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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,061 in Targu Mures.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,549 in Targu Mures.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,037 in Targu Mures.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 120% more expensive than Targu Mures, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Targu Mures is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.80

$8.79 RON 39.91

94.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €60.0

$40.85 RON 185

69.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.95

$8.78 RON 39.86

56.95%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.39

$2.28 RON 10.35

21.05%

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

$2.79 €2.42

$1.26 RON 5.72

121.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.73

$1.15 RON 5.24

73.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.78

$2.16 RON 9.81

101.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.11

$2.72 RON 12.34

74.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.12

$1.60 RON 7.27

-19.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.78

$1.21 RON 5.51

69.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.59 RON 7.20

25.16%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.94

$2.98 RON 13.53

13.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.31

$8.87 RON 40.26

112.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.12

$6.91 RON 31.36

35.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.57

$12.30 RON 55.9

55.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.34

$0.97 RON 4.41

178.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.03

$1.32 RON 6.01

77.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.49 RON 6.74

42.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$1.91 RON 8.68

49.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.87 RON 3.97

126.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.56

$0.89 RON 4.02

102.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.26

$0.79 RON 3.58

83.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.81 RON 3.66

6.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$6.06 RON 27.52

11.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.85

$7.80 RON 35.41

1.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.04 RON 4.74

33.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.06

$1.68 RON 7.62

41.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.53

$0.59 RON 2.70

394.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.86

$14.77 RON 67.1

94.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.86

$0.88 RON 4.01

406.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.78

$0.71 RON 3.24

188.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.61

$7.50 RON 34.06

294.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.57

$1.52 RON 6.91

19.74%

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

$38.8K €33.7K

$27.5K RON 124.8K

41.27%

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

$33.1K €28.7K

$27.9K RON 126.8K

18.50%

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

$189 €164

$169 RON 766

12.18%

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

$22.80 €19.76

$8.60 RON 39.05

165.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.58

$9.90 RON 44.96

279.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €50.1

$46.97 RON 213

22.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.98

$18.22 RON 82.7

13.83%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.38

$5.67 RON 25.73

90.83%

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

$728 €631

$1,378 RON 6,254

-47.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.8K

$6,946 RON 31.5K

112.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.8

$72.2 RON 328

22.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.94

$32.87 RON 149

12.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.4

$72.3 RON 328

41.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$81.8 RON 371

41.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,360

$440 RON 1,996

256.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,056

$312 RON 1,415

290.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,423

$567 RON 2,576

392.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,712

$399 RON 1,810

395.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,720

$2,355 RON 10.7K

229.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,486

$1,505 RON 6,830

244.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,031

$1,066 RON 4,840

119.78%

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 Mures: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $440 in Targu Mures. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 120% 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 $41.00 in Targu Mures for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $214 per month, with Targu Mures 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 Mures: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Targu Mures differ by about 120% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,061 including rent). Targu Mures is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 120% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $440 in Targu Mures. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $1,378 in Targu Mures. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,061 in Targu Mures versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Targu Mures but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Targu Mures 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 Mures 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 Mures gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.