Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ouarzazate Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ouarzazate

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $571 in Ouarzazate.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $922 in Ouarzazate.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,273 in Ouarzazate.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 310% more expensive than Ouarzazate, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Ouarzazate is 57% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$4.75 MAD 43.92

270.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$11.07 MAD 102

520.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$4.45 MAD 41.20

208.99%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.07 MAD 9.89

157.94%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.46 MAD 4.27

504.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.33 MAD 3.01

521.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$2.67 MAD 24.72

72.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.67 MAD 24.73

71.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$0.81 MAD 7.47

58.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.53 MAD 4.92

298.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.52 MAD 14.10

29.61%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$1.63 MAD 15.11

111.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$7.81 MAD 72.3

141.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$4.00 MAD 37.00

136.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$6.68 MAD 61.8

184.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$0.92 MAD 8.49

195.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.38 MAD 12.76

71.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$0.64 MAD 5.94

225.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$0.69 MAD 6.35

300.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.64 MAD 5.91

207.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.46 MAD 4.27

289.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.21 MAD 1.94

619.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.62 MAD 5.76

45.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$4.30 MAD 39.75

57.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$7.98 MAD 73.8

-5.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$2.70 MAD 24.99

-46.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.93 MAD 27.10

-17.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.51 MAD 4.68

494.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$16.15 MAD 149

75.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$0.57 MAD 5.27

677.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.48 MAD 4.41

327.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$2.70 MAD 25.02

986.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.57 MAD 14.48

20.38%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$37.2K MAD 344.3K

4.08%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$30.3K MAD 280.3K

6.80%

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

$189 €161

$32.25 MAD 298

484.78%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$5.32 MAD 49.17

317.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$24.24 MAD 224

51.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$15.54 MAD 144

273.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$23.07 MAD 213

-9.02%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$3.92 MAD 36.23

181.89%

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

$726 €622

$76.2 MAD 705

853.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$6,286 MAD 58.1K

142.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$39.02 MAD 361

126.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$49.86 MAD 461

-25.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$48.44 MAD 448

111.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$65.1 MAD 602

83.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$243 MAD 2,249

527.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$133 MAD 1,232

814.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$509 MAD 4,706

449.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$308 MAD 2,849

558.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$1,599 MAD 14.8K

343.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$941 MAD 8,703

415.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.75

-28.63%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ouarzazate: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $243 in Ouarzazate. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $11.00 in Ouarzazate for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $155 per month, with Ouarzazate 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 Ouarzazate: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ouarzazate differ by about 310% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $571 including rent). Ouarzazate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,512 in Barcelona and $856 in Ouarzazate to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $243 in Ouarzazate. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $76.2 in Ouarzazate. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 106% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $571 in Ouarzazate versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ouarzazate but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ouarzazate 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 Ouarzazate 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 Ouarzazate gentler on the wallet – expenses run 310% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.