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: $2,336 in Barcelona versus $907 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,475 in Barcelona versus $1,386 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,614 in Barcelona versus $1,866 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 158% 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

$17.45 €14.88

$8.62 RON 37.39

102.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €59.6

$40.74 RON 177

71.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €11.86

$8.80 RON 38.21

58.07%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.34

$2.03 RON 8.81

34.98%

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

$2.70 €2.30

$1.27 RON 5.53

112.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.73

$1.16 RON 5.03

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 €3.85

$2.15 RON 9.35

109.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.93

$2.81 RON 12.22

64.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.62 RON 7.04

-20.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.79

$1.16 RON 5.03

81.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.70

$1.40 RON 6.06

42.14%

Eggs

$3.45 €2.95

$2.95 RON 12.79

16.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.61 €15.87

$8.75 RON 37.98

112.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.03

$4.20 RON 18.23

124.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 €15.95

$12.41 RON 53.9

50.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.22

$0.98 RON 4.26

166.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.37 RON 5.93

74.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.86

$1.24 RON 5.37

76.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 €2.40

$1.92 RON 8.33

46.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.73

$0.72 RON 3.13

181.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$0.91 RON 3.96

105.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.24

$0.78 RON 3.40

85.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.68 RON 2.95

35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$5.59 RON 24.26

22.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 €6.58

$7.92 RON 34.37

-2.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.05 RON 4.55

31.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €1.99

$1.18 RON 5.12

97.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.46

$0.67 RON 2.89

329.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.04 €24.77

$19.90 RON 86.4

45.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$0.90 RON 3.91

392.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$0.74 RON 3.22

189.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.96 €24.71

$7.39 RON 32.09

291.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.62

$1.61 RON 6.99

18.01%

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

$37.9K €32.3K

$28.5K RON 123.6K

33.11%

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

$33.3K €28.4K

$28.0K RON 121.4K

19.07%

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

$186 €158

$169 RON 735

9.59%

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

$22.17 €18.91

$8.86 RON 38.46

150.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.52 €31.15

$10.08 RON 43.74

262.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 €49.81

$40.75 RON 177

43.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.75 €17.70

$18.83 RON 81.7

10.20%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 €9.47

$3.38 RON 14.67

228.40%

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

$705 €601

$427 RON 1,855

64.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$6,995 RON 30.4K

117.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 €73.7

$34.39 RON 149

151.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.88 €31.46

$18.14 RON 78.7

103.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.8

$28.09 RON 122

270.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.4

$70.0 RON 304

64.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 €1,312

$315 RON 1,368

388.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,060

$228 RON 990

444.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 €2,327

$572 RON 2,483

376.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 €1,716

$439 RON 1,906

357.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,104

$1,830 RON 7,942

291.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,843 €4,131

$1,373 RON 5,960

252.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,474 €2,111

$759 RON 3,296

225.84%

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Sfantu Gheorghe: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,538 in Barcelona and $315 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 226% 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: $70 in Barcelona vs $41 in Sfantu Gheorghe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 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 158% in total monthly costs ($2,336 vs $907 including rent). Sfantu Gheorghe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 226% 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: $1,538 in Barcelona versus $315 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $705 in Barcelona versus $427 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 $907 in Sfantu Gheorghe versus $2,336 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 158% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.