Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Oued Zem Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Oued Zem

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $767 in Oued Zem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,231 in Oued Zem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,696 in Oued Zem.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 223% more expensive than in Oued Zem, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Oued Zem is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$4.29 MAD 40.68

336.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$41.48 MAD 393

67.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$7.32 MAD 69.4

88.11%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.99 MAD 18.84

55.78%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.63 MAD 5.96

349.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.37 MAD 3.54

408.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$5.31 MAD 50.4

-25.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$3.15 MAD 29.89

43.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$0.90 MAD 8.57

41.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.67 MAD 6.36

222.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.90 MAD 18.04

-7.37%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.97 MAD 18.64

160.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$11.74 MAD 111

52.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$6.81 MAD 64.6

41.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$12.30 MAD 117

63.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$1.66 MAD 15.75

95.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.44 MAD 13.61

54.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$0.86 MAD 8.13

202.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$0.92 MAD 8.68

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.70 MAD 6.62

215.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$0.74 MAD 7.03

186.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.39 MAD 3.67

297.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.64 MAD 6.03

48.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$4.20 MAD 39.87

74.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$7.75 MAD 73.5

3.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$2.66 MAD 25.24

-42.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.75 MAD 26.04

1.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.49 MAD 4.60

534.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$21.69 MAD 206

19.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.76 MAD 7.21

330.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.88 MAD 8.37

68.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$4.28 MAD 40.63

700.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.56 MAD 14.81

10.90%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$34.4K MAD 326.6K

5.60%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$31.2K MAD 296.1K

-2.18%

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

$187 €163

$34.70 MAD 329

439.14%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$10.14 MAD 96.2

49.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$33.68 MAD 319

11.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$24.54 MAD 233

127.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$22.33 MAD 212

-23.51%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$6.18 MAD 58.6

84.63%

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

$997 €869

$189 MAD 1,793

427.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$6,910 MAD 65.5K

139.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$49.36 MAD 468

87.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$44.94 MAD 426

-8.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$92.5 MAD 877

20.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$68.5 MAD 649

82.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$272 MAD 2,584

526.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$154 MAD 1,460

735.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$539 MAD 5,112

375.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$294 MAD 2,784

561.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$1,264 MAD 12.0K

505.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$969 MAD 9,190

433.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$245 MAD 2,324

858.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.52

-30.09%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Oued Zem: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $272 in Oued Zem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 858% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $41.00 in Oued Zem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $209 per month, with Oued Zem 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 Oued Zem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Oued Zem differ by about 223% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $767 including rent). Oued Zem is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 858% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $272 in Oued Zem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $189 in Oued Zem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $767 in Oued Zem versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Oued Zem but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Oued Zem 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 Oued Zem 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 Oued Zem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 223% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.