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: $2,434 in Barcelona versus $977 in Targu Frumos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,473 in Barcelona versus $1,488 in Targu Frumos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,512 in Barcelona versus $2,000 in Targu Frumos.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 149% more expensive than in Targu Frumos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 78% above, Targu Frumos is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.80 €16.09

$8.60 RON 38.65

118.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.4

$43.33 RON 195

60.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.08 €12.05

$8.41 RON 37.76

67.42%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.66

$2.38 RON 10.71

31.09%

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

$2.91 €2.49

$1.56 RON 7.00

86.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.60

$1.24 RON 5.57

50.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.42

$2.00 RON 8.98

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €3.97

$2.40 RON 10.79

93.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.40 RON 6.29

-15.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.82

$1.17 RON 5.25

82.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 €1.57

$1.49 RON 6.67

23.49%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.39

$3.07 RON 13.78

67.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.39 €14.02

$8.31 RON 37.31

97.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 €8.31

$6.17 RON 27.73

57.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.65 €16.81

$10.67 RON 47.92

84.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.68

$1.03 RON 4.64

203.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.38 RON 6.21

57.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.11

$1.45 RON 6.51

69.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.37

$1.96 RON 8.82

41.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$0.79 RON 3.53

168.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.90

$0.53 RON 2.38

320.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.27

$0.86 RON 3.85

73.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.78 RON 3.52

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 €6.21

$6.30 RON 28.32

15.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 €7.09

$7.58 RON 34.05

9.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.32

$1.07 RON 4.80

43.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.30

$1.62 RON 7.29

65.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 €2.63

$0.74 RON 3.33

314.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.93 €22.18

$24.57 RON 110

5.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 €2.86

$0.85 RON 3.83

292.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 €1.61

$0.90 RON 4.05

108.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.98 €29.92

$7.79 RON 35.01

349.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.84 RON 8.26

-5.43%

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

$36.5K €31.2K

$29.1K RON 130.6K

25.61%

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

$31.5K €27.0K

$26.8K RON 120.4K

17.61%

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

$183 €156

$106 RON 474

73.25%

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

$15.70 €13.43

$9.75 RON 43.79

61.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.73 €31.42

$8.75 RON 39.33

319.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 €45.76

$40.65 RON 183

31.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.13 €14.65

$19.77 RON 88.8

-13.35%

Cinema Ticket

$11.51 €9.85

$6.70 RON 30.11

71.79%

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

$952 €815

$449 RON 2,017

112.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$7,149 RON 32.1K

126.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 €70.5

$55.9 RON 251

47.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.47 €34.62

$31.24 RON 140

29.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €92.2

$80.7 RON 362

33.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €107

$80.8 RON 363

55.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 €1,426

$418 RON 1,877

298.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 €1,101

$297 RON 1,333

333.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,663 €2,278

$641 RON 2,879

315.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 €1,628

$466 RON 2,093

308.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,513 €6,427

$2,003 RON 8,996

275.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,178 €4,429

$1,430 RON 6,425

262.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,451 €2,096

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

7.47

-58.23%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 17, 2026

Last update for Targu Frumos: August 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,668 in Barcelona and $418 in Targu Frumos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $43.00 in Targu Frumos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $201 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 149% in total monthly costs ($2,434 vs $977 including rent). Targu Frumos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,651 in Barcelona and $1,466 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: $1,668 in Barcelona versus $418 in Targu Frumos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $952 in Barcelona versus $449 in Targu Frumos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $977 in Targu Frumos versus $2,434 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 149% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.