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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $724 in Ouarzazate.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,136 in Ouarzazate.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,548 in Ouarzazate.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 242% more expensive than in Ouarzazate, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Ouarzazate is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$3.60 MAD 34.12

420.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$31.85 MAD 302

118.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$6.25 MAD 59.3

120.32%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.23 MAD 21.19

39.01%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.65 MAD 6.21

335.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.38 MAD 3.56

394.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$7.00 MAD 66.4

-43.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$5.57 MAD 52.8

-18.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$0.83 MAD 7.89

53.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.82 MAD 7.76

163.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.60 MAD 15.21

10.00%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.53 MAD 14.49

235.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$7.82 MAD 74.1

128.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$4.68 MAD 44.37

106.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$11.86 MAD 113

69.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$0.76 MAD 7.25

327.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.23 MAD 11.70

81.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$0.65 MAD 6.19

300.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$0.81 MAD 7.72

240.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.69 MAD 6.59

220.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$0.84 MAD 7.93

152.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.23 MAD 2.17

573.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.58 MAD 5.46

63.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$4.18 MAD 39.60

75.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$7.82 MAD 74.2

2.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$2.40 MAD 22.74

-35.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$3.40 MAD 32.21

-17.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.50 MAD 4.71

522.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$16.70 MAD 158

54.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.52 MAD 4.92

528.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.64 MAD 6.10

131.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$7.36 MAD 69.8

365.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.52 MAD 14.42

13.82%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$35.4K MAD 335.8K

2.71%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$30.4K MAD 288.4K

0.45%

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

$187 €163

$36.93 MAD 350

406.58%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$5.12 MAD 48.55

195.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$26.66 MAD 253

41.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$26.09 MAD 247

114.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$20.47 MAD 194

-16.56%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$6.47 MAD 61.4

76.35%

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

$997 €869

$100 MAD 953

892.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$8,459 MAD 80.2K

95.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$32.84 MAD 311

182.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$45.96 MAD 436

-10.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$84.7 MAD 803

31.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$85.5 MAD 811

46.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$271 MAD 2,569

530.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$171 MAD 1,623

651.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$545 MAD 5,166

370.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$311 MAD 2,952

523.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$1,222 MAD 11.6K

525.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$847 MAD 8,035

509.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.5

-9.71%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Ouarzazate: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $271 in Ouarzazate. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $32.00 in Ouarzazate for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $175 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 242% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $724 including rent). Ouarzazate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,714 in Barcelona and $1,085 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $271 in Ouarzazate. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $100 in Ouarzazate. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 92% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $724 in Ouarzazate versus $2,476 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 242% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.