Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sighisoara Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sighisoara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $989 in Sighisoara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,542 in Sighisoara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,096 in Sighisoara.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 136% more expensive than Sighisoara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$11.73 RON 53.1

45.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$40.70 RON 184

70.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$8.07 RON 36.52

70.76%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.27 RON 10.29

21.59%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$2.28 RON 10.33

22.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.73 RON 7.82

15.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.28 RON 10.30

91.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.97 RON 13.42

59.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.58 RON 7.17

-18.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.30 RON 5.86

57.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.65 RON 7.46

20.61%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$3.29 RON 14.88

3.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$7.92 RON 35.81

137.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$7.14 RON 32.32

31.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$7.85 RON 35.49

143.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.12 RON 5.05

141.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.78 RON 8.04

31.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.63 RON 7.39

30.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$2.32 RON 10.49

22.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.79 RON 3.57

149.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.91 RON 4.11

97.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.08 RON 4.86

34.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.88 RON 3.99

-2.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$5.84 RON 26.40

16.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$7.74 RON 35.01

2.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.13 RON 5.10

23.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.99 RON 8.99

19.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.70 RON 3.18

317.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$20.03 RON 90.6

43.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.00 RON 4.51

346.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.80 RON 3.61

156.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$9.55 RON 43.18

209.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.64 RON 7.42

10.98%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$28.5K RON 128.8K

36.37%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$26.4K RON 119.3K

25.54%

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

$189 €163

$66.4 RON 300

185.03%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$9.01 RON 40.77

153.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$9.03 RON 40.85

316.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$41.21 RON 186

40.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$19.34 RON 87.5

7.24%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$7.83 RON 35.42

38.19%

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

$728 €628

$479 RON 2,165

52.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$10.6K RON 47.9K

39.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$68.9 RON 312

28.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$39.65 RON 179

-7.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$86.4 RON 391

18.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$98.7 RON 447

17.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$390 RON 1,763

302.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$292 RON 1,322

316.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$594 RON 2,689

370.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$436 RON 1,971

353.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$1,908 RON 8,630

306.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$1,365 RON 6,174

279.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$625 RON 2,827

274.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.85

-42.05%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sighisoara: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $390 in Sighisoara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 275% 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 $41.00 in Sighisoara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $210 per month, with Sighisoara 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 Sighisoara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sighisoara differ by about 136% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $989 including rent). Sighisoara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 275% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $390 in Sighisoara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $479 in Sighisoara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $989 in Sighisoara versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sighisoara but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sighisoara 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 Sighisoara 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 Sighisoara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 136% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.