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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $2,343 in Oranjestad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $4,189 in Oranjestad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $6,035 in Oranjestad.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 6% more expensive than in Oranjestad, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Oranjestad 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$21.82 AWG 39.05

-14.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$79.9 AWG 143

-13.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$10.07 AWG 18.02

36.74%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.29 AWG 7.67

-27.74%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.41 AWG 2.52

100.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.59 AWG 2.84

18.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$3.08 AWG 5.52

29.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$4.02 AWG 7.19

12.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.81 AWG 3.24

-29.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$3.03 AWG 5.41

-28.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.92 AWG 5.23

-39.73%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$5.46 AWG 9.77

-6.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$12.64 AWG 22.62

41.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$9.49 AWG 16.98

1.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$12.01 AWG 21.49

67.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$4.76 AWG 8.52

-31.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.20 AWG 3.94

1.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$4.94 AWG 8.84

-47.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$3.41 AWG 6.11

-19.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.20 AWG 3.93

0.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.96 AWG 3.51

8.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$2.58 AWG 4.62

-39.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.56 AWG 2.80

-39.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$9.85 AWG 17.62

-25.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$9.84 AWG 17.61

-18.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$3.89 AWG 6.96

-60.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$4.36 AWG 7.80

-36.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$2.14 AWG 3.83

45.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$29.96 AWG 53.6

-13.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$17.19 AWG 30.76

-80.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$3.83 AWG 6.86

-61.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$24.50 AWG 43.84

39.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$2.04 AWG 3.64

-15.20%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$26.5K AWG 47.4K

37.25%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$35.9K AWG 64.3K

-15.03%

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

$187 €163

$250 AWG 448

-25.25%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$48.21 AWG 86.3

-68.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$107 AWG 191

-64.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$62.5 AWG 112

-10.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$25.95 AWG 46.43

-34.18%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$11.87 AWG 21.24

-3.88%

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

$997 €869

$251 AWG 449

297.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$8,523 AWG 15.3K

93.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$60.9 AWG 109

52.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$50.1 AWG 89.7

-17.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$111 AWG 198

0.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$102 AWG 182

23.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$935 AWG 1,673

82.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$936 AWG 1,676

37.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$2,698 AWG 4,828

-4.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$3,088 AWG 5,526

-37.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$2,288 AWG 4,094

234.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,710 AWG 3,060

202.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$1,708 AWG 3,056

37.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.25

-49.44%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Oranjestad: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $935 in Oranjestad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 38% 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 $80.0 in Oranjestad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 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 6% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $2,343 including rent). Oranjestad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 38% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $935 in Oranjestad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $251 in Oranjestad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,343 in Oranjestad versus $2,476 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 6% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.