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: $2,336 in Barcelona versus $986 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,475 in Barcelona versus $1,435 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,614 in Barcelona versus $1,885 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 137% more expensive than Sighetu Marmatiei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Sighetu Marmatiei is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €14.88

$6.93 RON 30.06

151.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €59.6

$22.76 RON 98.8

206.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €11.86

$6.53 RON 28.34

113.02%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.34

$1.90 RON 8.25

44.21%

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

$2.70 €2.30

$2.00 RON 8.70

35.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.73

$1.59 RON 6.89

27.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 €3.85

$2.04 RON 8.86

121.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.93

$3.02 RON 13.11

52.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.24 RON 5.39

3.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.79

$1.14 RON 4.96

84.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.70

$1.97 RON 8.56

1.02%

Eggs

$3.45 €2.95

$2.85 RON 12.38

21.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.61 €15.87

$8.37 RON 36.34

122.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.03

$6.89 RON 29.89

36.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 €15.95

$11.42 RON 49.58

63.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.22

$0.97 RON 4.22

169.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.57 RON 6.83

52.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.86

$1.44 RON 6.24

52.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 €2.40

$1.94 RON 8.40

44.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.73

$0.76 RON 3.31

167.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$1.10 RON 4.77

70.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.24

$1.01 RON 4.38

43.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.63 RON 2.74

46.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$5.68 RON 24.65

20.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 €6.58

$6.75 RON 29.31

14.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$0.94 RON 4.07

46.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €1.99

$1.54 RON 6.68

51.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.46

$0.71 RON 3.06

305.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.04 €24.77

$20.03 RON 86.9

44.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$1.13 RON 4.90

292.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$0.81 RON 3.54

164.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.96 €24.71

$6.76 RON 29.36

328.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.62

$1.60 RON 6.95

18.75%

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

$37.9K €32.3K

$28.5K RON 123.8K

32.85%

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

$33.3K €28.4K

$26.2K RON 113.5K

27.32%

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

$186 €158

$160 RON 695

16.00%

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

$22.17 €18.91

$8.02 RON 34.81

176.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.52 €31.15

$9.78 RON 42.44

273.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 €49.81

$41.81 RON 181

39.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.75 €17.70

$18.84 RON 81.8

10.14%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 €9.47

$4.50 RON 19.55

146.67%

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

$705 €601

$308 RON 1,337

128.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$10.0K RON 43.4K

51.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 €73.7

$37.46 RON 163

130.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.88 €31.46

$30.50 RON 132

20.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.8

$72.8 RON 316

42.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.4

$73.1 RON 317

57.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 €1,312

$393 RON 1,704

291.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,060

$293 RON 1,270

324.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 €2,327

$589 RON 2,557

363.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 €1,716

$435 RON 1,886

362.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,104

$2,054 RON 8,915

248.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,843 €4,131

$1,579 RON 6,855

206.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,474 €2,111

$574 RON 2,491

331.11%

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Sighetu Marmatiei: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,538 in Barcelona and $393 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 331% 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 in Barcelona vs $23 in Sighetu Marmatiei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $204 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 137% in total monthly costs ($2,336 vs $986 including rent). Sighetu Marmatiei is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 331% 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: $1,538 in Barcelona versus $393 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $705 in Barcelona versus $308 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $986 in Sighetu Marmatiei versus $2,336 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 137% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.