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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $783 in Oued Zem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,295 in Oued Zem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,808 in Oued Zem.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Oued Zem is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$4.63 MAD 42.81

268.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$49.13 MAD 454

40.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$6.81 MAD 63.0

102.35%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.04 MAD 18.87

35.29%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.58 MAD 5.35

381.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.41 MAD 3.77

385.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$5.38 MAD 49.78

-18.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$4.05 MAD 37.46

17.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$0.89 MAD 8.21

44.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.50 MAD 4.65

310.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.87 MAD 17.30

6.42%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.02 MAD 18.73

67.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$13.04 MAD 121

44.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$6.95 MAD 64.3

34.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$11.61 MAD 107

64.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.60 MAD 14.78

68.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.39 MAD 12.89

68.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.78 MAD 7.23

171.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$0.86 MAD 7.96

231.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.72 MAD 6.70

173.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.69 MAD 6.39

160.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.39 MAD 3.65

271.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.58 MAD 5.38

48.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$4.40 MAD 40.70

54.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$7.73 MAD 71.5

2.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.74 MAD 25.34

-49.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.43 MAD 22.48

-2.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.47 MAD 4.38

521.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$16.59 MAD 153

72.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.56 MAD 5.22

696.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.88 MAD 8.11

132.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$4.33 MAD 40.08

582.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.53 MAD 14.16

18.95%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$36.5K MAD 338.0K

6.26%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$29.0K MAD 268.1K

14.20%

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

$189 €163

$41.67 MAD 385

354.12%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$10.86 MAD 100

109.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$39.64 MAD 367

-5.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$23.97 MAD 222

140.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$23.10 MAD 214

-10.22%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$6.76 MAD 62.5

60.06%

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

$728 €628

$160 MAD 1,480

355.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$6,473 MAD 59.9K

128.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$53.4 MAD 494

65.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$47.87 MAD 443

-23.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$106 MAD 979

-3.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$101 MAD 931

15.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$279 MAD 2,584

461.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$176 MAD 1,632

590.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$509 MAD 4,707

449.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$307 MAD 2,841

543.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$1,380 MAD 12.8K

462.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$1,050 MAD 9,710

393.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$246 MAD 2,274

853.30%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Oued Zem: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $279 in Oued Zem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 853% 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 $49.00 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 ($2,337 vs $783 including rent). Oued Zem is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 853% more on average, 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $279 in Oued Zem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 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 $783 in Oued Zem versus $2,337 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.