.24 RON 9.71

25.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.73

$0.78 RON 3.41

160.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$1.01 RON 4.38

85.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.24

$0.87 RON 3.80

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.79 RON 3.41

16.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$6.01 RON 26.07

13.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 €6.58

$6.72 RON 29.18

14.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.13 RON 4.91

22.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €1.99

$1.65 RON 7.18

41.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.46

$0.72 RON 3.13

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.04 €24.77

$20.10 RON 87.3

44.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$0.67 RON 2.89

561.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$0.64 RON 2.78

234.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.96 €24.71

$6.77 RON 29.38

327.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.62

$1.59 RON 6.91

19.50%

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

$37.9K €32.3K

$27.9K RON 121.1K

35.84%

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

$33.3K €28.4K

$27.5K RON 119.4K

21.00%

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

$186 €158

$92.9 RON 403

99.88%

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

$22.17 €18.91

$3.48 RON 15.11

537.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.52 €31.15

$5.62 RON 24.41

549.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 €49.81

$41.77 RON 181

39.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.75 €17.70

$19.26 RON 83.6

7.74%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 €9.47

$10.76 RON 46.69

3.16%

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

$705 €601

$317 RON 1,377

122.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$6,640 RON 28.8K

129.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 €73.7

$66.5 RON 289

29.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.88 €31.46

$17.07 RON 74.1

116.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.8

$95.1 RON 413

9.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.4

$35.00 RON 152

229.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 €1,312

$391 RON 1,696

293.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,060

$292 RON 1,266

325.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 €2,327

$582 RON 2,525

368.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 €1,716

$442 RON 1,917

355.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,104

$1,691 RON 7,339

323.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,843 €4,131

$1,271 RON 5,515

281.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,474 €2,111

$882 RON 3,828

180.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

7.7

-55.97%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 19, 2026

Last update for Roman: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,538 in Barcelona and $391 in Roman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 180% 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: $70 in Barcelona vs $28 in Roman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $211 per month, with Roman 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 Roman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Roman differ by about 134% in total monthly costs ($2,336 vs $996 including rent). Roman is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 180% 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: $1,538 in Barcelona versus $391 in Roman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $705 in Barcelona versus $317 in Roman. 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 $996 in Roman versus $2,336 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Roman but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Roman 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 Roman 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 Roman gentler on the wallet – expenses run 134% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.