Cost of Living Comparison Between Sibiu and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Sibiu and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,074 in Sibiu versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,655 in Sibiu versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,236 in Sibiu versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Sibiu costs roughly 54% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sibiu is 20% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.30 RON 42.64

$17.66 €15.45

-47.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.72 RON 210

$69.7 €61.0

-34.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.98 RON 32.00

$14.16 €12.39

-50.71%

Cappuccino

$3.11 RON 14.27

$2.80 €2.45

11.07%

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

$2.07 RON 9.49

$2.81 €2.46

-26.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 RON 7.86

$2.06 €1.81

-16.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 RON 12.94

$4.60 €4.02

-38.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 RON 15.67

$4.69 €4.10

-27.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 RON 6.95

$1.23 €1.08

22.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 RON 5.76

$2.03 €1.78

-37.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.08

$1.98 €1.73

-22.22%

Eggs

$3.22 RON 14.79

$3.49 €3.05

-7.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.88 RON 36.13

$18.33 €16.04

-57.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 RON 29.09

$9.83 €8.60

-35.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 RON 41.76

$19.13 €16.73

-52.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.16 RON 5.31

$2.73 €2.38

-57.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.19

$2.38 €2.09

-34.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 RON 7.56

$2.08 €1.82

-20.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 RON 10.15

$2.75 €2.41

-19.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.53

$1.96 €1.72

-60.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 RON 4.01

$1.79 €1.57

-51.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 RON 4.82

$1.48 €1.29

-29.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 RON 3.96

$0.91 €0.80

-5.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 RON 27.07

$7.13 €6.24

-17.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.32 RON 38.18

$7.88 €6.89

5.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.54

$1.38 €1.21

-28.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 RON 8.25

$2.39 €2.09

-24.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 RON 3.28

$3.01 €2.63

-76.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.78 RON 90.7

$29.35 €25.68

-32.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 RON 4.15

$4.36 €3.82

-79.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 RON 3.78

$2.13 €1.86

-61.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.11 RON 41.80

$29.60 €25.90

-69.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.59

$1.82 €1.59

-9.34%

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

$28.4K RON 130.4K

$37.9K €33.1K

-24.97%

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

$26.4K RON 121.1K

$32.4K €28.3K

-18.43%

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

$140 RON 642

$189 €165

-25.95%

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

$8.87 RON 40.68

$22.29 €19.50

-60.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.42 RON 52.4

$37.16 €32.51

-69.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.55 RON 186

$58.0 €50.8

-30.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.36 RON 70.5

$20.66 €18.08

-25.65%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 RON 32.60

$10.87 €9.51

-34.59%

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

$437 RON 2,005

$706 €618

-38.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,874 RON 31.5K

$14.9K €13.0K

-53.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 RON 312

$89.4 €78.3

-24.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.54 RON 177

$36.60 €32.02

5.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 RON 390

$104 €91.0

-18.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.4 RON 433

$119 €104

-20.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$376 RON 1,725

$1,579 €1,381

-76.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$323 RON 1,481

$1,238 €1,083

-73.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 RON 3,166

$2,712 €2,373

-74.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 RON 2,561

$2,039 €1,784

-72.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,531 RON 11.6K

$7,527 €6,585

-66.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,061 RON 9,451

$5,239 €4,584

-60.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,147 RON 5,261

$2,364 €2,068

-51.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

3.39

91.74%

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

Last update for Sibiu: July 13, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $376 in Sibiu and $1,579 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: $46.00 in Sibiu vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $320 per month, with Sibiu 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

Sibiu vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sibiu and Barcelona differ by about 116% in total monthly costs ($1,074 vs $2,320 including rent). Sibiu 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: $376 in Sibiu versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $437 in Sibiu 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 55% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,074 in Sibiu versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sibiu but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sibiu 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, Sibiu 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 Sibiu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 116% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.