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: $2,336 in Barcelona versus $1,077 in Targu Mures.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,475 in Barcelona versus $1,554 in Targu Mures.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,614 in Barcelona versus $2,031 in Targu Mures.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 117% more expensive than Targu Mures, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Targu Mures is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €14.88

$8.54 RON 37.04

104.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €59.6

$41.00 RON 178

70.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €11.86

$9.00 RON 39.05

54.56%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.34

$2.30 RON 9.97

19.13%

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

$2.70 €2.30

$1.32 RON 5.71

104.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.73

$1.15 RON 5.00

76.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 €3.85

$2.13 RON 9.24

111.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.93

$2.83 RON 12.26

62.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.55 RON 6.75

-17.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.79

$1.21 RON 5.25

73.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.70

$1.64 RON 7.12

21.34%

Eggs

$3.45 €2.95

$3.07 RON 13.31

12.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.61 €15.87

$8.82 RON 38.29

111.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.03

$7.21 RON 31.27

30.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 €15.95

$12.69 RON 55.1

47.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.22

$0.98 RON 4.25

166.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.31 RON 5.70

82.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.86

$1.53 RON 6.62

43.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 €2.40

$1.95 RON 8.45

44.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.73

$0.93 RON 4.04

118.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$0.92 RON 4.00

103.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.24

$0.79 RON 3.45

83.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.80 RON 3.48

15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$6.28 RON 27.26

8.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 €6.58

$8.11 RON 35.20

-4.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.07 RON 4.66

28.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €1.99

$1.65 RON 7.14

41.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.46

$0.56 RON 2.43

414.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.04 €24.77

$14.85 RON 64.5

95.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$0.96 RON 4.16

361.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$0.73 RON 3.17

193.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.96 €24.71

$7.25 RON 31.45

299.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.62

$1.61 RON 7.00

18.01%

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

$37.9K €32.3K

$28.1K RON 121.9K

34.86%

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

$33.3K €28.4K

$28.2K RON 122.4K

18.09%

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

$186 €158

$172 RON 745

8.09%

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

$22.17 €18.91

$8.68 RON 37.67

155.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.52 €31.15

$9.64 RON 41.84

278.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 €49.81

$46.95 RON 204

24.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.75 €17.70

$18.68 RON 81.1

11.08%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 €9.47

$5.93 RON 25.72

87.18%

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

$705 €601

$1,387 RON 6,019

-49.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$6,872 RON 29.8K

121.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 €73.7

$71.1 RON 308

21.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.88 €31.46

$31.67 RON 137

16.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.8

$74.4 RON 323

39.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.4

$81.9 RON 355

40.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 €1,312

$445 RON 1,930

245.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,060

$312 RON 1,354

298.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 €2,327

$567 RON 2,459

381.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 €1,716

$412 RON 1,788

388.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,104

$2,379 RON 10.3K

200.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,843 €4,131

$1,556 RON 6,754

211.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,474 €2,111

$1,123 RON 4,872

120.40%

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Targu Mures: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,538 in Barcelona and $445 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: $70 in Barcelona vs $41 in Targu Mures for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $218 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 117% in total monthly costs ($2,336 vs $1,077 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: $1,538 in Barcelona versus $445 in Targu Mures. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $705 in Barcelona versus $1,387 in Targu Mures. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,077 in Targu Mures versus $2,336 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 117% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.