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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,178 in Sibiu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,732 in Sibiu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $2,285 in Sibiu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 112% more expensive than in Sibiu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Sibiu is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$8.74 RON 39.48

110.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$43.54 RON 197

58.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$7.95 RON 35.89

77.74%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$3.27 RON 14.75

-4.28%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$2.16 RON 9.75

39.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.89 RON 8.54

3.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$3.38 RON 15.28

18.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$3.97 RON 17.94

19.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.45 RON 6.56

-13.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.19 RON 5.38

81.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.45 RON 6.55

16.55%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$3.68 RON 16.62

33.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$8.52 RON 38.49

109.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$6.36 RON 28.71

51.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$8.22 RON 37.13

135.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$1.22 RON 5.52

165.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.56 RON 7.06

39.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.52 RON 6.87

75.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$2.73 RON 12.33

1.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.70 RON 3.18

215.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$0.68 RON 3.06

222.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.04 RON 4.68

46.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.92 RON 4.17

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$6.23 RON 28.13

14.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$7.85 RON 35.47

3.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.95 RON 4.28

57.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$1.47 RON 6.64

89.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.79 RON 3.59

298.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

$18.07 RON 81.6

49.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$1.00 RON 4.52

225.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.90 RON 4.07

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$8.64 RON 39.01

303.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.85 RON 8.35

-5.41%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$30.1K RON 135.9K

21.86%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$26.6K RON 120.0K

16.42%

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

$188 €161

$119 RON 540

57.04%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$9.48 RON 42.80

62.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$12.69 RON 57.3

197.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$36.45 RON 165

56.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

$14.68 RON 66.3

14.44%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$7.12 RON 32.15

62.64%

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

$1,003 €862

$455 RON 2,055

120.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$6,957 RON 31.4K

144.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$79.6 RON 360

12.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$34.09 RON 154

19.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$92.3 RON 417

19.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$92.6 RON 418

32.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$458 RON 2,071

264.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$431 RON 1,947

208.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$859 RON 3,880

202.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$631 RON 2,848

209.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$2,524 RON 11.4K

200.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$2,150 RON 9,709

149.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$1,161 RON 5,245

106.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

7.02

-54.99%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Sibiu: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $458 in Sibiu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 107% 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 $44.00 in Sibiu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $206 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 112% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,178 including rent). Sibiu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 107% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $458 in Sibiu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $455 in Sibiu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,178 in Sibiu versus $2,495 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 112% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.