Cost of Living Comparison Between Satu Mare and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Satu Mare and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $947 in Satu Mare versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,455 in Satu Mare versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,962 in Satu Mare versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Satu Mare costs roughly 60% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Satu Mare is 29% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.97 RON 40.57

$17.58 €15.12

-48.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.81 RON 212

$68.4 €58.9

-31.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.73 RON 30.41

$14.06 €12.09

-52.13%

Cappuccino

$2.44 RON 11.04

$2.78 €2.39

-12.23%

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

$1.72 RON 7.79

$2.80 €2.41

-38.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 RON 6.60

$2.06 €1.78

-29.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 RON 9.08

$4.46 €3.84

-54.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 RON 10.28

$4.61 €3.96

-50.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 RON 6.84

$1.24 €1.07

21.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 RON 5.12

$2.03 €1.74

-44.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 RON 5.72

$1.92 €1.65

-33.85%

Eggs

$3.09 RON 13.95

$3.31 €2.85

-6.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.29 RON 37.48

$18.43 €15.85

-55.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.32 RON 28.56

$9.49 €8.16

-33.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.36 RON 51.4

$19.16 €16.48

-40.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.09 RON 4.91

$2.64 €2.27

-58.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 RON 6.77

$2.45 €2.11

-38.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 RON 6.32

$2.12 €1.82

-33.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 RON 8.08

$2.85 €2.45

-37.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 RON 3.22

$2.04 €1.75

-65.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 RON 4.45

$1.85 €1.59

-47.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 RON 3.01

$1.47 €1.26

-54.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 RON 3.48

$0.84 €0.73

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.71 RON 25.82

$7.14 €6.14

-20.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.47 RON 29.26

$7.88 €6.78

-17.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 RON 5.64

$1.38 €1.19

-9.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 RON 7.56

$2.31 €1.99

-27.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 RON 2.68

$2.98 €2.56

-80.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.41 RON 115

$29.26 €25.17

-13.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 RON 3.74

$4.60 €3.95

-81.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 RON 3.94

$2.07 €1.78

-57.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.32 RON 33.08

$29.18 €25.10

-74.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 RON 7.00

$1.84 €1.58

-15.76%

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

$25.1K RON 113.7K

$39.0K €33.6K

-35.54%

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

$25.4K RON 115.0K

$32.7K €28.1K

-22.21%

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

$137 RON 621

$188 €162

-26.90%

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

$8.00 RON 36.14

$22.93 €19.73

-65.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.30 RON 42.06

$36.71 €31.58

-74.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.87 RON 221

$57.4 €49.35

-14.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.66 RON 52.7

$20.70 €17.80

-43.67%

Cinema Ticket

$6.79 RON 30.70

$11.19 €9.63

-39.32%

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

$187 RON 844

$721 €620

-74.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K RON 46.3K

$15.0K €12.9K

-31.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.8 RON 297

$86.2 €74.2

-23.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.23 RON 137

$37.07 €31.89

-18.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 RON 367

$102 €87.8

-20.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.5 RON 346

$116 €99.7

-34.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$304 RON 1,374

$1,534 €1,319

-80.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$236 RON 1,069

$1,220 €1,050

-80.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$546 RON 2,469

$2,696 €2,319

-79.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 RON 1,574

$2,013 €1,732

-82.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,057 RON 4,776

$7,220 €6,211

-85.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,117 RON 5,048

$5,189 €4,463

-78.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$689 RON 3,115

$2,359 €2,029

-70.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

3.39

96.46%

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

Last update for Satu Mare: June 2, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $304 in Satu Mare and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 242% 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: $47.00 in Satu Mare vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $202 vs $318 per month, with Satu Mare 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

Satu Mare vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Satu Mare and Barcelona differ by about 150% in total monthly costs ($947 vs $2,367 including rent). Satu Mare is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 242% 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: $304 in Satu Mare versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $187 in Satu Mare 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 57% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $947 in Satu Mare versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Satu Mare but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Satu Mare 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, Satu Mare 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 Satu Mare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 150% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.