Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Targoviste

For one person, living is cheaper in Targoviste: $958 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Targoviste, Romania
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Targoviste
🇷🇴 Romania
$958
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Targoviste

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Targoviste actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $958 in Targoviste.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Targoviste $958

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $1,376 in Targoviste.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Targoviste $1,376

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $1,793 in Targoviste.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Targoviste $1,793

Living in Barcelona is roughly 156% more expensive than in Targoviste, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Targoviste is 30% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Targoviste
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.76
$7.17 RON 34.29
145.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.5
$25.39 RON 121
165.81%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.12
$6.37 RON 30.50
112.40%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.86
$2.09 RON 9.98
52.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.61
$1.35 RON 6.45
115.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$1.30 RON 6.23
45.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.59
$2.06 RON 9.86
94.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.06
$2.71 RON 12.95
67.16%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Targoviste
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.32 RON 6.32
-0.76%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$0.87 RON 4.17
132.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$1.36 RON 6.51
36.03%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.33
$2.54 RON 12.17
90.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €15.00
$3.21 RON 15.38
421.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.17
$6.34 RON 30.33
43.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.60
$11.20 RON 53.6
75.36%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.67
$1.03 RON 4.95
189.32%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.51 RON 7.22
33.77%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.42
$1.47 RON 7.04
83.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.51
$1.83 RON 8.76
53.01%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$0.83 RON 3.97
151.81%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.85
$0.92 RON 4.39
125.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$0.75 RON 3.60
94.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$0.76 RON 3.61
23.68%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.16
$5.86 RON 28.03
17.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.07
$5.43 RON 25.98
45.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.15 RON 5.50
22.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.27
$1.47 RON 7.06
72.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Targoviste
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
$0.44 RON 2.10
613.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.80
$21.70 RON 104
17.28%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.68
$0.77 RON 3.69
288.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$0.61 RON 2.91
144.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.91
$6.34 RON 30.33
426.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.60 RON 7.66
12.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.7K
$28.9K RON 138.5K
14.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.4K
$25.3K RON 121.1K
25.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Targoviste
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$218 RON 1,042
-17.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.40
$7.21 RON 34.51
91.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.20
$8.23 RON 39.37
309.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Targoviste
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.16
$21.14 RON 101
143.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.30
$19.95 RON 95.5
-20.00%
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.85
$3.19 RON 15.27
244.51%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Targoviste
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €821
$312 RON 1,491
194.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
$8,239 RON 39.4K
100.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Targoviste
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €78.0
$63.4 RON 303
37.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.51
$31.01 RON 148
24.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.8
$53.7 RON 257
97.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €107
$74.4 RON 356
60.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Targoviste
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,523
$355 RON 1,698
378.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,214
$265 RON 1,267
411.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,332
$453 RON 2,166
474.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,848
$401 RON 1,918
414.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,196
$1,877 RON 8,980
268.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,595
$1,353 RON 6,473
278.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Targoviste
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,981
$867 RON 4,147
155.06%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
6.84
-52.05%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Targoviste: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Targoviste
$265 80.5% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Targoviste
$178 44.8% $144
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Targoviste
$128 52.3% $140
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Targoviste
$233 2.3% $5.3
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Targoviste
$100 36.6% $58
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Targoviste
$28 62.6% $46
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Targoviste
$27 43.7% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $355 in Targoviste. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays about 2.6 times 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: $67 in Barcelona vs $25 in Targoviste for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $178 per month, with Targoviste cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇷🇴 Targoviste
🕒 Local time
09:12 9:12 AM
10:12 10:12 AM
1 h ahead of Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
79,610
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.78 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Targoviste 1,920 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Targoviste

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Targoviste: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Targoviste?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $958 in Targoviste, so Targoviste is about 61% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Barcelona or Targoviste?
Average pay in Barcelona is about 2.6 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Targoviste?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $355 in Targoviste. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Targoviste?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $312 in Targoviste. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 81% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $958 in Targoviste versus $2,453 in Barcelona, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Targoviste but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Targoviste the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Targoviste?
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.
Is Barcelona or Targoviste safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Targoviste are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Barcelona or Targoviste?
Expats usually find Targoviste gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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