Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-hawiyah and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-hawiyah: $1,081 a month against $2,399 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Al-hawiyah
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,081
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,399
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al-hawiyah 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 Al-hawiyah and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,081 in Al-hawiyah versus $2,399 in Barcelona.

  • Al-hawiyah $1,081
  • Barcelona $2,399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,603 in Al-hawiyah versus $3,410 in Barcelona.

  • Al-hawiyah $1,603
  • Barcelona $3,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,125 in Al-hawiyah versus $4,421 in Barcelona.

  • Al-hawiyah $2,125
  • Barcelona $4,421

Living in Al-hawiyah costs roughly 55% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al-hawiyah is 20% below, Barcelona is 78% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Al-hawiyah
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.44 SAR 16.67
$17.94 €15.96
-75.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$26.52 SAR 99.5
$68.1 €60.5
-61.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.91 SAR 25.93
$13.28 €11.81
-47.97%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.58 SAR 5.91
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.50 SAR 5.64
-
-
Cappuccino
$2.63 SAR 9.88
$3.25 €2.89
-19.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70 SAR 2.63
$3.01 €2.67
-76.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.25 SAR 0.94
$1.87 €1.66
-86.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$3.85 €3.42
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.48 €3.98
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Al-hawiyah
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.83 SAR 6.85
$1.29 €1.15
41.86%
White Bread (500g)
$0.96 SAR 3.60
$2.04 €1.81
-52.94%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 SAR 8.25
$1.72 €1.53
27.91%
Eggs
$2.68 SAR 10.04
$4.77 €4.24
-43.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.85 SAR 21.94
$16.77 €14.92
-65.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.70 SAR 43.90
$8.93 €7.94
31.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.12 SAR 49.22
$19.88 €17.68
-34.00%
Apples (1kg)
$2.04 SAR 7.64
$2.98 €2.65
-31.54%
Banana (1kg)
$1.58 SAR 5.92
$2.03 €1.80
-22.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.83 SAR 6.88
$2.73 €2.43
-32.97%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.49 SAR 5.60
$2.68 €2.38
-44.40%
Potato (1kg)
$1.30 SAR 4.87
$2.10 €1.87
-38.10%
Onion (1kg)
$1.50 SAR 5.63
$2.08 €1.85
-27.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.09 SAR 4.09
$1.45 €1.29
-24.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.74 SAR 2.77
$0.89 €0.79
-16.85%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$2.99 SAR 11.21
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.10 SAR 7.87
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 SAR 5.88
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.00 SAR 30.02
$6.94 €6.17
15.27%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$7.78 €6.92
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.45 €1.29
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.57 €2.29
-
🚌 Getting Around
Al-hawiyah
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.10 SAR 4.13
$2.99 €2.66
-63.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$36.82 SAR 138
$25.20 €22.41
46.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.44 SAR 9.15
$3.12 €2.77
-21.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.69 SAR 10.10
$1.44 €1.28
86.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.24 SAR 49.67
$33.50 €29.80
-60.48%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.59 SAR 2.23
$1.79 €1.59
-67.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$43.9K SAR 164.7K
$34.6K €30.8K
26.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.5K SAR 80.8K
$30.1K €26.7K
-28.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Al-hawiyah
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$67.1 SAR 252
$178 €158
-62.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.32 SAR 133
$13.32 €11.85
165.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$62.5 SAR 235
$34.88 €31.03
79.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Al-hawiyah
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$80.6 SAR 302
$53.3 €47.37
51.29%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.01 €14.24
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.09 SAR 56.6
$11.06 €9.84
36.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Al-hawiyah
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$423 SAR 1,586
$957 €851
-55.84%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,864 SAR 29.5K
$16.6K €14.7K
-52.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Al-hawiyah
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$13.09 SAR 49.11
$88.2 €78.4
-85.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.8 SAR 209
$39.49 €35.12
41.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$40.45 SAR 152
$103 €91.5
-60.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$52.5 SAR 197
$121 €108
-56.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Al-hawiyah
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$576 SAR 2,162
$1,653 €1,470
-65.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$366 SAR 1,375
$1,302 €1,158
-71.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$826 SAR 3,098
$2,557 €2,275
-67.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$577 SAR 2,166
$1,915 €1,703
-69.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,404 SAR 9,023
$7,286 €6,481
-67.00%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,375 SAR 5,158
$5,080 €4,519
-72.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Al-hawiyah
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$2,281 €2,029
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.25
3.28
60.06%

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

Last update for Al-hawiyah: October 10, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Al-hawiyah
$366
Barcelona
$1.3K 255% $935
Groceries & Markets
Al-hawiyah
$217
Barcelona
$320 47.3% $103
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Al-hawiyah
$165
Barcelona
$226 37.1% $61
Sport & Entertainment
Al-hawiyah
$111
Barcelona
$75 31.9% $35
Eating Out
Al-hawiyah
$92
Barcelona
$270 195% $178
Clothing & Footwear
Al-hawiyah
$73
Barcelona
$158 118% $86
Getting Around
Al-hawiyah
$57
Barcelona
$47 16.9% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $576 in Al-hawiyah and $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in Al-hawiyah vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $320 per month, with Al-hawiyah cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇸🇦 Al-hawiyah
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
03:16 3:16 AM
02:16 2:16 AM
1 h behind Al-hawiyah
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
148,151
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Al-hawiyah Barcelona 4,210 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Al-hawiyah
  • 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
Al-hawiyah vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Al-hawiyah and in Barcelona?
Al-hawiyah and Barcelona differ by about 122% in total monthly costs ($1,081 vs $2,399 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Al-hawiyah compared to Barcelona?
You'd need roughly $1,621 in Al-hawiyah and $3,599 in Barcelona to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Al-hawiyah and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $576 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Al-hawiyah – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Al-hawiyah or Barcelona?
All in, you'll spend $1,081 per month in Al-hawiyah versus $2,399 in Barcelona – a 122% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,081 in Al-hawiyah versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al-hawiyah but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Al-hawiyah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Al-hawiyah and Barcelona?
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 Al-hawiyah or Barcelona safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Al-hawiyah 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.
Where should expats move: Al-hawiyah or Barcelona?
Expats usually find Al-hawiyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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