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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,015 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,475 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $1,934 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 146% more expensive than in Sighetu Marmatiei, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Sighetu Marmatiei is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.84

$8.81 RON 39.77

109.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.7

$21.72 RON 98.1

219.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.08

$7.68 RON 34.69

82.94%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.67

$2.76 RON 12.48

12.68%

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

$2.96 €2.54

$1.99 RON 8.97

48.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.82 RON 8.23

7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.43

$2.24 RON 10.11

78.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.97

$3.29 RON 14.87

40.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.51 RON 6.80

-12.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.12 RON 5.05

88.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.27 RON 5.72

44.09%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.44

$2.90 RON 13.10

77.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.10

$8.87 RON 40.03

97.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.17

$6.49 RON 29.28

46.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.14

$9.24 RON 41.70

115.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.72

$1.18 RON 5.34

168.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.63 RON 7.37

35.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.24

$1.51 RON 6.83

72.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.47 RON 6.65

93.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.93 RON 4.21

133.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.96 RON 4.34

119.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.73 RON 3.31

121.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.87 RON 3.93

1.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.16

$5.64 RON 25.46

27.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.16

$6.16 RON 27.81

35.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.05 RON 4.74

42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.92 RON 8.68

43.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.79 RON 3.55

297.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.57

$23.14 RON 104

13.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.77

$0.76 RON 3.42

323.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.81 RON 3.64

86.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.31

$7.63 RON 34.44

362.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.82 RON 8.22

-3.85%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$29.2K RON 131.7K

25.65%

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

$31.7K €27.2K

$26.3K RON 118.6K

20.51%

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

$187 €161

$143 RON 647

30.61%

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

$15.10 €12.98

$6.80 RON 30.69

122.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.33

$8.18 RON 36.93

359.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.71

$39.58 RON 179

40.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.39

$20.46 RON 92.4

-18.18%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.07

$4.51 RON 20.35

159.65%

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

$1,011 €869

$410 RON 1,852

146.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$9,284 RON 41.9K

83.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.6

$62.8 RON 284

45.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.25

$39.23 RON 177

4.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.1

$58.5 RON 264

89.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$65.4 RON 295

92.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,465

$458 RON 2,067

272.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,117

$311 RON 1,402

318.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,225

$608 RON 2,744

325.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,659

$491 RON 2,217

292.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,648

$1,801 RON 8,130

329.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,629

$1,232 RON 5,564

336.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,041

$562 RON 2,537

322.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

7.1

-55.49%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Sighetu Marmatiei: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Barcelona pays 327% 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 $22.00 in Sighetu Marmatiei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $198 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 146% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,015 including rent). Sighetu Marmatiei is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 327% 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 Sighetu Marmatiei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $410 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,015 in Sighetu Marmatiei versus $2,495 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 146% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.