Should you visit Bucharest or Barcelona?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Bucharest and Barcelona. We’ll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget. So, let's dig into it.
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital and largest city in the country of Romania. With about 2 million residents living in the city and about 2.4 million in the surrounding urban area, it is also one of the largest cities in Southeastern Europe. As such, it is the economic, industrial and commercial center for the country. As a visitor, you will likely enter Romania by arriving in Bucharest. The city continues to grow and change, and there are ongoing infrastructure projects that continue to modernize the city. It is not uncommon to find historic churches on the same block as modern office buildings and Communist style apartment buildings. There are also many sights around town and the city continues to grow as a trendy and fascinating city.
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain with a population of over 1.5 million people. It's also the capital of Catalonia and is located on the northeastern part of the Mediterranean coast. Barcelona is one of the country's most popular travel destinations because of its rich history, interesting architecture, and vibrant culture. Barcelona hosted the 1992 Summer Olympic games and that had a strong influence over tourism in the area. Many different neighborhoods were renovated and rebuilt. Modern design became the norm in many parts of the city, although there is still an old city feel and many efforts at preservation.
Which city is cheaper, Barcelona or Bucharest?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Bucharest is $119, while the average daily cost in Barcelona is $141. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Bucharest and Barcelona in more detail.
Accommodation
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about $108 for a double occupancy room in Bucharest.
The average price for accommodation for two people in Barcelona is $172. This is for two people sharing a typical double occupancy hotel room.
Food
The price of a meal in Bucharest can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is $50 per person, and a typical meal will cost around $20 based on the spending of previous visitors. Less expensive dining options can be found by eating street food or at fast food restaurants.
The price of a meal in Barcelona can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is $30 per person, and a typical meal will cost around $12 based on the spending of previous visitors. Less expensive dining options can be found by eating street food or at fast food restaurants.
-
Food
Meals for one day
Bucharest $50
Barcelona $30
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bucharest
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bucharest.
-
Bucharest Evening Tour and Traditional Dinner - 3 hours:
$80
-
Cooking Class in Transylvania - Day Tour from Bucharest:
$199
-
Walking Food Tour in the Old Town of Bucharest:
$199
-
Bucharest City Tour & Traditional Home-made Cooking Experience:
$223
-
Private Dracula Castle Tour by night and Romanian traditional dinner:
$331
Typical Food prices in Barcelona
Some typical examples of dining costs in Barcelona are as follows:
-
Hot Cocoa & Churro
$4.74
-
Sandwich
$1.94
-
Baguette & Horchata
$4.34
-
Tapas on the beach
$9.46
-
Gelatto
$2.85
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Barcelona
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Barcelona.
-
Live from Barcelona to China: Potato Gnocchi Online Cooking Class:
$23
-
Live from Potato Gnocchi Online Cooking Class:
$23
-
Barcelona organic dinner in a beautiful rooftop garden:
$35
-
Paella Cooking Experience + Boqueria Market Tour:
$48
-
Interactive Spanish Cooking Experience in Barcelona:
$49
-
Hands-on Brunch Cooking Class with Bottomless Mimosas!:
$50
-
Born district food tour and tasting in Barcelona:
$51
-
Barcelona Street Food Tour: Local Market & Gothic Quarter with Expert Guide:
$52
-
Street Food Tour & Gothic Quater Sightseeing with Local Expert:
$52
-
Bus and Walking Tour with Dinner:
$58
-
Tasty Barcelona Street Food Tour With Local Market Visit:
$59
-
Skip the Line: Flamenco Show and Dinner Ticket:
$62
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Bucharest is $22 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
The cost of a taxi ride in Barcelona is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $17 per person, per day, on local transportation in Barcelona.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bucharest
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bucharest:
-
Best transfer from Bucharest Airport to City Center:
$3.72
-
Bucharest airport transfer:
$12
-
Private transfer from Bucharest Otopeni Airport to Bucharest:
$12
-
Private Arrival Transfer from Bucharest Airport to Bucharest City:
$14
-
Private Departure Transfer from Bucharest City to Bucharest Airport:
$14
-
Bucharest - Private Airport Transfer:
$15
-
Bucharest Airport Transfer:
$16
-
Otopeni Airport Transfer to Bucharest:
$16
-
Private One-Way BUCHAREST-OTP Airport Transfer:
$16
-
Bucharest Airport Transfer by Minivan:
$17
-
Private Bucharest Airport Transfer:
$17
-
Bucharest Giurgiu Port Shared Transfer:
$17
Typical Local Transportation prices in Barcelona
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Barcelona are as follows:
-
10 Trip Metro Ticket
$8.90
-
Airport Bus
$5.71
-
Metro
$2.40
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Barcelona
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Barcelona:
-
Airport Transfer:
$127
-
Airport Transfers:
$20
-
Airport, Port cruise & Hotel Transfers:
$81
-
Ancient winery of vermouth, Tarragona & Reus: private Round-Trip Transfer:
$311
-
Arrival Private Transfer Barcelona City or Airport to Andorra by Business Car:
$445
-
Arrival Private Transfer Barcelona Port to Barcelona City by Business Car:
$57
-
Arrival Private Transfer Luxury Van Barcelona Port to Barcelona City:
$70
-
Arrival Private Transfers from Barcelona Cruise Port to Bacelona City:
$88
-
Barcelona - Salou private transfer:
$198
-
Barcelona 1-Way Private Luxury Airport or Port Transfer:
$48
-
Barcelona Airport (BCN) to Cruise Port - Arrival Private Car Transfer:
$46
-
Barcelona Airport (BCN) to Cruise Port - Arrival Private Van Transfer:
$32
Is it cheaper to fly into Bucharest or Barcelona?
