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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $568 in Ouarzazate.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $907 in Ouarzazate.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,245 in Ouarzazate.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 316% more expensive than in Ouarzazate, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Ouarzazate is 57% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$4.78 MAD 44.60

258.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$10.98 MAD 102

519.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$4.50 MAD 41.97

203.11%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.07 MAD 10.00

159.81%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.42 MAD 3.92

571.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.36 MAD 3.32

444.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$2.82 MAD 26.28

57.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.69 MAD 25.07

71.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$0.77 MAD 7.20

64.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.56 MAD 5.24

280.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.45 MAD 13.55

37.24%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.66 MAD 15.46

103.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$7.83 MAD 73.0

142.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$4.15 MAD 38.65

129.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$6.54 MAD 61.0

186.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$0.97 MAD 9.08

173.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.39 MAD 12.95

69.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$0.63 MAD 5.85

231.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$0.68 MAD 6.33

301.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.64 MAD 5.98

206.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.46 MAD 4.28

293.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.23 MAD 2.15

556.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.60 MAD 5.57

48.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$4.29 MAD 40.01

58.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$8.20 MAD 76.5

-3.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$2.61 MAD 24.38

-47.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$3.05 MAD 28.43

-21.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.47 MAD 4.41

519.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$16.20 MAD 151

76.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$0.54 MAD 5.03

748.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.51 MAD 4.76

300.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$2.78 MAD 25.89

933.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.52 MAD 14.17

19.74%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$37.9K MAD 353.2K

3.80%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$29.5K MAD 275.3K

9.99%

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

$187 €162

$32.17 MAD 300

480.14%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$5.41 MAD 50.5

312.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$25.05 MAD 234

45.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$15.08 MAD 141

281.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$23.53 MAD 219

-11.86%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$3.82 MAD 35.60

181.94%

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

$725 €628

$75.8 MAD 707

855.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$6,303 MAD 58.8K

140.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$38.89 MAD 363

125.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$50.6 MAD 471

-27.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$50.2 MAD 468

106.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$67.0 MAD 625

77.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$251 MAD 2,343

506.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$130 MAD 1,208

846.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$502 MAD 4,676

443.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$309 MAD 2,880

542.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$1,231 MAD 11.5K

506.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$896 MAD 8,359

484.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ouarzazate: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $251 in Ouarzazate. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $11.00 in Ouarzazate for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 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 316% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $568 including rent). Ouarzazate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,539 in Barcelona and $852 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $251 in Ouarzazate. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $75.8 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 $568 in Ouarzazate versus $2,359 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 316% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.