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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $947 in Roman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,553 in Roman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,158 in Roman.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 161% more expensive than in Roman, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Roman is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.31

$12.12 RON 55.5

54.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$35.46 RON 162

95.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.98

$7.93 RON 36.30

73.64%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.85 RON 13.05

8.77%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.48 RON 6.78

91.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.13 RON 5.19

66.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$3.30 RON 15.10

20.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.94

$2.38 RON 10.92

90.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.59 RON 7.26

-20.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.92 RON 4.21

134.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.50 RON 6.87

17.33%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.46

$2.93 RON 13.42

75.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.56

$9.26 RON 42.44

93.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.40

$6.76 RON 30.97

42.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.54

$9.76 RON 44.71

106.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$1.09 RON 5.00

198.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.59 RON 7.26

40.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$1.49 RON 6.83

74.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.26 RON 10.34

22.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$0.78 RON 3.56

183.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$0.86 RON 3.95

146.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.91 RON 4.17

70.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.84 RON 3.86

13.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.39

$5.65 RON 25.90

29.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.00

$6.74 RON 30.90

19.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.34

$1.19 RON 5.46

29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.72 RON 7.90

62.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.70

$0.80 RON 3.69

288.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.51

$23.11 RON 106

11.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.63 RON 2.88

419.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.69 RON 3.17

114.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.83

$6.94 RON 31.79

393.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.85 RON 8.45

-6.49%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$30.2K RON 138.2K

20.51%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$27.5K RON 126.0K

11.03%

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

$187 €163

$186 RON 851

0.75%

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

$15.14 €13.18

$7.27 RON 33.30

108.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.80

$8.83 RON 40.44

326.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.69

$39.94 RON 183

40.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.87

$21.48 RON 98.4

-20.48%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.93

$9.77 RON 44.77

16.79%

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

$997 €867

$309 RON 1,416

222.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$7,275 RON 33.3K

127.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.6

$55.5 RON 254

66.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.88

$27.21 RON 125

51.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.8

$79.4 RON 364

40.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$61.3 RON 281

103.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,486

$225 RON 1,032

657.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,119

$168 RON 772

663.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,233

$642 RON 2,941

299.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,690

$462 RON 2,116

320.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,656

$1,940 RON 8,889

294.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,497

$1,381 RON 6,327

274.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,044

$866 RON 3,967

171.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

7.2

-56.11%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Roman: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $225 in Roman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 171% 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 $35.00 in Roman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $207 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 161% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $947 including rent). Roman is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 171% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $225 in Roman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $309 in Roman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $947 in Roman versus $2,476 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 161% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.