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: $2,336 in Barcelona versus $1,039 in Targu Jiu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,475 in Barcelona versus $1,627 in Targu Jiu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,614 in Barcelona versus $2,214 in Targu Jiu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 125% more expensive than Targu Jiu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €14.88

$13.93 RON 60.5

25.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €59.6

$68.5 RON 297

1.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €11.86

$8.09 RON 35.10

71.94%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.34

$3.44 RON 14.93

-20.35%

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

$2.70 €2.30

$1.17 RON 5.07

130.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.73

$2.29 RON 9.94

-11.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 €3.85

$3.52 RON 15.29

28.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.93

$3.85 RON 16.71

19.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.75 RON 7.58

-26.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.79

$1.43 RON 6.20

46.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.70

$1.92 RON 8.32

3.65%

Eggs

$3.45 €2.95

$3.08 RON 13.38

12.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.61 €15.87

$7.97 RON 34.59

133.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.03

$3.30 RON 14.31

185.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 €15.95

$8.05 RON 34.95

132.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.22

$1.02 RON 4.43

155.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.64 RON 7.14

45.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.86

$1.25 RON 5.41

75.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 €2.40

$1.37 RON 5.93

105.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.73

$0.94 RON 4.08

115.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$0.96 RON 4.17

94.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.24

$0.70 RON 3.06

107.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.56 RON 2.45

64.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$5.66 RON 24.55

20.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 €6.58

$3.24 RON 14.06

137.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$0.94 RON 4.06

46.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €1.99

$1.12 RON 4.86

108.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.46

$0.72 RON 3.11

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.04 €24.77

$19.69 RON 85.4

47.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$0.70 RON 3.05

532.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$0.61 RON 2.64

250.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.96 €24.71

$7.01 RON 30.42

313.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.62

$1.67 RON 7.25

13.77%

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

$37.9K €32.3K

$28.8K RON 125.2K

31.39%

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

$33.3K €28.4K

$29.9K RON 129.8K

11.36%

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

$186 €158

$178 RON 771

4.53%

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

$22.17 €18.91

$6.41 RON 27.82

245.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.52 €31.15

$10.25 RON 44.49

256.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 €49.81

$41.67 RON 181

40.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.75 €17.70

$19.38 RON 84.1

7.07%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 €9.47

$9.38 RON 40.71

18.34%

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

$705 €601

$670 RON 2,906

5.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$14.5K RON 63.0K

4.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 €73.7

$55.8 RON 242

54.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.88 €31.46

$27.14 RON 118

35.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.8

$56.8 RON 247

83.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.4

$93.7 RON 407

23.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 €1,312

$375 RON 1,627

310.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,060

$250 RON 1,084

397.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 €2,327

$527 RON 2,287

417.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 €1,716

$440 RON 1,911

356.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,104

$2,788 RON 12.1K

156.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,843 €4,131

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,474 €2,111

$565 RON 2,454

337.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

7.1

-52.25%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 19, 2026

Last update for Targu Jiu: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,538 in Barcelona and $375 in Targu Jiu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 338% 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: $70 in Barcelona vs $68 in Targu Jiu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $171 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 125% in total monthly costs ($2,336 vs $1,039 including rent). Targu Jiu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 338% more on average, 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: $1,538 in Barcelona versus $375 in Targu Jiu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $705 in Barcelona versus $670 in Targu Jiu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 86% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,039 in Targu Jiu versus $2,336 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 125% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.