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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $790 in Oued Zem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,321 in Oued Zem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,851 in Oued Zem.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 199% more expensive than in Oued Zem, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Oued Zem is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$4.73 MAD 44.06

262.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$50.2 MAD 468

35.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$6.53 MAD 60.9

108.88%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.04 MAD 19.05

36.27%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.63 MAD 5.86

347.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.37 MAD 3.46

429.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$5.62 MAD 52.4

-21.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$4.06 MAD 37.81

13.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$0.82 MAD 7.61

54.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.47 MAD 4.39

353.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.96 MAD 18.31

1.53%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.93 MAD 18.02

74.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$13.18 MAD 123

43.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$6.90 MAD 64.3

38.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$11.99 MAD 112

56.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.58 MAD 14.78

67.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.44 MAD 13.42

63.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$0.82 MAD 7.61

154.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$0.86 MAD 8.03

217.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.67 MAD 6.25

192.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.67 MAD 6.23

170.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.42 MAD 3.93

259.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.60 MAD 5.56

48.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$4.44 MAD 41.44

52.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$7.70 MAD 71.8

2.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$2.62 MAD 24.45

-47.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.55 MAD 23.78

-5.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.50 MAD 4.69

482.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$16.19 MAD 151

77.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$0.53 MAD 4.96

764.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.89 MAD 8.27

129.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$4.50 MAD 41.95

538.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.58 MAD 14.69

15.19%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$37.0K MAD 344.8K

6.31%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$29.2K MAD 272.0K

11.30%

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

$187 €162

$40.97 MAD 382

355.53%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$11.09 MAD 103

100.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$39.78 MAD 371

-8.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$24.64 MAD 230

133.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$23.14 MAD 216

-10.37%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$6.56 MAD 61.2

64.18%

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

$725 €628

$160 MAD 1,495

352.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$6,381 MAD 59.5K

137.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$53.1 MAD 495

65.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$47.44 MAD 442

-22.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$107 MAD 998

-3.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$98.8 MAD 921

20.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$286 MAD 2,667

432.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$176 MAD 1,645

595.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$514 MAD 4,788

431.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$310 MAD 2,892

539.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$1,165 MAD 10.9K

541.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$932 MAD 8,690

462.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$246 MAD 2,297

871.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.81

-29.52%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Oued Zem: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $286 in Oued Zem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 871% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $50.0 in Oued Zem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $208 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 199% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $790 including rent). Oued Zem is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 871% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $286 in Oued Zem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $160 in Oued Zem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $790 in Oued Zem versus $2,359 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 199% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.