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: $1,156 in Iasi versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,753 in Iasi versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,350 in Iasi versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Iasi costs roughly 50% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Iasi is 13% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.39 RON 47.66

$17.66 €15.45

-41.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 RON 236

$69.7 €61.0

-25.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 RON 32.64

$14.16 €12.39

-49.72%

Cappuccino

$2.63 RON 12.08

$2.80 €2.45

-6.07%

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

$2.11 RON 9.67

$2.81 €2.46

-24.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 RON 7.85

$2.06 €1.81

-16.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 RON 11.34

$4.60 €4.02

-46.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 RON 15.41

$4.69 €4.10

-28.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 RON 6.55

$1.23 €1.08

16.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 RON 5.58

$2.03 €1.78

-39.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 RON 8.65

$1.98 €1.73

-4.55%

Eggs

$3.09 RON 14.15

$3.49 €3.05

-11.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 RON 37.26

$18.33 €16.04

-55.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.93 RON 31.76

$9.83 €8.60

-29.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.88 RON 49.90

$19.13 €16.73

-43.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.65

$2.73 €2.38

-54.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.13

$2.38 €2.09

-34.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 RON 7.85

$2.08 €1.82

-17.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.92 RON 8.79

$2.75 €2.41

-30.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.30

$1.96 €1.72

-52.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 RON 4.60

$1.79 €1.57

-44.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 RON 4.59

$1.48 €1.29

-32.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 RON 3.94

$0.91 €0.80

-5.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 RON 28.78

$7.13 €6.24

-11.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.39 RON 29.29

$7.88 €6.89

-18.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 RON 5.04

$1.38 €1.21

-20.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 RON 8.82

$2.39 €2.09

-19.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 RON 3.64

$3.01 €2.63

-73.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.96 RON 128

$29.35 €25.68

-4.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 RON 4.30

$4.36 €3.82

-78.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 RON 3.26

$2.13 €1.86

-66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 RON 37.33

$29.60 €25.90

-72.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 RON 7.70

$1.82 €1.59

-7.69%

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

$28.5K RON 130.8K

$37.9K €33.1K

-24.73%

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

$27.7K RON 127.1K

$32.4K €28.3K

-14.39%

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

$157 RON 718

$189 €165

-17.20%

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

$8.51 RON 39.04

$22.29 €19.50

-61.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.26 RON 47.05

$37.16 €32.51

-72.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.27 RON 217

$58.0 €50.8

-18.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.50 RON 84.8

$20.66 €18.08

-10.45%

Cinema Ticket

$8.00 RON 36.71

$10.87 €9.51

-26.40%

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

$471 RON 2,158

$706 €618

-33.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,866 RON 31.5K

$14.9K €13.0K

-53.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 RON 280

$89.4 €78.3

-31.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.56 RON 200

$36.60 €32.02

19.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 RON 398

$104 €91.0

-16.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.5 RON 401

$119 €104

-26.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$473 RON 2,170

$1,579 €1,381

-70.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 RON 1,647

$1,238 €1,083

-70.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 RON 3,402

$2,712 €2,373

-72.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$533 RON 2,446

$2,039 €1,784

-73.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,911 RON 13.4K

$7,527 €6,585

-61.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,932 RON 8,861

$5,239 €4,584

-63.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,182 RON 5,421

$2,364 €2,068

-50.00%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $473 in Iasi and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 100% 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: $52.0 in Iasi vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $211 vs $320 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 101% in total monthly costs ($1,156 vs $2,320 including rent). Iasi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 100% lower in Barcelona. 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: $473 in Iasi versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $471 in Iasi versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,156 in Iasi versus $2,320 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 101% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.