Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Satu Mare Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Satu Mare

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $947 in Satu Mare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,455 in Satu Mare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,962 in Satu Mare.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 150% more expensive than Satu Mare, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Satu Mare is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$8.97 RON 40.57

95.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$46.81 RON 212

46.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$6.73 RON 30.41

108.92%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.44 RON 11.04

13.93%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.72 RON 7.79

62.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.46 RON 6.60

41.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.01 RON 9.08

121.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$2.27 RON 10.28

103.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.51 RON 6.84

-17.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.13 RON 5.12

79.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.27 RON 5.72

51.18%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.09 RON 13.95

7.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$8.29 RON 37.48

122.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$6.32 RON 28.56

50.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$11.36 RON 51.4

68.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.09 RON 4.91

142.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.50 RON 6.77

63.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.40 RON 6.32

51.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.79 RON 8.08

59.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.71 RON 3.22

187.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.98 RON 4.45

88.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.67 RON 3.01

119.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.77 RON 3.48

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$5.71 RON 25.82

25.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$6.47 RON 29.26

21.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.25 RON 5.64

10.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.67 RON 7.56

38.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.59 RON 2.68

405.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$25.41 RON 115

15.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$0.83 RON 3.74

454.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.87 RON 3.94

137.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$7.32 RON 33.08

298.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.55 RON 7.00

18.71%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$25.1K RON 113.7K

55.15%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$25.4K RON 115.0K

28.55%

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

$188 €162

$137 RON 621

36.80%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$8.00 RON 36.14

186.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$9.30 RON 42.06

294.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$48.87 RON 221

17.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$11.66 RON 52.7

77.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$6.79 RON 30.70

64.80%

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

$721 €620

$187 RON 844

286.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$10.3K RON 46.3K

46.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$65.8 RON 297

31.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$30.23 RON 137

22.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$81.2 RON 367

25.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$76.5 RON 346

51.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$304 RON 1,374

404.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$236 RON 1,069

416.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$546 RON 2,469

393.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$348 RON 1,574

478.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$1,057 RON 4,776

583.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$1,117 RON 5,048

364.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$689 RON 3,115

242.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.66

-49.10%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Satu Mare: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $304 in Satu Mare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 242% 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 $47.00 in Satu Mare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $202 per month, with Satu Mare 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 Satu Mare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Satu Mare differ by about 150% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $947 including rent). Satu Mare is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 242% 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 $304 in Satu Mare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $187 in Satu Mare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $947 in Satu Mare versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Satu Mare but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Satu Mare 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 Satu Mare 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 Satu Mare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 150% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.