Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ouarzazate and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Ouarzazate: $706 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Ouarzazate
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Ouarzazate Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Ouarzazate

🇲🇦 Morocco

$706

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ouarzazate and in Barcelona

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $706 in Ouarzazate versus $2,453 in Barcelona.

Ouarzazate $706
Barcelona $2,453

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,099 in Ouarzazate versus $3,509 in Barcelona.

Ouarzazate $1,099
Barcelona $3,509

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,492 in Ouarzazate versus $4,564 in Barcelona.

Ouarzazate $1,492
Barcelona $4,564

Living in Ouarzazate costs roughly 71% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ouarzazate is 48% below, Barcelona is 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.93 MAD 38.58

$17.59 €15.75

-77.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.65 MAD 301

$67.5 €60.5

-54.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.02 MAD 59.2

$13.53 €12.12

-55.51%

Cappuccino

$2.47 MAD 24.29

$3.19 €2.86

-22.57%

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

$0.56 MAD 5.46

$2.91 €2.61

-80.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MAD 3.60

$1.89 €1.70

-80.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.56 MAD 64.5

$4.01 €3.59

63.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.58 MAD 54.8

$4.53 €4.06

23.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 MAD 7.81

$1.31 €1.17

-38.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 MAD 8.38

$2.02 €1.81

-57.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MAD 14.43

$1.85 €1.66

-20.54%

Eggs

$1.52 MAD 14.95

$4.83 €4.33

-68.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.64 MAD 75.1

$16.74 €14.99

-54.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 MAD 43.69

$9.12 €8.17

-51.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.29 MAD 111

$19.64 €17.59

-42.52%

Apples (1kg)

$0.74 MAD 7.32

$2.98 €2.67

-75.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 MAD 12.34

$2.02 €1.81

-37.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.64 MAD 6.25

$2.70 €2.42

-76.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.72 MAD 7.03

$2.80 €2.51

-74.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 MAD 6.45

$2.09 €1.87

-68.42%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 MAD 7.38

$2.07 €1.85

-63.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.23 MAD 2.26

$1.46 €1.31

-84.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 MAD 5.97

$0.94 €0.84

-35.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 MAD 39.23

$6.87 €6.15

-41.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 MAD 75.5

$7.89 €7.06

-2.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 MAD 21.92

$1.41 €1.26

58.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 MAD 33.27

$2.54 €2.27

33.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 MAD 4.94

$3.14 €2.82

-84.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MAD 183

$25.45 €22.79

-26.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.53 MAD 5.19

$2.99 €2.68

-82.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 MAD 6.10

$1.49 €1.34

-58.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.09 MAD 69.7

$33.37 €29.89

-78.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 MAD 13.84

$1.80 €1.61

-21.67%

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

$30.1K MAD 296.4K

$33.2K €29.7K

-9.16%

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

$30.9K MAD 303.6K

$31.7K €28.4K

-2.55%

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

$35.09 MAD 345

$180 €162

-80.55%

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

$4.96 MAD 48.75

$13.84 €12.39

-64.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.40 MAD 250

$33.70 €30.18

-24.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.27 MAD 248

$51.5 €46.13

-50.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.98 MAD 177

$15.96 €14.29

12.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.41 MAD 63.0

$10.99 €9.85

-41.67%

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

$98.6 MAD 969

$917 €821

-89.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,270 MAD 81.3K

$16.5K €14.8K

-49.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.20 MAD 307

$87.0 €77.9

-64.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.88 MAD 431

$38.51 €34.49

13.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 MAD 790

$106 €94.8

-24.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.7 MAD 783

$120 €107

-33.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$278 MAD 2,730

$1,699 €1,522

-83.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 MAD 1,732

$1,355 €1,214

-87.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$519 MAD 5,105

$2,603 €2,331

-80.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 MAD 2,606

$2,062 €1,847

-87.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,196 MAD 11.8K

$6,915 €6,193

-82.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$828 MAD 8,134

$5,128 €4,592

-83.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$201 MAD 1,979

$2,211 €1,980

-90.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

3.28

37.20%

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

Last update for Ouarzazate: October 25, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ouarzazate

$176 24.9%

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3% 669% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Ouarzazate

$170 24%

Barcelona

$322 13.1% 89.6% $152

Eating Out

Ouarzazate

$127 17.9%

Barcelona

$268 10.9% 111% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Ouarzazate

$106 15%

Barcelona

$158 6.4% 49.3% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ouarzazate

$65 9.3%

Barcelona

$228 9.3% 248% $163

Sport & Entertainment

Ouarzazate

$38 5.4%

Barcelona

$74 3% 93% $35

Getting Around

Ouarzazate

$24 3.4%

Barcelona

$48 2% 99.5% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $278 in Ouarzazate and $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays about 11 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $31 in Ouarzazate vs $67 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $170 vs $322 per month, with Ouarzazate cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Ouarzazate

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

11:28 11:28 AM

12:28 12:28 PM

1 h ahead of Ouarzazate

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

71,067

1,660,122

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.17 USD

100 MAD = 9.11 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇦 Moroccan Dirham (د.م.)

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 9.83 MAD (1 MAD = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.98 MAD (100 MAD = 9.11 EUR).

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

USD to MAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ouarzazate Barcelona 1,420 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ouarzazate
Barcelona

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

Ouarzazate vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $706 in Ouarzazate and $2,453 in Barcelona, so Ouarzazate is about 71% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 91% lower in Ouarzazate. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $278 in Ouarzazate versus $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $99 in Ouarzazate versus $917 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $706 in Ouarzazate versus $2,453 in Barcelona, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Ouarzazate but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ouarzazate 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, Ouarzazate and Barcelona are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Ouarzazate gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.