Prices for flights to both Barcelona and Bucharest change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Entertainment
Bucharest's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $13 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Entertainment and activities in Barcelona typically cost an average of $30 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
Tours and Activities in Bucharest
Here are a few actual costs in Bucharest for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
-
Bellu Outdoor Museum Exploration Game & Tour:
$5.67
-
Old Town Hidden Gems Exploration Game and Tour:
$7.95
-
Museum of Senses Bucharest Entrance Ticket:
$11
-
One Hour Epic Escape Room Adventure Mystery in Bucharest:
$14
-
Escape Room Experience:
$17
-
Half-day tour to the Mogoșoaia Palace by train from Bucharest:
$20
-
Skip the line: Bucharest Parliament Palace Ticket:
$23
-
Self-Guided Ruse from Bucharest Tour:
$24
-
Skip the Line: Palace of the Parliament - Bucharest:
$25
-
Guided Ceausescu Villa Tour:
$25
-
Jewish Tour of Bucharest:
$28
-
Dracula's Transylvania Virtual Private 2-Hour Live Guided Tour:
$31
Typical Entertainment prices in Barcelona
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Barcelona are as follows:
Tours and Activities in Barcelona
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Barcelona are as follows:
-
A Culinary Audio Tour of El Born by VoiceMap:
$5.50
-
Self-Guided Tour with Over 100 Sights:
$5.68
-
KBr Mapfre Foundation Entry Ticket:
$5.68
-
Museu de la Xocolata Tickets:
$7.16
-
Private Barcelona Ghost Tour: Gothic Quarter Exploration Game:
$7.45
-
Museu de la Xocolata Admission Ticket:
$7.46
-
Self-Guided City Audio Tour on Your Phone:
$8.16
-
Gaudi House Museum Skip-the-Line Ticket:
$8.95
-
Barcelona Port Traditional Boat Tour:
$9.16
-
Guided Tour of Requesens Palace:
$9.54
-
Guided Tour of Barcelona's Royal Academy of Sciences & Arts:
$9.54
-
Skip the Line: Human Bodies - Entrance to the exhibition Ticket:
$9.95
Alcohol
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Bucharest may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $7.92 per day on alcoholic beverages.
The average person spends about $15 on alcoholic beverages in Barcelona per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Sample the Local Flavors in Bucharest
Also in Bucharest, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
-
Pub Crawl in the Old Town:
$23
-
Wine Tasting Tour of Bucharest Old Town:
$61
-
Wine Tasting Tour at First Wine Bar:
$61
-
Private Wine Tasting at Bucharest's First Wine Bar:
$65
-
Bucharest City Tour and Wine Tasting – 2.5 hours:
$88
-
Traditions in Village Museum & Wine Tasting:
$93
-
Bike & Wine tour in Dealu Mare wineland:
$96
-
Wine tasting at the mansion, Dracula's grave from Snagov & Mogosoaia Palace:
$100
-
Traditions in Village Museum and Wine Tasting Tour:
$100
-
Romanian Wine Tasting:
$106
-
Romanian Wine Tasting Experience:
$113
-
Lacerta Crama Wine Tasting:
$113
Sample the Local Flavors in Barcelona
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Barcelona:
-
Columbus Monument with Optional Wine Tasting:
$7.16
-
Estrella Damm Brewery Guided Tour with Tasting:
$9.08
-
Backpacker Pub Crawl:
$18
-
Barcelona Halloween Pub Crawl:
$18
-
Generation Pub Crawl in Barcelona:
$19
-
Barcelona Pub Crawl:
$20
-
Wine Tasting Experience in Barcelona:
$22
-
Opera Samfaina: Food and Wine Tasting Interactive Experience in Barcelona:
$26
-
Wine tasting & tapas:
$39
-
Barcelona Guided Local Wine Tasting Tour:
$44
-
Wine Tasting near Sagrada Familia:
$47
-
Fun Wine Tasting in Barcelona with a Sommelier!:
$53
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Bucharest and Barcelona, we can see that Barcelona is more expensive. And not only is Bucharest much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Bucharest would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Bucharest and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Barcelona would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Barcelona than you might in Bucharest.
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