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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,036 in Targu Jiu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,614 in Targu Jiu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,192 in Targu Jiu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 140% more expensive than in Targu Jiu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Targu Jiu is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$14.26 RON 64.6

29.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$61.6 RON 279

12.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$7.54 RON 34.15

86.34%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$3.58 RON 16.23

-13.13%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$1.13 RON 5.12

161.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$2.36 RON 10.70

-17.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$3.87 RON 17.53

3.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$4.55 RON 20.61

1.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.80 RON 8.13

-26.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.42 RON 6.41

48.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.72 RON 7.80

6.40%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$2.88 RON 13.02

79.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$7.96 RON 36.06

120.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$3.06 RON 13.88

210.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$7.58 RON 34.33

162.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$0.99 RON 4.47

220.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.59 RON 7.20

38.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.21 RON 5.48

115.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.30 RON 5.90

119.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.82 RON 3.71

164.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.76 RON 3.43

177.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.68 RON 3.09

138.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.54 RON 2.43

62.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$5.44 RON 24.65

31.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$3.09 RON 13.98

169.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.86 RON 3.89

74.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.12 RON 5.09

145.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.82 RON 3.70

282.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$20.14 RON 91.2

30.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$0.67 RON 3.04

380.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.69 RON 3.13

118.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$6.70 RON 30.34

426.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.58 RON 7.14

10.76%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$30.1K RON 136.5K

21.66%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$28.4K RON 128.4K

11.70%

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

$187 €161

$201 RON 909

-6.76%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$6.28 RON 28.43

140.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$9.92 RON 44.92

279.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$39.76 RON 180

39.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$19.70 RON 89.2

-15.03%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$8.83 RON 39.98

32.62%

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

$1,011 €871

$648 RON 2,934

56.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$7,186 RON 32.5K

137.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$53.4 RON 242

71.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$26.35 RON 119

55.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$54.3 RON 246

103.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$87.3 RON 395

44.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$360 RON 1,630

373.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$250 RON 1,131

420.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$500 RON 2,267

417.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$417 RON 1,888

362.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$1,916 RON 8,679

303.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$1,268 RON 5,741

324.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$555 RON 2,515

327.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.82

-53.67%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Targu Jiu: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $360 in Targu Jiu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 328% 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 $62.0 in Targu Jiu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $164 per month, with Targu Jiu 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 Jiu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Targu Jiu differ by about 140% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,036 including rent). Targu Jiu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 328% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $360 in Targu Jiu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $648 in Targu Jiu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 103% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,036 in Targu Jiu versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Targu Jiu but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Targu Jiu 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 Jiu 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 Jiu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 140% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.