Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Targu Frumos Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Targu Frumos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,049 in Targu Frumos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,559 in Targu Frumos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,068 in Targu Frumos.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 123% more expensive than Targu Frumos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Targu Frumos is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$8.51 RON 38.48

100.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$40.78 RON 184

69.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$9.09 RON 41.11

51.60%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.30 RON 10.39

20.00%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.33 RON 6.00

109.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.11 RON 5.04

79.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.17 RON 9.79

100.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.78 RON 12.59

70.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.58 RON 7.13

-18.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.16 RON 5.27

76.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.56 RON 7.07

27.56%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$3.07 RON 13.88

10.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$8.86 RON 40.09

112.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$7.22 RON 32.67

29.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$12.80 RON 57.9

49.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.01 RON 4.59

167.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.32 RON 5.96

77.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.54 RON 6.95

37.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.94 RON 8.79

46.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.93 RON 4.22

111.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.86 RON 3.88

109.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.73 RON 3.31

98.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.75 RON 3.39

14.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$6.03 RON 27.28

12.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$7.67 RON 34.70

3.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.05 RON 4.74

32.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.70 RON 7.69

39.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.68 RON 3.07

329.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$19.64 RON 88.9

46.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.94 RON 4.26

374.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.65 RON 2.92

215.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$7.23 RON 32.68

308.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.58 RON 7.15

15.19%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$28.1K RON 127.1K

38.16%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$27.9K RON 126.4K

18.44%

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

$189 €163

$167 RON 754

13.49%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$8.92 RON 40.34

155.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$10.13 RON 45.84

271.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$41.88 RON 189

37.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$18.93 RON 85.6

9.56%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$5.65 RON 25.56

91.50%

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

$728 €628

$432 RON 1,953

68.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$6,935 RON 31.4K

113.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$72.3 RON 327

22.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$31.71 RON 143

16.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$73.9 RON 334

38.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$80.3 RON 363

44.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$391 RON 1,769

301.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$286 RON 1,292

326.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$588 RON 2,661

375.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$439 RON 1,985

350.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$1,800 RON 8,142

330.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$1,555 RON 7,033

232.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

8.17

-58.51%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Targu Frumos: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $391 in Targu Frumos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $41.00 in Targu Frumos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $216 per month, with Targu Frumos 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 Targu Frumos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Targu Frumos differ by about 123% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,049 including rent). Targu Frumos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,505 in Barcelona and $1,573 in Targu Frumos to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $391 in Targu Frumos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $432 in Targu Frumos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,049 in Targu Frumos versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Targu Frumos but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Targu Frumos 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 Targu Frumos 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 Targu Frumos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 123% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.