Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ourense

For one person, living is cheaper in Ourense: $1,343 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Ourense, Spain
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Ourense
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,343
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Ourense

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 Ourense actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $1,343 in Ourense.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Ourense $1,343

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $1,970 in Ourense.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Ourense $1,970

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $2,597 in Ourense.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Ourense $2,597

Living in Barcelona is roughly 83% more expensive than in Ourense, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Ourense
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.76
$13.61 €12.20
29.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.5
$49.50 €44.35
36.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.12
$9.01 €8.07
50.17%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.86
$1.81 €1.62
76.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.61
$2.53 €2.27
15.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$1.65 €1.48
14.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.59
$3.70 €3.32
8.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.06
$3.57 €3.20
26.89%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Ourense
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.17 €1.05
11.97%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.16 €1.04
74.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$1.37 €1.23
35.04%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.33
$3.21 €2.88
50.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €15.00
$9.37 €8.39
78.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.17
$7.41 €6.64
23.08%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.60
$13.76 €12.33
42.73%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.67
$2.22 €1.99
34.23%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$2.04 €1.83
-0.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.42
$1.58 €1.41
70.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.51
$2.30 €2.06
21.74%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$1.71 €1.53
22.22%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.85
$1.71 €1.54
21.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$1.07 €0.96
36.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$0.49 €0.44
91.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.16
$5.77 €5.17
19.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.07
$5.64 €5.05
39.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.22 €1.09
15.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.27
$2.27 €2.03
11.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Ourense
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
$0.91 €0.81
245.05%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.80
$28.33 €25.38
-10.17%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.68
$4.38 €3.93
-31.74%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$1.10 €0.99
35.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.91
$18.76 €16.81
77.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.69 €1.51
6.51%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.7K
$24.5K €22.0K
35.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.4K
$27.5K €24.7K
15.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Ourense
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$105 €93.7
72.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.40
$19.85 €17.78
-30.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.20
$27.84 €24.95
21.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Ourense
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.16
$40.97 €36.71
25.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.30
$12.62 €11.31
26.47%
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.85
$8.42 €7.55
30.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Ourense
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €821
$340 €305
169.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
$8,334 €7,468
97.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Ourense
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €78.0
$100.0 €89.6
-12.96%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.51
$35.89 €32.16
7.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.8
$82.7 €74.1
28.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €107
$83.3 €74.6
43.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Ourense
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,523
$650 €582
161.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,214
$525 €471
158.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,332
$823 €737
216.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,848
$711 €637
189.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,196
$3,282 €2,941
110.69%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,595
$2,166 €1,941
136.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Ourense
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,981
$1,596 €1,430
38.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
2.96
10.81%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ourense: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Ourense
$525 61.2% $830
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Ourense
$230 28.6% $92
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Ourense
$200 25.3% $68
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Ourense
$152 33.2% $76
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Ourense
$136 14% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Ourense
$58 21.3% $16
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Ourense
$42 13.7% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $650 in Ourense. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 38% 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: $67 in Barcelona vs $49 in Ourense for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $230 per month, with Ourense cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇪🇸 Ourense
🕒 Local time
11:20 11:20 AM
11:20 11:20 AM
Same time as Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
104,250
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Ourense 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Ourense

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 Ourense: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Ourense?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $1,343 in Ourense, so Ourense is about 45% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Barcelona or Ourense?
Average pay runs 38% 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 Ourense?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $650 in Ourense. 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 Ourense?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $340 in Ourense. 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 40% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,343 in Ourense versus $2,453 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ourense but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ourense the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Ourense?
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 Ourense safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Ourense are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Barcelona and Ourense?
It comes down to priorities – Ourense 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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