Cost of Living Comparison Between Oued Zem and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Oued Zem and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $783 in Oued Zem versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

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

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

Living in Oued Zem costs roughly 67% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 MAD 42.81

$17.08 €14.72

-72.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.13 MAD 454

$69.2 €59.7

-29.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.81 MAD 63.0

$13.78 €11.87

-50.58%

Cappuccino

$2.04 MAD 18.87

$2.76 €2.37

-26.09%

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

$0.58 MAD 5.35

$2.79 €2.40

-79.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 MAD 3.77

$1.99 €1.72

-79.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.38 MAD 49.78

$4.36 €3.76

23.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 MAD 37.46

$4.74 €4.09

-14.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 MAD 8.21

$1.29 €1.11

-31.01%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 MAD 4.65

$2.05 €1.77

-75.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MAD 17.30

$1.99 €1.71

-6.03%

Eggs

$2.02 MAD 18.73

$3.39 €2.92

-40.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.04 MAD 121

$18.81 €16.21

-30.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.95 MAD 64.3

$9.36 €8.07

-25.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.61 MAD 107

$19.12 €16.48

-39.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 MAD 14.78

$2.70 €2.32

-40.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MAD 12.89

$2.34 €2.02

-40.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.78 MAD 7.23

$2.12 €1.83

-63.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.86 MAD 7.96

$2.85 €2.46

-69.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 MAD 6.70

$1.97 €1.70

-63.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 MAD 6.39

$1.80 €1.55

-61.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 MAD 3.65

$1.45 €1.25

-73.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MAD 5.38

$0.86 €0.74

-32.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MAD 40.70

$6.78 €5.84

-35.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.73 MAD 71.5

$7.90 €6.81

-2.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 MAD 25.34

$1.39 €1.20

97.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 MAD 22.48

$2.37 €2.04

2.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 MAD 4.38

$2.92 €2.52

-83.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.59 MAD 153

$28.69 €24.72

-42.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.56 MAD 5.22

$4.46 €3.84

-87.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 MAD 8.11

$2.05 €1.77

-57.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 MAD 40.08

$29.55 €25.46

-85.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MAD 14.16

$1.82 €1.56

-15.93%

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

$36.5K MAD 338.0K

$38.8K €33.5K

-5.89%

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

$29.0K MAD 268.1K

$33.1K €28.5K

-12.43%

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

$41.67 MAD 385

$189 €163

-77.98%

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

$10.86 MAD 100

$22.80 €19.65

-52.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.64 MAD 367

$37.59 €32.39

5.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.97 MAD 222

$57.7 €49.75

-58.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.10 MAD 214

$20.74 €17.87

11.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 MAD 62.5

$10.82 €9.33

-37.52%

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

$160 MAD 1,480

$728 €628

-78.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,473 MAD 59.9K

$14.8K €12.7K

-56.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 MAD 494

$88.6 €76.4

-39.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.87 MAD 443

$36.85 €31.75

29.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MAD 979

$102 €87.9

3.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 MAD 931

$116 €100

-13.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$279 MAD 2,584

$1,569 €1,352

-82.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 MAD 1,632

$1,218 €1,050

-85.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 MAD 4,707

$2,795 €2,409

-81.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$307 MAD 2,841

$1,975 €1,702

-84.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,380 MAD 12.8K

$7,754 €6,680

-82.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,050 MAD 9,710

$5,176 €4,460

-79.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 MAD 2,274

$2,343 €2,019

-89.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.81

3.39

41.89%

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

Last update for Oued Zem: June 9, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $279 in Oued Zem and $1,569 in Barcelona. 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: $49.00 in Oued Zem vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $319 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

Oued Zem vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oued Zem and Barcelona differ by about 199% in total monthly costs ($783 vs $2,337 including rent). Oued Zem is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 853% less. 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: $279 in Oued Zem versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $160 in Oued Zem versus $728 in Barcelona. 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, Oued Zem and Barcelona 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.