Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and El Oued

For one person, living is cheaper in El Oued: $524 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $23,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
El Oued, Algeria
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,443
/mo nomad
El Oued
🇩🇿 Algeria
$524
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in El Oued

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $524 in El Oued.

  • Barcelona $2,443
  • El Oued $524

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $859 in El Oued.

  • Barcelona $3,519
  • El Oued $859

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $1,194 in El Oued.

  • Barcelona $4,595
  • El Oued $1,194

Living in Barcelona is roughly 367% more expensive than in El Oued, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, El Oued is 61% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
El Oued
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.66 €15.79
$2.85 DZD 386
519.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.3
$19.88 DZD 2,691
239.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.61 €12.17
$4.23 DZD 572
221.75%
Cappuccino
$3.10 €2.77
$1.26 DZD 170
146.03%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 €2.68
$1.13 DZD 153
165.49%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 €1.72
$0.51 DZD 69.6
278.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.84 €3.44
$1.53 DZD 206
150.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36 €3.90
$2.23 DZD 302
95.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
El Oued
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 €1.11
$0.88 DZD 120
42.05%
White Bread (500g)
$2.12 €1.90
$0.16 DZD 21.62
1225.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.10 DZD 149
79.09%
Eggs
$4.76 €4.26
$1.23 DZD 167
286.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.07 €15.26
$7.81 DZD 1,057
118.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.96 €8.01
$3.91 DZD 529
129.16%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.65 €18.46
$14.23 DZD 1,927
45.12%
Apples (1kg)
$3.16 €2.83
$2.02 DZD 274
56.44%
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$2.82 DZD 382
-30.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 €2.37
$1.06 DZD 143
150.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.88 €2.58
$0.91 DZD 123
216.48%
Potato (1kg)
$2.06 €1.84
$0.63 DZD 84.6
226.98%
Onion (1kg)
$2.18 €1.95
$0.45 DZD 61.0
384.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.53 €1.37
$0.76 DZD 103
101.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 €0.87
$0.25 DZD 34.17
288.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.97 €6.23
$2.70 DZD 366
158.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.05
$6.21 DZD 840
27.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 €1.27
$1.10 DZD 149
29.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 €2.40
$1.90 DZD 257
41.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
El Oued
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.31 €2.96
$0.23 DZD 30.82
1339.13%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.61 €22.90
$7.02 DZD 950
264.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.08 €2.76
$0.57 DZD 77.7
440.35%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 €1.33
$0.41 DZD 55.1
260.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.87 €29.40
$5.31 DZD 719
519.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.87 €1.67
$0.32 DZD 43.95
484.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.0K €29.5K
$31.7K DZD 4.3M
3.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K €28.6K
$34.7K DZD 4.7M
-7.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
El Oued
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 €164
$36.65 DZD 4,961
398.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.24 €12.73
$9.37 DZD 1,269
51.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.56 €30.91
$11.74 DZD 1,589
194.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
El Oued
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.4 €45.98
$22.11 DZD 2,992
132.56%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.38 €14.65
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.06 €9.89
$4.48 DZD 606
146.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
El Oued
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$944 €844
$336 DZD 45.4K
181.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.3K €19.9K
$10.3K DZD 1.4M
116.26%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
El Oued
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.7 €78.4
$32.04 DZD 4,337
173.66%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.77 €34.67
$34.41 DZD 4,658
12.67%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.5
$65.8 DZD 8,906
58.93%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 €105
$73.4 DZD 9,939
60.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
El Oued
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,697 €1,517
$142 DZD 19.3K
1093.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,337 €1,195
$90.6 DZD 12.3K
1376.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,692 €2,407
$272 DZD 36.8K
889.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,077 €1,857
$197 DZD 26.7K
954.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,155 €6,398
$970 DZD 131.3K
637.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,079 €4,542
$918 DZD 124.2K
453.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
El Oued
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,241 €2,004
$259 DZD 35.1K
764.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.19
5.3
-39.81%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for El Oued: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.3K
El Oued
$91 93.2% $1.2K
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$328
El Oued
$172 47.6% $156
Eating Out
Barcelona
$267
El Oued
$69 74.1% $198
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$232
El Oued
$58 75.1% $174
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$157
El Oued
$93 41% $64
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
El Oued
$31 57.8% $42
Getting Around
Barcelona
$49
El Oued
$11 78.6% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $142 in El Oued. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays about 8.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $20 in El Oued for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $172 per month, with El Oued cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇩🇿 El Oued
🕒 Local time
21:42 9:42 PM
21:42 9:42 PM
Same time as Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
134,699
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.894 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.39 USD). 1 EUR = 151 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.61 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona El Oued 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • El Oued

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
Barcelona vs El Oued: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in El Oued?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $524 in El Oued, so El Oued is about 79% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Barcelona or El Oued?
Average pay in Barcelona is about 8.6 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in El Oued?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $142 in El Oued. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and El Oued?
Childcare runs $944 in Barcelona versus $336 in El Oued. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 91% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $524 in El Oued versus $2,443 in Barcelona, a $1,200 budget is realistic in El Oued but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes El Oued the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and El Oued?
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 Barcelona or El Oued safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and El Oued are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Barcelona or El Oued?
Expats usually find El Oued gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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