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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $574 in Ouarzazate.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $918 in Ouarzazate.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,261 in Ouarzazate.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 307% more expensive than Ouarzazate, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Ouarzazate is 57% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$4.60 MAD 42.51

271.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$10.93 MAD 101

533.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$4.41 MAD 40.77

212.47%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$1.08 MAD 10.01

155.56%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.45 MAD 4.19

520.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.35 MAD 3.27

468.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.81 MAD 25.95

55.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.78 MAD 25.76

70.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$0.82 MAD 7.61

57.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.54 MAD 4.95

279.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.45 MAD 13.40

37.24%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.61 MAD 14.87

110.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$7.89 MAD 73.0

138.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$4.23 MAD 39.09

121.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$6.74 MAD 62.3

183.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$0.95 MAD 8.83

184.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.35 MAD 12.45

73.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.68 MAD 6.30

211.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$0.73 MAD 6.73

290.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.68 MAD 6.29

189.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.43 MAD 3.94

318.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.21 MAD 1.93

590.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.64 MAD 5.91

34.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$4.29 MAD 39.67

58.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$8.24 MAD 76.3

-4.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.71 MAD 25.11

-48.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$3.03 MAD 28.00

-21.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.51 MAD 4.74

472.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$16.21 MAD 150

76.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.56 MAD 5.20

696.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.52 MAD 4.77

294.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$2.81 MAD 25.99

951.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.51 MAD 13.99

20.53%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$36.6K MAD 338.7K

6.05%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$29.8K MAD 276.0K

10.96%

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

$189 €163

$32.38 MAD 300

484.40%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$5.21 MAD 48.23

337.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$24.37 MAD 225

54.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$15.28 MAD 141

277.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$23.53 MAD 218

-11.86%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$3.86 MAD 35.68

180.31%

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

$728 €628

$77.0 MAD 712

845.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$6,225 MAD 57.6K

137.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$38.32 MAD 355

131.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$50.7 MAD 469

-27.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$49.24 MAD 456

107.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$65.5 MAD 606

77.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$242 MAD 2,242

547.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$130 MAD 1,204

836.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$509 MAD 4,711

448.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$301 MAD 2,783

556.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$1,568 MAD 14.5K

394.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$944 MAD 8,730

448.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ouarzazate: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $242 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 $319 vs $158 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 307% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $574 including rent). Ouarzazate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,505 in Barcelona and $861 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $242 in Ouarzazate. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $77.0 in Ouarzazate. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 103% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $574 in Ouarzazate versus $2,337 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 307% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.