Cost of Living Comparison Between Iasi and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Iasi and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,137 in Iasi versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,720 in Iasi versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,303 in Iasi versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Iasi costs roughly 52% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Iasi is 15% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.52 RON 47.59

$17.58 €15.14

-40.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.4 RON 232

$68.4 €58.9

-24.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.73 RON 30.46

$14.06 €12.10

-52.13%

Cappuccino

$2.68 RON 12.13

$2.78 €2.39

-3.60%

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

$2.08 RON 9.39

$2.80 €2.41

-25.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 RON 7.88

$2.06 €1.78

-15.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.46 RON 11.12

$4.46 €3.84

-44.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 RON 15.47

$4.61 €3.97

-25.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 RON 6.33

$1.24 €1.07

12.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 RON 5.51

$2.03 €1.75

-39.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 RON 8.45

$1.92 €1.65

-2.60%

Eggs

$3.21 RON 14.51

$3.31 €2.85

-3.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.95 RON 35.98

$18.43 €15.87

-56.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.70 RON 30.32

$9.49 €8.17

-29.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 RON 49.71

$19.16 €16.49

-42.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 RON 5.61

$2.64 €2.27

-53.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.33

$2.45 €2.11

-33.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 RON 7.84

$2.12 €1.83

-18.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 RON 8.90

$2.85 €2.45

-30.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 RON 4.48

$2.04 €1.75

-51.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 RON 4.73

$1.85 €1.59

-43.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 RON 4.68

$1.47 €1.27

-29.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 RON 3.89

$0.84 €0.73

2.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.37 RON 28.85

$7.14 €6.15

-10.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.61 RON 29.92

$7.88 €6.79

-16.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 RON 4.95

$1.38 €1.19

-21.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 RON 8.96

$2.31 €1.99

-14.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 RON 3.84

$2.98 €2.57

-71.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.13 RON 123

$29.26 €25.19

-7.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 RON 4.03

$4.60 €3.96

-80.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 RON 3.16

$2.07 €1.78

-66.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 RON 35.48

$29.18 €25.12

-73.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 RON 7.51

$1.84 €1.58

-9.78%

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

$28.5K RON 129.2K

$39.0K €33.6K

-26.85%

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

$27.3K RON 123.7K

$32.7K €28.1K

-16.39%

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

$156 RON 708

$188 €162

-16.76%

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

$8.47 RON 38.35

$22.93 €19.74

-63.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.21 RON 46.22

$36.71 €31.61

-72.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.10 RON 213

$57.4 €49.39

-17.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.25 RON 82.6

$20.70 €17.82

-11.84%

Cinema Ticket

$8.17 RON 36.99

$11.19 €9.64

-26.99%

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

$463 RON 2,095

$721 €621

-35.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,028 RON 31.8K

$15.0K €13.0K

-53.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 RON 282

$86.2 €74.2

-27.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.79 RON 194

$37.07 €31.92

15.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 RON 391

$102 €87.8

-15.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 RON 393

$116 €99.8

-25.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 RON 2,147

$1,534 €1,320

-69.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 RON 1,635

$1,220 €1,051

-70.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 RON 3,395

$2,696 €2,321

-72.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 RON 2,491

$2,013 €1,733

-72.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,076 RON 13.9K

$7,220 €6,216

-57.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,997 RON 9,036

$5,189 €4,467

-61.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,191 RON 5,389

$2,359 €2,031

-49.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.37

3.39

117.40%

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

Last update for Iasi: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $474 in Iasi and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 98% 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: $51.0 in Iasi vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $212 vs $318 per month, with Iasi 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

Iasi vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iasi and Barcelona differ by about 108% in total monthly costs ($1,137 vs $2,367 including rent). Iasi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 98% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $474 in Iasi versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Iasi versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,137 in Iasi versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Iasi but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Iasi 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, Iasi 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.

Expats usually find Iasi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 108% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.