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: $1,305 in Iasi versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,902 in Iasi versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,499 in Iasi versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Iasi costs roughly 48% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Iasi is 5% below, Barcelona is 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.00 RON 49.88

$18.39 €15.87

-40.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.93 RON 199

$69.2 €59.7

-36.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.83 RON 35.52

$14.13 €12.19

-44.59%

Cappuccino

$2.97 RON 13.48

$3.13 €2.70

-5.11%

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

$2.21 RON 10.02

$3.02 €2.60

-26.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 RON 8.61

$1.96 €1.69

-3.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 RON 14.84

$4.00 €3.45

-18.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 RON 18.57

$4.76 €4.11

-14.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.56

$1.25 €1.08

33.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 RON 6.47

$2.16 €1.87

-33.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 RON 9.75

$1.69 €1.45

27.22%

Eggs

$3.52 RON 15.97

$4.93 €4.26

-28.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 RON 39.55

$17.88 €15.43

-51.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 RON 29.37

$9.61 €8.29

-32.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.28 RON 46.63

$19.34 €16.69

-46.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.40 RON 6.36

$3.24 €2.79

-56.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.41

$2.18 €1.88

-25.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 RON 7.88

$2.67 €2.30

-34.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 RON 10.25

$2.77 €2.39

-18.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RON 4.17

$2.21 €1.91

-58.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.27

$2.19 €1.89

-57.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 RON 5.25

$1.52 €1.31

-23.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 RON 4.60

$0.92 €0.80

9.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.60 RON 29.94

$7.12 €6.14

-7.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.60 RON 29.93

$8.14 €7.02

-18.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 RON 6.37

$1.50 €1.29

-6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 RON 10.01

$2.78 €2.40

-20.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 RON 4.06

$3.15 €2.72

-71.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.55 RON 129

$26.99 €23.29

5.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.85 RON 3.84

$3.25 €2.80

-73.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 RON 3.81

$1.50 €1.30

-44.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.92 RON 40.46

$34.89 €30.11

-74.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 RON 8.33

$1.75 €1.51

5.14%

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

$30.1K RON 136.4K

$36.7K €31.6K

-17.93%

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

$29.1K RON 132.1K

$30.9K €26.7K

-5.88%

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

$192 RON 871

$188 €162

2.33%

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

$7.81 RON 35.42

$15.44 €13.32

-49.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.94 RON 40.53

$37.80 €32.61

-76.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.28 RON 210

$57.2 €49.34

-19.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.61 RON 75.4

$16.80 €14.49

-1.13%

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 RON 41.04

$11.58 €9.99

-21.85%

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

$421 RON 1,911

$1,003 €865

-57.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,347 RON 33.3K

$17.0K €14.7K

-56.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.5 RON 343

$89.2 €77.0

-15.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.56 RON 184

$40.87 €35.27

-0.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 RON 434

$110 €94.9

-12.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 RON 434

$123 €106

-21.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$556 RON 2,521

$1,673 €1,444

-66.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$441 RON 1,998

$1,331 €1,149

-66.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 RON 4,153

$2,596 €2,240

-64.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 RON 3,166

$1,950 €1,683

-64.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,963 RON 13.4K

$7,573 €6,535

-60.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,991 RON 9,032

$5,370 €4,634

-62.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,164 RON 5,279

$2,402 €2,073

-51.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.18

3.16

127.22%

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

Last update for Iasi: August 29, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $556 in Iasi and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 106% 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: $44.00 in Iasi vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $224 vs $332 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 91% in total monthly costs ($1,305 vs $2,495 including rent). Iasi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 106% 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: $556 in Iasi versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $421 in Iasi versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,305 in Iasi versus $2,495 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 91% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.