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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,960 in Oranjestad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $3,168 in Oranjestad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $4,376 in Oranjestad.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 19% more expensive than Oranjestad, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Oranjestad 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$19.09 AWG 34.16

-10.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$81.0 AWG 145

-14.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$10.11 AWG 18.09

36.30%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$3.74 AWG 6.69

-26.20%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.43 AWG 2.55

95.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.59 AWG 2.85

25.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.93 AWG 5.25

48.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$4.02 AWG 7.20

17.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.85 AWG 3.31

-30.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.93 AWG 5.25

-30.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.84 AWG 5.08

-29.93%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$5.36 AWG 9.60

-36.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$12.47 AWG 22.31

50.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$9.18 AWG 16.42

1.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$12.28 AWG 21.98

55.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$4.66 AWG 8.35

-42.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.23 AWG 4.00

4.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$4.89 AWG 8.75

-56.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$3.41 AWG 6.10

-16.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.28 AWG 4.09

-13.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.95 AWG 3.49

-7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$2.64 AWG 4.73

-45.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.53 AWG 2.74

-43.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$9.82 AWG 17.58

-30.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$9.80 AWG 17.55

-19.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$4.04 AWG 7.23

-65.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$4.48 AWG 8.01

-47.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$2.21 AWG 3.96

32.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$29.90 AWG 53.5

-4.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$17.09 AWG 30.58

-73.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$3.81 AWG 6.82

-46.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$24.91 AWG 44.59

18.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.53 AWG 2.74

18.95%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$26.2K AWG 46.8K

48.45%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$35.9K AWG 64.3K

-7.91%

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

$189 €163

$249 AWG 446

-24.02%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$48.19 AWG 86.2

-52.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$105 AWG 187

-64.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$108 AWG 193

-46.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$25.44 AWG 45.52

-18.47%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$12.16 AWG 21.76

-11.02%

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

$728 €628

$246 AWG 440

196.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$8,439 AWG 15.1K

75.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$60.1 AWG 108

47.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$50.6 AWG 90.6

-27.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$111 AWG 198

-7.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$102 AWG 182

14.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$686 AWG 1,227

128.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$561 AWG 1,005

116.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$1,458 AWG 2,610

91.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$1,353 AWG 2,422

45.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$2,256 AWG 4,037

243.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$1,704 AWG 3,049

203.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$1,749 AWG 3,131

33.97%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Oranjestad: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $686 in Oranjestad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 34% 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 $81.0 in Oranjestad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $362 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 19% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,960 including rent). Oranjestad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 34% 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 $686 in Oranjestad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 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 $1,960 in Oranjestad versus $2,337 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 19% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.