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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $839 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,355 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,870 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 196% more expensive than in Sfantu Gheorghe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Sfantu Gheorghe is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.84

$8.60 RON 38.81

114.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.7

$44.65 RON 202

55.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.08

$7.70 RON 34.76

82.47%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.67

$2.61 RON 11.78

19.16%

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

$2.96 €2.54

$1.34 RON 6.05

120.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.08 RON 4.88

80.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.43

$2.59 RON 11.71

54.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.97

$2.25 RON 10.14

105.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.46 RON 6.58

-9.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.17 RON 5.27

80.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.47 RON 6.64

24.49%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.44

$3.53 RON 15.93

46.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.10

$8.10 RON 36.59

116.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.17

$4.80 RON 21.69

97.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.14

$8.36 RON 37.76

138.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.72

$1.14 RON 5.14

178.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.63 RON 7.37

35.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.24

$1.27 RON 5.71

105.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.69 RON 12.13

5.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.70 RON 3.15

210.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.63 RON 2.86

234.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.08 RON 4.86

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.84 RON 3.79

4.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.16

$5.14 RON 23.21

39.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.16

$7.67 RON 34.63

8.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.97 RON 4.40

54.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.10 RON 4.95

150.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.90 RON 4.07

248.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.57

$16.69 RON 75.4

57.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.77

$1.02 RON 4.61

215.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.92 RON 4.17

64.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.31

$8.62 RON 38.92

309.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.63 RON 7.35

7.36%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$30.1K RON 136.0K

21.67%

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

$31.7K €27.2K

$26.1K RON 117.7K

21.50%

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

$187 €161

$121 RON 545

55.07%

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

$15.10 €12.98

$9.53 RON 43.03

58.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.33

$13.11 RON 59.2

186.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.71

$42.20 RON 191

31.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.39

$21.66 RON 97.8

-22.71%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.07

$3.25 RON 14.68

260.31%

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

$1,011 €869

$462 RON 2,085

118.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$7,059 RON 31.9K

141.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.6

$27.74 RON 125

229.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.25

$14.43 RON 65.1

184.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.1

$41.29 RON 186

167.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$66.4 RON 300

89.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,465

$304 RON 1,372

460.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,117

$224 RON 1,011

480.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,225

$549 RON 2,477

371.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,659

$408 RON 1,844

372.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,648

$1,934 RON 8,730

299.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,629

$1,396 RON 6,302

285.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,041

$710 RON 3,206

234.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.75

-53.19%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Sfantu Gheorghe: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $304 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 234% 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 $45.00 in Sfantu Gheorghe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $194 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 196% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $839 including rent). Sfantu Gheorghe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 234% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $304 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $462 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $839 in Sfantu Gheorghe versus $2,482 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 196% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.