Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Oldenburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Oldenburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $2,017 in Oldenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $2,917 in Oldenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $3,817 in Oldenburg.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 16% more expensive than Oldenburg, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Oldenburg 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.04

$11.18 €9.55

57.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.7

$78.6 €67.2

-12.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.74

$11.47 €9.80

19.88%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$3.84 €3.28

-28.13%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$4.13 €3.52

-32.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$3.51 €3.00

-41.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.93

$5.20 €4.44

-11.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.92

$4.27 €3.65

7.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.31 €1.12

-2.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.80

$2.21 €1.88

-4.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$3.48 €2.97

-43.39%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.94

$4.10 €3.50

-16.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.08

$15.34 €13.10

22.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.07

$15.30 €13.07

-38.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.24

$19.60 €16.74

-3.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.32

$3.18 €2.71

-14.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.74 €1.49

36.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.77

$2.21 €1.89

-5.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$4.68 €4.00

-41.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.52 €1.30

29.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.61 €1.37

11.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$2.03 €1.73

-25.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.03 €0.88

-12.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.77

$9.26 €7.90

-27.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.44

$7.21 €6.15

4.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.07 €0.92

34.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.76 €1.50

36.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$3.41 €2.91

-11.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.25

$67.9 €58.0

-58.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$5.22 €4.46

-15.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.75

$2.02 €1.73

1.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.05

$51.1 €43.64

-42.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$2.05 €1.75

-7.80%

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

$38.7K €33.1K

$31.9K €27.3K

21.33%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$34.3K €29.3K

-5.70%

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

$189 €161

$292 €249

-35.33%

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

$22.21 €18.96

$39.92 €34.09

-44.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.44

$54.4 €46.49

-32.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.52

$36.89 €31.51

57.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.93

$7.94 €6.78

164.36%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.44

$13.97 €11.93

-20.90%

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

$726 €620

$678 €579

7.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$10.5K €9,009

44.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.4

$141 €120

-37.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.58

$34.26 €29.26

7.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.6

$117 €100

-12.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$115 €98.2

3.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,304

$976 €834

56.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,040

$695 €594

75.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,386

$1,286 €1,098

117.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,731

$945 €807

114.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,058

$4,405 €3,762

61.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,141

$3,220 €2,750

50.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,053

$3,732 €3,187

-35.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.96

-14.39%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Oldenburg: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $976 in Oldenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oldenburg pays 55% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $79.0 in Oldenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $357 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

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 Oldenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Oldenburg differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $2,017 including rent). Oldenburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Oldenburg earns 55% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $976 in Oldenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $678 in Oldenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,017 in Oldenburg versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Oldenburg but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Oldenburg 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 Oldenburg 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 Oldenburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.