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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $971 in Satu Mare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,485 in Satu Mare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $1,999 in Satu Mare.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 157% more expensive than in Satu Mare, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Satu Mare is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.84

$8.95 RON 40.41

105.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.7

$34.28 RON 155

102.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.08

$6.60 RON 29.81

112.88%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.67

$2.64 RON 11.92

17.80%

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

$2.96 €2.54

$1.51 RON 6.83

96.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.41 RON 6.36

38.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.43

$2.05 RON 9.25

94.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.97

$2.52 RON 11.38

83.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.20 RON 5.42

10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.14 RON 5.13

85.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.20 RON 5.41

52.50%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.44

$2.79 RON 12.58

84.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.10

$7.42 RON 33.51

136.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.17

$7.71 RON 34.80

23.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.14

$11.34 RON 51.2

75.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.72

$1.19 RON 5.36

166.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.42 RON 6.39

55.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.24

$1.36 RON 6.14

91.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.47 RON 6.64

93.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.20 RON 5.44

80.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.44 RON 6.51

46.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.97 RON 4.40

67.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.73 RON 3.30

20.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.16

$5.77 RON 26.07

24.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.16

$6.49 RON 29.29

28.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.26 RON 5.67

19.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.86 RON 8.42

47.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.57 RON 2.57

450.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.57

$24.38 RON 110

7.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.77

$0.83 RON 3.73

287.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.86 RON 3.88

75.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.31

$8.81 RON 39.77

300.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.57 RON 7.08

11.46%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$24.1K RON 108.9K

51.99%

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

$31.7K €27.2K

$26.1K RON 117.8K

21.37%

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

$187 €161

$133 RON 602

40.32%

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

$15.10 €12.98

$7.73 RON 34.88

95.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.33

$7.70 RON 34.77

388.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.71

$44.36 RON 200

25.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.39

$11.16 RON 50.4

50.00%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.07

$6.83 RON 30.83

71.45%

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

$1,011 €869

$165 RON 746

511.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$4,075 RON 18.4K

318.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.6

$63.1 RON 285

44.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.25

$29.49 RON 133

39.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.1

$88.6 RON 400

24.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$74.1 RON 335

70.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,465

$337 RON 1,522

405.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,117

$277 RON 1,250

369.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,225

$666 RON 3,007

288.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,659

$421 RON 1,902

357.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,648

$1,050 RON 4,742

636.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,629

$1,090 RON 4,919

394.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,041

$685 RON 3,093

246.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

7.05

-55.18%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Satu Mare: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $337 in Satu Mare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 241% 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 $34.00 in Satu Mare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $205 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 157% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $971 including rent). Satu Mare is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 241% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $337 in Satu Mare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $169 in Satu Mare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $971 in Satu Mare versus $2,495 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 157% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.