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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $987 in Roman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,496 in Roman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,004 in Roman.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 140% more expensive than Roman, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Roman is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.26

$12.23 RON 55.7

43.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €59.4

$27.08 RON 123

152.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.20

$7.97 RON 36.29

76.41%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.36 RON 15.31

-17.26%

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

$2.80 €2.43

$1.14 RON 5.19

145.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.79

$2.09 RON 9.49

-1.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.87

$3.30 RON 15.01

35.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.00

$2.37 RON 10.77

94.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.53 RON 6.98

-18.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.76

$0.88 RON 3.99

130.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$1.66 RON 7.55

15.66%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.87

$3.01 RON 13.72

9.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.99

$8.62 RON 39.25

113.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.23

$7.06 RON 32.14

34.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.62

$11.64 RON 53.0

64.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.29

$0.91 RON 4.14

190.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.12

$1.47 RON 6.71

66.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.54 RON 6.99

37.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$2.25 RON 10.23

26.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.84 RON 3.80

142.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.02 RON 4.66

81.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.28

$0.88 RON 4.03

67.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.82 RON 3.74

2.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.20

$6.00 RON 27.31

19.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.84

$6.71 RON 30.53

17.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$1.11 RON 5.03

24.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.00

$1.70 RON 7.74

35.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.59

$0.68 RON 3.07

338.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.39

$20.08 RON 91.4

45.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.99

$0.72 RON 3.27

538.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.64 RON 2.93

223.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.32

$6.84 RON 31.15

326.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.66 RON 7.55

10.84%

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

$39.0K €33.8K

$28.4K RON 129.2K

37.50%

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

$32.7K €28.4K

$27.4K RON 124.6K

19.45%

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

$188 €163

$91.1 RON 415

106.10%

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

$22.93 €19.90

$3.48 RON 15.83

558.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.85

$5.62 RON 25.56

553.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.78

$40.73 RON 185

40.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.96

$19.27 RON 87.7

7.42%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.71

$10.82 RON 49.25

3.42%

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

$721 €625

$324 RON 1,474

122.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.1K

$6,501 RON 29.6K

131.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.8

$66.6 RON 303

29.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €32.16

$17.36 RON 79.0

113.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.5

$96.2 RON 438

6.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$33.87 RON 154

242.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,331

$385 RON 1,751

298.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,059

$287 RON 1,305

325.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,339

$592 RON 2,694

355.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,747

$433 RON 1,969

365.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,264

$1,602 RON 7,291

350.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,502

$1,480 RON 6,737

250.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,047

$865 RON 3,937

172.79%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Roman: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $385 in Roman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 173% 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 $27.00 in Roman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $210 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 140% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $987 including rent). Roman is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 173% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $385 in Roman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $324 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 $987 in Roman versus $2,367 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 140% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.