Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sfantu Gheorghe Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sfantu Gheorghe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $895 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $1,388 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $1,880 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 159% more expensive than in Sfantu Gheorghe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 73% above, Sfantu Gheorghe is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.11

$8.82 RON 40.45

94.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.2

$40.49 RON 186

74.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.33

$9.25 RON 42.41

51.57%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.45

$2.10 RON 9.63

32.38%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$1.26 RON 5.78

120.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.80

$1.10 RON 5.05

86.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.97

$2.24 RON 10.27

101.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.11

$2.68 RON 12.30

74.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.14

$1.54 RON 7.08

-16.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.88

$1.22 RON 5.59

75.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.70

$1.35 RON 6.17

42.96%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.07

$2.96 RON 13.59

17.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.28

$8.57 RON 39.29

116.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.38

$4.04 RON 18.52

135.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.62

$12.67 RON 58.1

49.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.31

$0.99 RON 4.54

164.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.06

$1.38 RON 6.32

69.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.83

$1.26 RON 5.76

65.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$1.92 RON 8.81

48.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.72 RON 3.31

172.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.63

$0.87 RON 4.01

112.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.35

$0.80 RON 3.68

91.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$0.66 RON 3.01

36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.95

$5.55 RON 25.44

21.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.85

$8.20 RON 37.62

-5.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.07 RON 4.91

28.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$1.12 RON 5.13

107.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.63

$0.72 RON 3.31

316.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.16

$19.93 RON 91.4

43.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.02

$0.96 RON 4.40

377.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.87

$0.69 RON 3.16

208.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.98

$7.32 RON 33.57

303.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.58

$1.60 RON 7.36

12.50%

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

$38.5K €33.8K

$28.0K RON 128.2K

37.55%

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

$33.3K €29.2K

$27.8K RON 127.3K

19.77%

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

$185 €163

$169 RON 775

9.31%

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

$22.68 €19.94

$8.67 RON 39.74

161.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.33

$9.68 RON 44.39

279.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.8

$42.14 RON 193

37.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.63

$19.52 RON 89.5

8.56%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.52

$3.40 RON 15.59

218.53%

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

$727 €639

$429 RON 1,965

69.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €13.0K

$6,965 RON 31.9K

111.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €77.0

$34.73 RON 159

152.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.85

$18.61 RON 85.3

100.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.8

$27.49 RON 126

275.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$69.4 RON 318

70.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,372

$315 RON 1,444

395.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,073

$234 RON 1,073

421.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,411

$575 RON 2,638

376.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,751

$435 RON 1,993

358.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,584

$1,938 RON 8,885

286.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,578

$1,421 RON 6,515

266.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,070

$694 RON 3,183

239.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.75

-49.78%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 21, 2026

Last update for Sfantu Gheorghe: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $315 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 239% 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: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $40.00 in Sfantu Gheorghe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $196 per month, with Sfantu Gheorghe 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 Sfantu Gheorghe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sfantu Gheorghe differ by about 159% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $895 including rent). Sfantu Gheorghe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 239% 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: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $315 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $429 in Sfantu Gheorghe. 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 $895 in Sfantu Gheorghe versus $2,316 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sfantu Gheorghe but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sfantu Gheorghe 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 Sfantu Gheorghe 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 Sfantu Gheorghe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 159% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.