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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $961 in Sighisoara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,549 in Sighisoara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,137 in Sighisoara.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 158% more expensive than in Sighisoara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Sighisoara is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.31

$11.08 RON 50.8

69.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$38.01 RON 174

82.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.98

$9.00 RON 41.21

53.00%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.18 RON 9.98

42.20%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$2.25 RON 10.28

25.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$2.35 RON 10.78

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.24 RON 10.26

77.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.94

$2.87 RON 13.15

57.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.56 RON 7.13

-18.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.28 RON 5.87

68.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.51 RON 6.91

16.56%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.46

$3.50 RON 16.05

46.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.56

$7.78 RON 35.62

129.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.40

$7.48 RON 34.26

29.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.54

$7.78 RON 35.65

159.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$1.08 RON 4.95

200.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.70 RON 7.78

31.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$1.92 RON 8.82

35.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.53 RON 11.60

9.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$0.80 RON 3.68

176.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.02 RON 4.68

107.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.97 RON 4.43

59.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.03 RON 4.71

-7.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.39

$5.43 RON 24.87

35.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.00

$7.59 RON 34.77

6.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.34

$1.28 RON 5.88

20.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.81 RON 8.28

54.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.70

$0.69 RON 3.15

350.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.92 RON 4.23

255.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.98 RON 4.48

51.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.83

$9.14 RON 41.88

274.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.72 RON 7.88

0.58%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$29.5K RON 135.1K

23.35%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$26.3K RON 120.3K

16.32%

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

$187 €163

$61.3 RON 281

205.04%

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

$15.14 €13.18

$8.84 RON 40.49

71.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.80

$9.03 RON 41.39

317.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.69

$54.8 RON 251

2.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.87

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.93

$9.96 RON 45.63

14.56%

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

$997 €867

$625 RON 2,863

59.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$9,929 RON 45.5K

66.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.6

$93.4 RON 428

-0.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.88

$47.72 RON 219

-13.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.8

$103 RON 473

7.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$115 RON 526

8.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,486

$327 RON 1,498

422.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,119

$264 RON 1,209

387.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,233

$541 RON 2,480

373.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,690

$496 RON 2,274

291.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,656

$1,627 RON 7,453

370.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,497

$1,097 RON 5,026

370.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,044

$617 RON 2,827

280.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.8

-53.53%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Sighisoara: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $327 in Sighisoara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 281% 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 $38.00 in Sighisoara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $214 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 158% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $961 including rent). Sighisoara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 281% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $327 in Sighisoara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $625 in Sighisoara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sighisoara – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $961 in Sighisoara versus $2,476 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 158% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.