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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $994 in Roman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,472 in Roman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,950 in Roman.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 137% more expensive than in Roman, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Roman is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$12.34 RON 56.1

38.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$27.51 RON 125

147.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$7.96 RON 36.20

71.36%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.35 RON 15.24

-17.01%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.14 RON 5.18

147.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$2.08 RON 9.45

-5.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$3.20 RON 14.53

38.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.32 RON 10.53

98.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.50 RON 6.81

-15.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.89 RON 4.05

139.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.59 RON 7.22

25.16%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.97 RON 13.48

13.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$8.90 RON 40.45

113.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$6.87 RON 31.24

38.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$11.32 RON 51.5

65.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$0.91 RON 4.12

191.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.54 RON 7.02

52.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.48 RON 6.72

41.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$2.23 RON 10.13

22.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.80 RON 3.63

145.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.01 RON 4.60

79.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.94 RON 4.26

60.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.85 RON 3.86

4.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$5.79 RON 26.31

17.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$6.54 RON 29.73

21.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.15 RON 5.22

19.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.71 RON 7.76

40.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.70 RON 3.20

315.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$19.96 RON 90.7

43.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$0.67 RON 3.04

583.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.61 RON 2.75

234.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$6.88 RON 31.28

317.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.66 RON 7.53

9.64%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$28.1K RON 127.9K

39.73%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$27.4K RON 124.7K

18.41%

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

$187 €162

$93.4 RON 425

99.73%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$3.40 RON 15.46

555.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$5.60 RON 25.47

549.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$40.66 RON 185

41.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$19.35 RON 88.0

7.18%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$10.99 RON 49.94

-2.00%

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

$725 €628

$325 RON 1,477

123.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$6,589 RON 30.0K

129.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$67.6 RON 307

29.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$17.61 RON 80.1

109.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$95.9 RON 436

7.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$33.92 RON 154

249.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$388 RON 1,765

292.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$290 RON 1,320

322.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$581 RON 2,643

369.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$444 RON 2,017

347.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$2,229 RON 10.1K

235.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,357 RON 6,168

286.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$859 RON 3,907

178.45%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Roman: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $388 in Roman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 178% 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 $28.00 in Roman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $209 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 137% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $994 including rent). Roman is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 178% 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 $388 in Roman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $325 in Roman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $994 in Roman versus $2,359 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 137% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.