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: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $985 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $1,413 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $1,841 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 135% more expensive than in Sighetu Marmatiei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 73% above, Sighetu Marmatiei is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.06

$7.10 RON 32.55

142.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.0

$22.92 RON 105

208.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.29

$6.47 RON 29.70

116.69%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.44

$1.87 RON 8.58

48.66%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$1.99 RON 9.12

39.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.58 RON 7.26

29.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.96

$2.12 RON 9.70

113.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.09

$2.92 RON 13.41

59.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.23 RON 5.62

4.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.19 RON 5.47

79.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.69

$1.97 RON 9.02

-2.03%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.86 RON 13.10

22.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.23

$8.48 RON 38.90

118.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.35

$6.97 RON 31.98

36.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.56

$11.52 RON 52.8

64.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.30

$0.97 RON 4.44

170.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.05

$1.52 RON 6.95

53.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.44 RON 6.61

44.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$1.88 RON 8.61

51.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.76 RON 3.51

157.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.06 RON 4.85

74.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.34

$0.99 RON 4.55

54.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$0.65 RON 2.98

38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.93

$5.40 RON 24.76

25.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.82

$5.87 RON 26.92

32.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.94 RON 4.30

46.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$1.48 RON 6.79

56.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.62

$0.67 RON 3.06

347.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.08

$20.01 RON 91.8

43.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.01

$1.12 RON 5.14

308.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.76 RON 3.47

180.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.89

$6.92 RON 31.76

327.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.58 RON 7.23

13.92%

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

$38.5K €33.7K

$28.0K RON 128.3K

37.45%

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

$33.3K €29.1K

$26.3K RON 120.6K

26.52%

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

$185 €162

$162 RON 742

14.38%

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

$22.68 €19.87

$7.74 RON 35.52

193.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.22

$9.45 RON 43.36

289.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.6

$42.11 RON 193

37.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.57

$19.36 RON 88.8

9.45%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.49

$4.72 RON 21.67

129.45%

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

$727 €637

$310 RON 1,423

134.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €12.9K

$9,804 RON 45.0K

50.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €76.7

$38.01 RON 174

130.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.74

$30.45 RON 140

22.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.5

$73.9 RON 339

39.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$73.6 RON 337

61.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,367

$388 RON 1,781

302.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,070

$285 RON 1,306

329.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,402

$581 RON 2,666

371.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,745

$435 RON 1,997

357.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,562

$1,963 RON 9,006

281.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,562

$1,233 RON 5,654

322.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,063

$549 RON 2,517

329.09%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Sighetu Marmatiei: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $388 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 329% 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: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $23.00 in Sighetu Marmatiei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $203 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 135% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $985 including rent). Sighetu Marmatiei is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 329% 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: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $388 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $310 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 $985 in Sighetu Marmatiei versus $2,316 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 135% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.