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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,985 in Oranjestad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $3,132 in Oranjestad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $4,279 in Oranjestad.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Oranjestad 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$18.90 AWG 33.83

-9.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$80.3 AWG 144

-15.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$10.45 AWG 18.70

30.53%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.74 AWG 6.70

-25.67%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.41 AWG 2.52

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.61 AWG 2.89

21.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$2.94 AWG 5.27

50.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$3.95 AWG 7.07

16.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.90 AWG 3.40

-33.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$3.02 AWG 5.40

-29.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.89 AWG 5.17

-31.14%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$5.31 AWG 9.50

-36.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$12.56 AWG 22.48

50.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$9.06 AWG 16.22

5.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$12.32 AWG 22.05

52.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$4.61 AWG 8.24

-42.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.30 AWG 4.12

2.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$4.94 AWG 8.84

-57.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$3.54 AWG 6.34

-22.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$2.23 AWG 4.00

-12.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.95 AWG 3.48

-7.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$2.67 AWG 4.78

-43.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$1.58 AWG 2.83

-43.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$9.95 AWG 17.80

-31.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$10.25 AWG 18.34

-22.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$3.91 AWG 6.99

-64.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$4.44 AWG 7.94

-45.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$2.21 AWG 3.95

31.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$29.60 AWG 53.0

-3.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$17.15 AWG 30.70

-73.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$3.79 AWG 6.78

-46.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$24.63 AWG 44.07

16.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.53 AWG 2.73

18.95%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$26.4K AWG 47.3K

48.86%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$35.5K AWG 63.6K

-8.61%

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

$187 €162

$250 AWG 447

-25.31%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$48.78 AWG 87.3

-54.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$105 AWG 189

-65.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$105 AWG 189

-45.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$26.32 AWG 47.09

-21.20%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$11.85 AWG 21.21

-9.11%

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

$725 €628

$246 AWG 441

194.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$8,679 AWG 15.5K

74.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$60.0 AWG 107

46.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$50.1 AWG 89.6

-26.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$108 AWG 194

-4.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$102 AWG 183

15.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$669 AWG 1,198

127.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$577 AWG 1,033

112.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$1,451 AWG 2,596

88.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$1,361 AWG 2,436

45.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$2,204 AWG 3,944

238.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,736 AWG 3,107

201.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$1,737 AWG 3,108

37.77%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Oranjestad: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $669 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $80.0 in Oranjestad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 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 19% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,985 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $669 in Oranjestad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 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 $1,985 in Oranjestad versus $2,359 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.