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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,074 in Sibiu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,655 in Sibiu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,236 in Sibiu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 116% more expensive than in Sibiu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Sibiu is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$9.30 RON 42.68

89.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$45.72 RON 210

52.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$6.98 RON 32.03

102.87%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.11 RON 14.28

-9.97%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$2.07 RON 9.50

35.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.71 RON 7.87

20.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$2.82 RON 12.95

63.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$3.42 RON 15.68

37.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.51 RON 6.95

-18.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.26 RON 5.76

61.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.54 RON 7.08

28.57%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.22 RON 14.80

8.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$7.88 RON 36.16

132.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$6.34 RON 29.12

55.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$9.11 RON 41.80

109.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.16 RON 5.31

135.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.57 RON 7.20

51.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.65 RON 7.56

26.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.21 RON 10.16

24.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.77 RON 3.54

154.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.87 RON 4.02

105.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.05 RON 4.83

40.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.86 RON 3.96

5.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$5.90 RON 27.09

20.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$8.32 RON 38.21

-5.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.99 RON 4.54

39.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.80 RON 8.26

32.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.72 RON 3.29

318.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$19.78 RON 90.8

48.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$0.90 RON 4.15

384.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.83 RON 3.79

156.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$9.11 RON 41.84

224.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.65 RON 7.59

10.30%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$28.4K RON 130.5K

33.28%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$26.4K RON 121.2K

22.60%

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

$189 €166

$140 RON 643

35.05%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$8.87 RON 40.72

151.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$11.42 RON 52.4

225.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$40.55 RON 186

43.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$15.36 RON 70.5

34.51%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$7.11 RON 32.63

52.88%

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

$706 €618

$437 RON 2,007

61.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$6,874 RON 31.6K

116.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$67.9 RON 312

31.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$38.54 RON 177

-5.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$85.1 RON 391

22.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$94.4 RON 433

26.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$376 RON 1,726

319.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$323 RON 1,482

283.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$690 RON 3,169

292.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$558 RON 2,563

265.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$2,531 RON 11.6K

197.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,061 RON 9,460

154.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,147 RON 5,266

106.05%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Sibiu: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $376 in Sibiu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 106% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $46.00 in Sibiu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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 116% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,074 including rent). Sibiu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 106% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $376 in Sibiu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $437 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 $1,074 in Sibiu versus $2,320 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 116% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.