Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barlad and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Barlad: $975 a month against $2,381 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barlad
🇷🇴 Romania
$975
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,381
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barlad and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barlad and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $975 in Barlad versus $2,381 in Barcelona.

  • Barlad $975
  • Barcelona $2,381

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,521 in Barlad versus $3,406 in Barcelona.

  • Barlad $1,521
  • Barcelona $3,406

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,066 in Barlad versus $4,431 in Barcelona.

  • Barlad $2,066
  • Barcelona $4,431

Living in Barlad costs roughly 59% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barlad is 28% below, Barcelona is 76% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barlad
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.96 RON 42.41
$17.89 €15.92
-49.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$41.38 RON 196
$66.2 €58.9
-37.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.20 RON 34.06
$13.69 €12.18
-47.41%
Cappuccino
$2.41 RON 11.40
$3.06 €2.72
-21.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85 RON 8.75
$3.07 €2.73
-39.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 RON 7.27
$1.94 €1.73
-20.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.17 RON 10.25
$3.87 €3.44
-43.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 RON 12.72
$4.61 €4.10
-41.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barlad
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.34 RON 6.34
$1.30 €1.16
3.08%
White Bread (500g)
$1.12 RON 5.31
$2.10 €1.87
-46.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.40 RON 6.63
$1.83 €1.62
-23.50%
Eggs
$3.39 RON 16.02
$4.62 €4.11
-26.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.51 RON 35.53
$17.36 €15.44
-56.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.22 RON 24.69
$9.28 €8.25
-43.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.04 RON 47.49
$19.83 €17.64
-49.37%
Apples (1kg)
$1.04 RON 4.92
$3.01 €2.68
-65.45%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 RON 7.73
$2.03 €1.81
-19.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.38 RON 6.54
$2.65 €2.36
-47.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.76 RON 8.31
$2.87 €2.55
-38.68%
Potato (1kg)
$0.79 RON 3.75
$2.16 €1.92
-63.43%
Onion (1kg)
$0.77 RON 3.65
$2.15 €1.91
-64.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.84 RON 3.99
$1.47 €1.31
-42.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 RON 4.20
$0.88 €0.79
1.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.64 RON 31.41
$6.93 €6.16
-4.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.58 RON 26.38
$7.83 €6.96
-28.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 RON 5.68
$1.39 €1.24
-13.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.62 RON 7.67
$2.63 €2.34
-38.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Barlad
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 RON 2.40
$2.91 €2.59
-82.47%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.88 RON 94.0
$25.46 €22.64
-21.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.72 RON 3.42
$3.00 €2.66
-76.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.73 RON 3.46
$1.44 €1.28
-49.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.99 RON 33.08
$33.20 €29.53
-78.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.75 RON 8.30
$1.86 €1.65
-5.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.5K RON 125.3K
$32.3K €28.8K
-18.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.1K RON 118.7K
$31.7K €28.2K
-20.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barlad
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 RON 748
$183 €163
-13.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.87 RON 41.95
$13.61 €12.11
-34.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.36 RON 39.58
$32.93 €29.29
-74.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barlad
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.02 RON 161
$54.7 €48.65
-37.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.05 RON 85.4
$16.52 €14.70
9.26%
Cinema Ticket
$6.61 RON 31.28
$11.23 €9.99
-41.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barlad
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$465 RON 2,202
$954 €849
-51.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,715 RON 36.5K
$16.6K €14.8K
-53.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barlad
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.0 RON 293
$86.0 €76.5
-27.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.81 RON 165
$39.11 €34.78
-10.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.7 RON 344
$104 €92.2
-29.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.2 RON 408
$119 €106
-27.37%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barlad
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$407 RON 1,927
$1,695 €1,508
-75.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$269 RON 1,271
$1,276 €1,135
-78.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$651 RON 3,081
$2,576 €2,291
-74.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$505 RON 2,387
$1,922 €1,710
-73.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,755 RON 8,305
$7,281 €6,477
-75.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,263 RON 5,976
$5,010 €4,456
-74.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barlad
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$2,227 €1,981
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.97
3.28
112.50%

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

Last update for Barlad: October 17, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barlad
$269
Barcelona
$1.3K 375% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Barlad
$190
Barcelona
$325 70.9% $135
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barlad
$175
Barcelona
$229 30.8% $54
Eating Out
Barlad
$152
Barcelona
$270 77.3% $118
Clothing & Footwear
Barlad
$115
Barcelona
$156 35.9% $41
Sport & Entertainment
Barlad
$47
Barcelona
$77 63.3% $30
Getting Around
Barlad
$26
Barcelona
$47 80% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $407 in Barlad and $1,695 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $41.00 in Barlad vs $66.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $325 per month, with Barlad cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇷🇴 Barlad
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
11:08 11:08 AM
10:08 10:08 AM
1 h behind Barlad
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
77,518
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barlad Barcelona 2,110 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Barlad
  • Barcelona

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Barlad vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barlad and in Barcelona?
Barlad and Barcelona differ by about 144% in total monthly costs ($975 vs $2,381 including rent). Barlad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Barlad compared to Barcelona?
You'd need roughly $1,462 in Barlad and $3,571 in Barcelona to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Barlad and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $407 in Barlad versus $1,695 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barlad and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $465 in Barlad versus $954 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $975 in Barlad versus $2,381 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Barlad but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Barlad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Barlad and Barcelona?
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.
Is Barlad or Barcelona safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barlad and Barcelona are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Barlad or Barcelona?
Expats usually find Barlad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 144% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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