Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sighetu Marmatiei Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sighetu Marmatiei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $992 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,430 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,867 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 139% more expensive than Sighetu Marmatiei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Sighetu Marmatiei is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.26

$6.98 RON 31.79

151.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €59.4

$23.26 RON 106

194.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.20

$6.63 RON 30.17

112.07%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.87 RON 8.50

48.66%

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

$2.80 €2.43

$2.08 RON 9.47

34.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.60 RON 7.29

28.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.87

$2.10 RON 9.55

112.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.00

$3.01 RON 13.68

53.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.20 RON 5.46

3.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.76

$1.13 RON 5.14

79.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$1.88 RON 8.55

2.13%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.87

$2.81 RON 12.80

17.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.99

$8.74 RON 39.78

110.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.23

$6.93 RON 31.56

36.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.62

$11.53 RON 52.5

66.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.29

$0.92 RON 4.17

186.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.12

$1.58 RON 7.17

55.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.44 RON 6.55

47.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$1.94 RON 8.82

46.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.78 RON 3.54

161.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.06 RON 4.82

74.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.04 RON 4.73

41.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.59 RON 2.69

42.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.20

$5.54 RON 25.23

28.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.84

$5.96 RON 27.13

32.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$0.95 RON 4.31

45.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.00

$1.52 RON 6.92

51.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.59

$0.66 RON 3.01

351.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.39

$19.84 RON 90.3

47.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.99

$1.16 RON 5.29

296.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.75 RON 3.39

176.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.32

$6.80 RON 30.95

329.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.62 RON 7.39

13.58%

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

$39.0K €33.8K

$28.1K RON 127.7K

39.05%

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

$32.7K €28.4K

$25.8K RON 117.6K

26.58%

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

$188 €163

$163 RON 740

15.50%

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

$22.93 €19.90

$7.76 RON 35.34

195.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.85

$9.66 RON 43.99

280.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.78

$41.51 RON 189

38.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.96

$18.88 RON 85.9

9.64%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.71

$4.58 RON 20.83

144.32%

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

$721 €625

$303 RON 1,380

137.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.1K

$9,766 RON 44.5K

54.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.8

$37.69 RON 172

128.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €32.16

$30.41 RON 138

21.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.5

$73.0 RON 332

39.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$72.5 RON 330

59.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,331

$390 RON 1,774

293.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,059

$285 RON 1,298

327.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,339

$584 RON 2,657

361.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,747

$434 RON 1,978

363.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,264

$1,635 RON 7,443

341.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,502

$1,582 RON 7,203

227.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,047

$563 RON 2,565

318.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

7.11

-52.32%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Sighetu Marmatiei: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $390 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 319% 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 $23.00 in Sighetu Marmatiei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $202 per month, with Sighetu Marmatiei 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 Sighetu Marmatiei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sighetu Marmatiei differ by about 139% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $992 including rent). Sighetu Marmatiei is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 319% 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 $390 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $303 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $992 in Sighetu Marmatiei versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sighetu Marmatiei but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sighetu Marmatiei 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 Sighetu Marmatiei 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 Sighetu Marmatiei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 139% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.