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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $918 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,429 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,940 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 155% more expensive than Sfantu Gheorghe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Sfantu Gheorghe is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.80

$8.45 RON 38.36

102.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €60.0

$40.07 RON 182

72.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.95

$9.12 RON 41.40

51.10%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.39

$2.01 RON 9.12

37.31%

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

$2.79 €2.42

$1.27 RON 5.75

119.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.73

$1.11 RON 5.03

79.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.78

$2.13 RON 9.69

104.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.11

$2.72 RON 12.35

74.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.12

$1.54 RON 7.01

-16.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.78

$1.22 RON 5.52

68.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.35 RON 6.14

47.41%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.94

$3.05 RON 13.83

11.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.31

$8.74 RON 39.70

115.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.12

$4.11 RON 18.68

127.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.57

$12.30 RON 55.9

55.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.34

$0.98 RON 4.46

175.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.03

$1.31 RON 5.95

78.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.30 RON 5.91

63.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$1.98 RON 9.01

43.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.72 RON 3.29

173.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.56

$0.87 RON 3.95

106.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.26

$0.79 RON 3.57

83.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.67 RON 3.05

28.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$5.52 RON 25.05

22.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.85

$8.46 RON 38.39

-6.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.05 RON 4.75

32.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.06

$1.13 RON 5.13

109.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.53

$0.67 RON 3.03

335.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.86

$19.63 RON 89.1

46.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.86

$0.95 RON 4.29

369.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.78

$0.67 RON 3.06

205.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.61

$7.51 RON 34.11

293.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.57

$1.58 RON 7.19

15.19%

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

$38.8K €33.7K

$27.9K RON 126.9K

38.94%

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

$33.1K €28.7K

$28.0K RON 127.3K

18.06%

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

$189 €164

$168 RON 764

12.44%

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

$22.80 €19.76

$8.52 RON 38.69

167.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.58

$9.63 RON 43.74

290.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €50.1

$40.76 RON 185

41.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.98

$18.87 RON 85.7

9.91%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.38

$3.35 RON 15.21

222.99%

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

$728 €631

$431 RON 1,958

68.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.8K

$6,922 RON 31.4K

113.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.8

$34.47 RON 156

157.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.94

$18.69 RON 84.9

97.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.4

$27.87 RON 127

266.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$69.8 RON 317

66.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,360

$320 RON 1,451

390.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,056

$230 RON 1,042

430.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,423

$565 RON 2,566

394.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,712

$440 RON 1,999

348.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,720

$1,926 RON 8,744

302.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,486

$1,397 RON 6,340

270.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,031

$724 RON 3,287

223.59%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sfantu Gheorghe: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $320 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 224% 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 $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 155% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $918 including rent). Sfantu Gheorghe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 224% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $320 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $431 in Sfantu Gheorghe. 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 $918 in Sfantu Gheorghe versus $2,337 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 155% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.