Cost of Living Comparison Between Roman and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Roman and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $987 in Roman versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,496 in Roman versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,004 in Roman versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Roman costs roughly 58% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Roman is 26% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.23 RON 55.7

$17.58 €15.26

-30.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.08 RON 123

$68.4 €59.4

-60.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.97 RON 36.29

$14.06 €12.20

-43.31%

Cappuccino

$3.36 RON 15.31

$2.78 €2.41

20.86%

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

$1.14 RON 5.19

$2.80 €2.43

-59.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 RON 9.49

$2.06 €1.79

1.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 RON 15.01

$4.46 €3.87

-26.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 RON 10.77

$4.61 €4.00

-48.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 RON 6.98

$1.24 €1.08

23.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 RON 3.99

$2.03 €1.76

-56.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 RON 7.55

$1.92 €1.67

-13.54%

Eggs

$3.01 RON 13.72

$3.31 €2.87

-9.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.62 RON 39.25

$18.43 €15.99

-53.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 RON 32.14

$9.49 €8.23

-25.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.64 RON 53.0

$19.16 €16.62

-39.25%

Apples (1kg)

$0.91 RON 4.14

$2.64 €2.29

-65.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 RON 6.71

$2.45 €2.12

-40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 6.99

$2.12 €1.84

-27.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 RON 10.23

$2.85 €2.47

-21.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 RON 3.80

$2.04 €1.77

-58.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 RON 4.66

$1.85 €1.61

-44.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 RON 4.03

$1.47 €1.28

-40.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 RON 3.74

$0.84 €0.73

-2.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 RON 27.31

$7.14 €6.20

-15.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.71 RON 30.53

$7.88 €6.84

-14.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 RON 5.03

$1.38 €1.20

-19.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 RON 7.74

$2.31 €2.00

-26.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 RON 3.07

$2.98 €2.59

-77.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.08 RON 91.4

$29.26 €25.39

-31.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 RON 3.27

$4.60 €3.99

-84.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 RON 2.93

$2.07 €1.79

-69.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.84 RON 31.15

$29.18 €25.32

-76.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 RON 7.55

$1.84 €1.60

-9.78%

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

$28.4K RON 129.2K

$39.0K €33.8K

-27.27%

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

$27.4K RON 124.6K

$32.7K €28.4K

-16.28%

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

$91.1 RON 415

$188 €163

-51.48%

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

$3.48 RON 15.83

$22.93 €19.90

-84.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.62 RON 25.56

$36.71 €31.85

-84.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.73 RON 185

$57.4 €49.78

-29.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.27 RON 87.7

$20.70 €17.96

-6.91%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 RON 49.25

$11.19 €9.71

-3.31%

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

$324 RON 1,474

$721 €625

-55.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,501 RON 29.6K

$15.0K €13.1K

-56.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.6 RON 303

$86.2 €74.8

-22.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.36 RON 79.0

$37.07 €32.16

-53.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 RON 438

$102 €88.5

-5.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.87 RON 154

$116 €101

-70.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 RON 1,751

$1,534 €1,331

-74.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 RON 1,305

$1,220 €1,059

-76.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$592 RON 2,694

$2,696 €2,339

-78.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 RON 1,969

$2,013 €1,747

-78.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,602 RON 7,291

$7,220 €6,264

-77.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,480 RON 6,737

$5,189 €4,502

-71.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$865 RON 3,937

$2,359 €2,047

-63.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.7

3.39

127.14%

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

Last update for Roman: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $385 in Roman and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 173% 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: $27.00 in Roman vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $318 per month, with Roman 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

Roman vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roman and Barcelona differ by about 140% in total monthly costs ($987 vs $2,367 including rent). Roman is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 173% 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: $385 in Roman versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $324 in Roman 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 51% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $987 in Roman versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Roman but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Roman 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, Roman 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 Roman gentler on the wallet – expenses run 140% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.