Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Oranjestad Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Oranjestad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,989 in Oranjestad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $3,152 in Oranjestad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $4,315 in Oranjestad.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 18% more expensive than Oranjestad, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Oranjestad 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$19.34 AWG 34.62

-8.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$81.6 AWG 146

-15.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$10.34 AWG 18.50

32.98%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$3.63 AWG 6.49

-23.97%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.47 AWG 2.63

89.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.59 AWG 2.84

28.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$3.01 AWG 5.40

53.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$4.01 AWG 7.18

14.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.87 AWG 3.35

-31.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.98 AWG 5.34

-29.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.83 AWG 5.06

-30.39%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$5.22 AWG 9.35

-34.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$12.70 AWG 22.73

48.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$9.46 AWG 16.93

-0.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$12.03 AWG 21.53

58.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$4.75 AWG 8.50

-42.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.31 AWG 4.13

2.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$5.15 AWG 9.22

-59.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$3.47 AWG 6.21

-20.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.24 AWG 4.00

-12.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.94 AWG 3.47

-7.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$2.58 AWG 4.62

-41.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.54 AWG 2.75

-41.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$10.05 AWG 17.98

-32.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$10.22 AWG 18.30

-26.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$3.87 AWG 6.92

-62.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$4.30 AWG 7.69

-43.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$2.22 AWG 3.98

36.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$30.45 AWG 54.5

-6.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$17.12 AWG 30.64

-74.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$4.00 AWG 7.16

-48.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$24.65 AWG 44.13

18.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.47 AWG 2.63

28.57%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$26.5K AWG 47.5K

45.98%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$35.0K AWG 62.6K

-7.43%

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

$189 €161

$257 AWG 460

-26.54%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$49.05 AWG 87.8

-54.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$105 AWG 187

-64.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$107 AWG 192

-45.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$25.58 AWG 45.79

-17.94%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$12.11 AWG 21.67

-8.75%

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

$726 €622

$246 AWG 440

195.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$8,715 AWG 15.6K

74.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$58.9 AWG 105

49.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$50.0 AWG 89.5

-26.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$108 AWG 193

-5.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$103 AWG 184

16.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$682 AWG 1,220

123.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$571 AWG 1,021

113.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$1,473 AWG 2,636

89.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$1,356 AWG 2,428

49.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$2,268 AWG 4,059

212.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,727 AWG 3,092

180.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$1,692 AWG 3,029

42.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.25

-45.76%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Oranjestad: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $682 in Oranjestad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 42% 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 $82.0 in Oranjestad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $365 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 Oranjestad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Oranjestad differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,989 including rent). Oranjestad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 42% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $682 in Oranjestad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $246 in Oranjestad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,989 in Oranjestad versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Oranjestad but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Oranjestad 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 Oranjestad 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 Oranjestad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.