Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Oamaru Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Oamaru

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,766 in Oamaru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $2,710 in Oamaru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $3,655 in Oamaru.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 32% more expensive than Oamaru, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Oamaru 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$16.65 NZ$28.42

2.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$71.0 NZ$121

-2.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$9.84 NZ$16.81

40.04%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$3.38 NZ$5.77

-18.34%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$2.29 NZ$3.90

21.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.07 NZ$3.53

-3.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$7.43 NZ$12.69

-41.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$7.40 NZ$12.64

-35.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.84 NZ$3.14

-29.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.10 NZ$1.88

86.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.19 NZ$2.03

67.23%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$3.95 NZ$6.75

-14.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$8.18 NZ$13.97

129.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$9.48 NZ$16.18

-1.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$12.67 NZ$21.63

50.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.37 NZ$4.05

13.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.79 NZ$3.06

30.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.96 NZ$5.06

-28.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$5.71 NZ$9.75

-50.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.53 NZ$2.61

28.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.23 NZ$2.09

46.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.85 NZ$3.17

-21.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.48 NZ$2.53

-41.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$24.19 NZ$41.31

-71.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$5.94 NZ$10.14

33.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$3.81 NZ$6.51

-63.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$4.86 NZ$8.30

-51.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$2.08 NZ$3.55

40.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$64.5 NZ$110

-55.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.76 NZ$4.71

61.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.69 NZ$2.89

21.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$30.07 NZ$51.4

-1.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.63 NZ$2.79

11.66%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$27.6K NZ$47.2K

40.59%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$19.5K NZ$33.4K

69.40%

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

$189 €163

$117 NZ$201

61.09%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$17.84 NZ$30.46

27.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$48.61 NZ$83.0

-22.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$36.54 NZ$62.4

58.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$12.02 NZ$20.52

72.55%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$10.77 NZ$18.38

0.46%

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

$728 €628

$651 NZ$1,112

11.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$9,375 NZ$16.0K

57.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$61.1 NZ$104

45.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$17.84 NZ$30.46

106.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$48.93 NZ$83.6

108.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$54.2 NZ$92.5

114.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$977 NZ$1,669

60.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$773 NZ$1,320

57.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$1,593 NZ$2,720

75.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$1,446 NZ$2,470

36.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$4,533 NZ$7,741

71.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$3,275 NZ$5,593

58.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$2,048 NZ$3,497

14.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-43.50%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Oamaru: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $977 in Oamaru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 14% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $71.0 in Oamaru. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $296, with Oamaru cheaper for home cooking.

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 Oamaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Oamaru differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,766 including rent). Oamaru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 14% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $977 in Oamaru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $651 in Oamaru. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,766 in Oamaru versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Oamaru but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Oamaru 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, Barcelona and Oamaru 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 Oamaru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.