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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,726 in Oamaru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $2,682 in Oamaru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $3,638 in Oamaru.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 37% more expensive than in Oamaru, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Oamaru 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$17.10 NZ$29.00

0.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$72.5 NZ$123

-6.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$9.57 NZ$16.23

42.53%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.48 NZ$5.91

-20.11%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$2.27 NZ$3.85

24.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$2.05 NZ$3.48

-4.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$7.21 NZ$12.23

-38.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$7.10 NZ$12.03

-35.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.79 NZ$3.04

-29.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.15 NZ$1.95

85.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.23 NZ$2.09

61.79%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$3.89 NZ$6.60

-13.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$8.06 NZ$13.66

135.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$9.13 NZ$15.48

4.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$12.89 NZ$21.84

45.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.46 NZ$4.18

7.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.82 NZ$3.09

29.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.96 NZ$5.02

-29.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$5.59 NZ$9.48

-51.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.54 NZ$2.61

27.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.22 NZ$2.07

48.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.86 NZ$3.16

-18.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$1.40 NZ$2.38

-36.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$23.75 NZ$40.25

-71.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$5.92 NZ$10.04

33.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$3.77 NZ$6.39

-63.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$4.94 NZ$8.38

-51.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$2.10 NZ$3.56

38.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$63.2 NZ$107

-54.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$2.73 NZ$4.63

67.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.69 NZ$2.87

20.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$30.64 NZ$52.0

-6.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.68 NZ$2.85

8.33%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$27.7K NZ$46.9K

42.20%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$19.7K NZ$33.4K

64.84%

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

$187 €162

$118 NZ$201

57.76%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$18.23 NZ$30.91

22.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$47.64 NZ$80.8

-23.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$37.05 NZ$62.8

55.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$12.30 NZ$20.84

68.62%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$10.80 NZ$18.31

-0.28%

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

$725 €628

$653 NZ$1,107

10.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$9,274 NZ$15.7K

63.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$61.0 NZ$103

44.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$17.94 NZ$30.40

105.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$48.00 NZ$81.4

115.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$54.8 NZ$92.8

116.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$983 NZ$1,667

54.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$780 NZ$1,322

57.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$1,550 NZ$2,628

75.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$1,420 NZ$2,407

39.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$4,804 NZ$8,143

55.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$3,073 NZ$5,210

70.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$2,013 NZ$3,412

18.87%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Oamaru: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $983 in Oamaru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 19% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $72.0 in Oamaru. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $293, 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 37% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,726 including rent). Oamaru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $983 in Oamaru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $653 in Oamaru. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,726 in Oamaru versus $2,359 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 37% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.