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: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $1,061 in Targu Mures.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $1,549 in Targu Mures.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $2,036 in Targu Mures.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 118% more expensive than in Targu Mures, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 73% above, Targu Mures is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.11

$8.46 RON 38.78

103.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.2

$39.85 RON 183

77.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.33

$8.79 RON 40.30

59.50%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.45

$2.19 RON 10.05

26.94%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$1.32 RON 6.03

110.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.80

$1.15 RON 5.26

78.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.97

$2.25 RON 10.32

100.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.11

$2.78 RON 12.75

67.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.14

$1.62 RON 7.41

-20.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.88

$1.22 RON 5.59

75.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.70

$1.59 RON 7.31

21.38%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.07

$2.92 RON 13.40

19.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.28

$8.68 RON 39.78

113.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.38

$6.94 RON 31.83

37.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.62

$12.63 RON 57.9

49.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.31

$1.02 RON 4.66

156.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.06

$1.32 RON 6.04

77.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.83

$1.52 RON 6.97

36.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$1.97 RON 9.03

44.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.91 RON 4.15

115.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.63

$0.93 RON 4.28

98.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.35

$0.78 RON 3.58

96.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$0.80 RON 3.65

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.95

$6.25 RON 28.67

8.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.85

$7.39 RON 33.89

5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.05 RON 4.81

31.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$1.61 RON 7.40

44.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.63

$0.56 RON 2.58

435.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.16

$15.04 RON 68.9

90.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.02

$0.90 RON 4.13

408.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.87

$0.72 RON 3.29

195.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.98

$7.52 RON 34.47

292.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.58

$1.61 RON 7.39

11.80%

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

$38.5K €33.8K

$27.8K RON 127.6K

38.16%

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

$33.3K €29.2K

$28.5K RON 130.8K

16.65%

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

$185 €163

$167 RON 765

10.81%

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

$22.68 €19.94

$8.53 RON 39.09

165.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.33

$10.05 RON 46.10

265.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.8

$46.19 RON 212

25.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.63

$18.49 RON 84.8

14.60%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.52

$5.83 RON 26.73

85.76%

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

$727 €639

$1,378 RON 6,320

-47.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €13.0K

$7,028 RON 32.2K

109.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €77.0

$72.9 RON 334

20.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.85

$31.90 RON 146

17.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.8

$73.9 RON 339

39.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$80.2 RON 368

47.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,372

$440 RON 2,019

254.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,073

$315 RON 1,445

287.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,411

$559 RON 2,563

390.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,751

$407 RON 1,864

389.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,584

$2,294 RON 10.5K

226.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,578

$1,504 RON 6,898

246.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,070

$1,062 RON 4,869

121.71%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Targu Mures: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $440 in Targu Mures. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 122% 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: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $40.00 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 118% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,061 including rent). Targu Mures is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 122% 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: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $440 in Targu Mures. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 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 $2,316 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 118% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.