Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sighisoara and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Sighisoara: $937 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $18,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sighisoara, Romania
Barcelona, Spain
Sighisoara
🇷🇴 Romania
$937
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,443
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sighisoara and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sighisoara and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $937 in Sighisoara versus $2,443 in Barcelona.

  • Sighisoara $937
  • Barcelona $2,443

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,501 in Sighisoara versus $3,519 in Barcelona.

  • Sighisoara $1,501
  • Barcelona $3,519

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,065 in Sighisoara versus $4,595 in Barcelona.

  • Sighisoara $2,065
  • Barcelona $4,595

Living in Sighisoara costs roughly 62% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sighisoara is 31% below, Barcelona is 81% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sighisoara
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.66 RON 50.6
$17.66 €15.69
-39.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$36.06 RON 171
$67.5 €59.9
-46.55%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.42 RON 40.00
$13.61 €12.09
-38.13%
Cappuccino
$2.13 RON 10.13
$3.10 €2.75
-31.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.16 RON 10.27
$3.00 €2.67
-28.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 RON 10.55
$1.93 €1.71
15.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.06 RON 9.76
$3.84 €3.41
-46.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 RON 13.27
$4.36 €3.87
-36.01%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sighisoara
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 RON 6.83
$1.25 €1.11
15.20%
White Bread (500g)
$1.20 RON 5.68
$2.12 €1.89
-43.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 RON 7.16
$1.97 €1.75
-23.35%
Eggs
$3.33 RON 15.79
$4.76 €4.23
-30.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.31 RON 34.73
$17.07 €15.16
-57.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.13 RON 33.84
$8.96 €7.96
-20.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.14 RON 33.91
$20.65 €18.34
-65.42%
Apples (1kg)
$1.07 RON 5.07
$3.16 €2.81
-66.14%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 RON 7.75
$1.97 €1.75
-17.26%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.81 RON 8.60
$2.65 €2.36
-31.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.27 RON 10.78
$2.88 €2.56
-21.18%
Potato (1kg)
$0.70 RON 3.30
$2.06 €1.83
-66.02%
Onion (1kg)
$0.95 RON 4.53
$2.18 €1.94
-56.42%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.91 RON 4.30
$1.53 €1.36
-40.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.04 RON 4.91
$0.97 €0.86
7.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.21 RON 24.72
$6.97 €6.19
-25.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.52 RON 35.72
$7.89 €7.01
-4.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 RON 5.99
$1.42 €1.26
-11.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 RON 7.96
$2.69 €2.39
-37.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Sighisoara
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.60 RON 2.87
$3.31 €2.94
-81.87%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$25.61 €22.75
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.83 RON 3.92
$3.08 €2.74
-73.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.82 RON 3.90
$1.48 €1.32
-44.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.29 RON 39.35
$32.87 €29.20
-74.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.63 RON 7.75
$1.87 €1.66
-12.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.8K RON 136.9K
$33.0K €29.3K
-12.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.0K RON 118.7K
$31.9K €28.4K
-21.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sighisoara
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$59.7 RON 284
$183 €162
-67.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.32 RON 39.51
$14.24 €12.65
-41.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.50 RON 40.38
$34.56 €30.70
-75.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sighisoara
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.3 RON 253
$51.4 €45.68
3.62%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.38 €14.55
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.42 RON 44.72
$11.06 €9.83
-14.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sighisoara
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$577 RON 2,741
$944 €838
-38.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.2K RON 58.0K
$22.3K €19.8K
-45.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sighisoara
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.7 RON 426
$87.7 €77.9
2.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.09 RON 214
$38.77 €34.44
16.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.1 RON 471
$105 €92.9
-5.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 RON 501
$118 €105
-10.34%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sighisoara
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$319 RON 1,514
$1,697 €1,507
-81.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$255 RON 1,212
$1,337 €1,187
-80.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$517 RON 2,454
$2,692 €2,391
-80.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$492 RON 2,334
$2,077 €1,845
-76.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,576 RON 7,484
$7,155 €6,356
-77.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,064 RON 5,051
$5,079 €4,512
-79.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sighisoara
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$589 RON 2,796
$2,241 €1,991
-73.73%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.65
3.19
108.46%

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

Last update for Sighisoara: November 2, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sighisoara
$255
Barcelona
$1.3K 424% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Sighisoara
$203
Barcelona
$328 61.3% $125
Eating Out
Sighisoara
$170
Barcelona
$267 57.4% $97
Clothing & Footwear
Sighisoara
$153
Barcelona
$157 2.8% $4.2
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sighisoara
$77
Barcelona
$232 203% $155
Sport & Entertainment
Sighisoara
$72
Barcelona
$74 2% $1.4
Getting Around
Sighisoara
$7.3 *
Barcelona
$49 572% $42

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $319 in Sighisoara and $1,697 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays about 3.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $36 in Sighisoara vs $67 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $328 per month, with Sighisoara cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇷🇴 Sighisoara
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
18:08 6:08 PM
17:08 5:08 PM
1 h behind Sighisoara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
32,570
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 4.75 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.888 EUR (1 EUR = 1.13 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sighisoara Barcelona 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Sighisoara
  • Barcelona

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Sighisoara vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Sighisoara and in Barcelona?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $937 in Sighisoara and $2,443 in Barcelona, so Sighisoara is about 62% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 74% lower in Sighisoara. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Sighisoara and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $319 in Sighisoara versus $1,697 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Sighisoara and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $577 in Sighisoara versus $944 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Sighisoara – a meal for two runs $36 versus $67 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $937 in Sighisoara versus $2,443 in Barcelona, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Sighisoara but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sighisoara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Sighisoara and Barcelona?
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.
Is Sighisoara or Barcelona safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Sighisoara and Barcelona are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Sighisoara and Barcelona?
It comes down to priorities – Sighisoara wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

Sighisoara vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?