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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,027 in Targu Jiu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,641 in Targu Jiu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,255 in Targu Jiu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 130% more expensive than Targu Jiu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Targu Jiu is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.25

$13.95 RON 63.4

26.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €59.4

$68.1 RON 310

0.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.19

$8.01 RON 36.41

75.53%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.35 RON 15.25

-17.01%

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

$2.80 €2.43

$1.13 RON 5.13

147.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.79

$2.40 RON 10.91

-14.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.87

$3.53 RON 16.02

26.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$3.86 RON 17.56

19.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.73 RON 7.89

-28.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.76

$1.37 RON 6.24

48.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.66

$1.91 RON 8.70

0.52%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.87

$3.01 RON 13.67

9.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.98

$7.93 RON 36.03

132.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.23

$3.17 RON 14.42

199.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.61

$7.98 RON 36.28

140.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.29

$1.01 RON 4.60

161.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.12

$1.64 RON 7.44

49.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.26 RON 5.72

68.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$1.34 RON 6.11

112.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.88 RON 4.00

131.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.60

$1.01 RON 4.60

83.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.67 RON 3.05

119.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.59 RON 2.69

42.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.19

$5.60 RON 25.48

27.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.84

$3.03 RON 13.76

160.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$0.95 RON 4.31

45.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.00

$1.13 RON 5.15

104.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.58

$0.67 RON 3.05

344.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.37

$20.17 RON 91.7

45.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.99

$0.72 RON 3.29

538.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.61 RON 2.79

239.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.30

$6.85 RON 31.12

325.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.68 RON 7.65

9.52%

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

$39.0K €33.8K

$28.8K RON 131.1K

35.23%

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

$32.7K €28.4K

$30.8K RON 139.9K

6.25%

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

$188 €163

$179 RON 813

5.02%

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

$22.93 €19.89

$6.43 RON 29.24

256.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.84

$10.49 RON 47.70

249.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.76

$41.16 RON 187

39.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.95

$19.45 RON 88.4

6.43%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.71

$9.29 RON 42.21

20.45%

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

$721 €625

$656 RON 2,982

9.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$14.6K RON 66.2K

3.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.8

$55.5 RON 252

55.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €32.15

$28.14 RON 128

31.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.5

$57.0 RON 259

79.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$91.8 RON 417

26.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,330

$374 RON 1,702

309.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,058

$256 RON 1,164

376.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,338

$522 RON 2,374

416.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,746

$432 RON 1,966

365.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,261

$2,632 RON 12.0K

174.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,500

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,046

$544 RON 2,474

333.42%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Targu Jiu: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $374 in Targu Jiu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 333% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $68.0 in Targu Jiu. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $168, with Targu Jiu cheaper for home cooking.

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 130% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,027 including rent). Targu Jiu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 333% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $374 in Targu Jiu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $656 in Targu Jiu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,027 in Targu Jiu versus $2,367 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 130% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.