Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ourem

For one person, living is cheaper in Ourem: $1,566 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Ourem, Portugal
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Ourem
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,566
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Ourem

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Ourem actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $1,566 in Ourem.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Ourem $1,566

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $2,256 in Ourem.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Ourem $2,256

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $2,946 in Ourem.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Ourem $2,946

Living in Barcelona is roughly 57% more expensive than in Ourem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Ourem 15% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Ourem
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.80
$12.75 €11.45
37.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.6
$53.3 €47.87
26.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.15
$9.06 €8.14
49.34%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.87
$1.31 €1.18
143.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.62
$1.66 €1.49
75.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$1.21 €1.09
56.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.60
$2.77 €2.49
44.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.07
$2.82 €2.53
60.64%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Ourem
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.07 €0.96
22.43%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$2.32 €2.08
-12.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$1.37 €1.23
35.04%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.34
$3.70 €3.32
30.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €15.03
$9.14 €8.21
83.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.19
$8.04 €7.22
13.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.64
$11.23 €10.09
74.89%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.68
$1.79 €1.61
66.48%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.27 €1.14
59.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.43
$1.10 €0.98
145.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.52
$1.64 €1.47
70.73%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$1.99 €1.79
5.03%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.86
$1.61 €1.45
28.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$1.64 €1.47
-10.98%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$0.68 €0.61
38.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.17
$6.20 €5.57
10.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.08
$3.34 €3.00
136.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.25 €1.13
12.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.28
$1.44 €1.29
76.39%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Ourem
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
$2.26 €2.03
38.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.86
$40.03 €35.96
-36.42%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.69
$4.06 €3.64
-26.35%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$0.76 €0.68
96.05%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.98
$17.01 €15.28
96.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$2.08 €1.86
-13.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.8K
$34.2K €30.7K
-2.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.5K
$38.5K €34.6K
-17.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Ourem
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$110 €98.6
64.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.43
$21.69 €19.49
-36.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.27
$35.16 €31.59
-4.15%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Ourem
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.27
$39.58 €35.56
30.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.34
$15.85 €14.24
0.69%
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.88
$8.79 €7.90
25.03%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Ourem
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €823
$614 €551
49.36%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
$6,231 €5,597
164.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Ourem
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €78.2
$74.9 €67.3
16.24%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.59
$45.05 €40.46
-14.52%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €95.1
$85.4 €76.7
23.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €108
$103 €92.2
16.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Ourem
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,527
$1,109 €997
53.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,217
$746 €671
81.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,338
$1,748 €1,571
48.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,853
$1,047 €940
97.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,211
$3,025 €2,717
128.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,606
$2,641 €2,372
94.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Ourem
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,986
$1,340 €1,204
65.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
3.54
-7.34%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ourem: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Ourem
$746 44.9% $609
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Ourem
$224 30.3% $98
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Ourem
$176 34.3% $92
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Ourem
$167 26.9% $61
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Ourem
$139 12.3% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Ourem
$57 22.2% $16
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Ourem
$57 17.5% $8.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $1,109 in Ourem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 65% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $53 in Ourem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $224 per month, with Ourem cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇵🇹 Ourem
🕒 Local time
23:07 11:07 PM
22:07 10:07 PM
1 h behind Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
44,538
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Ourem 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Ourem

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Ourem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Ourem?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $1,566 in Ourem, so Ourem is about 36% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Barcelona or Ourem?
Average pay runs 65% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Ourem?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $1,109 in Ourem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Ourem?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $614 in Ourem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is feasible on a $1,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ourem is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Ourem?
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.
Is Barcelona or Ourem safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Ourem are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Barcelona and Ourem?
It comes down to priorities – Ourem wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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