Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sibiu Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sibiu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,087 in Sibiu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,653 in Sibiu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,219 in Sibiu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 118% more expensive than Sibiu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Sibiu is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$9.02 RON 40.76

94.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$46.09 RON 208

48.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$7.01 RON 31.68

100.57%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.10 RON 14.00

-10.32%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.08 RON 9.39

34.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.73 RON 7.82

19.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.74 RON 12.39

62.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.50 RON 15.82

31.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.50 RON 6.77

-17.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.21 RON 5.48

67.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.60 RON 7.21

20.00%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.24 RON 14.65

2.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$7.77 RON 35.12

137.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$6.22 RON 28.11

52.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$8.97 RON 40.55

113.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.17 RON 5.27

125.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.52 RON 6.88

61.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.72 RON 7.79

23.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.15 RON 9.70

32.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.82 RON 3.70

148.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.86 RON 3.91

115.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.03 RON 4.64

42.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.93 RON 4.20

-9.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$5.87 RON 26.52

21.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$8.48 RON 38.35

-7.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.02 RON 4.62

35.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.78 RON 8.06

29.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.71 RON 3.20

319.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$19.74 RON 89.2

48.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$0.88 RON 3.96

422.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.87 RON 3.92

137.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$9.08 RON 41.04

221.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.66 RON 7.49

10.84%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$27.7K RON 125.2K

40.89%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$26.3K RON 118.8K

24.42%

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

$188 €162

$142 RON 644

31.83%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$8.78 RON 39.70

161.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$11.43 RON 51.7

221.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$41.14 RON 186

39.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$15.52 RON 70.1

33.38%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$6.71 RON 30.34

66.77%

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

$721 €620

$423 RON 1,912

70.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$6,959 RON 31.5K

116.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$67.6 RON 306

27.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$38.54 RON 174

-3.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$82.0 RON 371

24.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$94.5 RON 427

22.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$370 RON 1,672

314.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$326 RON 1,473

274.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$704 RON 3,180

283.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$572 RON 2,587

251.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$2,513 RON 11.4K

187.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$2,088 RON 9,439

148.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$1,157 RON 5,231

103.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.5

-47.85%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Sibiu: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $370 in Sibiu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 104% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $46.00 in Sibiu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $205 per month, with Sibiu 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 Sibiu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sibiu differ by about 118% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,087 including rent). Sibiu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 104% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $370 in Sibiu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $423 in Sibiu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,087 in Sibiu versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sibiu but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sibiu 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 Sibiu 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 Sibiu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.