Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Khobar and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Khobar: $1,487 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

72

Cost of Living Index in Al Khobar
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Al Khobar Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
Learn more

Barcelona Living Index

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Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,487

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,487 in Al Khobar versus $2,453 in Barcelona.

Al Khobar $1,487
Barcelona $2,453

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,252 in Al Khobar versus $3,509 in Barcelona.

Al Khobar $2,252
Barcelona $3,509

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Al Khobar versus $4,564 in Barcelona.

Al Khobar $3,016
Barcelona $4,564

Living in Al Khobar costs roughly 39% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Al Khobar 9% above, Barcelona 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.81 SAR 25.57

$17.59 €15.75

-61.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.9 SAR 225

$67.5 €60.5

-11.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 SAR 30.01

$13.53 €12.12

-40.87%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.61 SAR 9.80

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 SAR 9.92

Cappuccino

$4.43 SAR 16.64

$3.19 €2.86

38.87%

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

$0.87 SAR 3.26

$2.91 €2.61

-70.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 SAR 1.52

$1.89 €1.70

-78.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.59

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €4.06

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 SAR 6.36

$1.31 €1.17

29.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 SAR 4.76

$2.02 €1.81

-37.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 SAR 9.53

$1.85 €1.66

37.30%

Eggs

$2.45 SAR 9.21

$4.83 €4.33

-49.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.28 SAR 27.33

$16.74 €14.99

-56.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.16 SAR 38.14

$9.12 €8.17

11.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.86 SAR 44.50

$19.64 €17.59

-39.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 SAR 9.97

$2.98 €2.67

-10.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 SAR 6.36

$2.02 €1.81

-16.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 SAR 7.66

$2.70 €2.42

-24.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 SAR 6.56

$2.80 €2.51

-37.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 SAR 5.27

$2.09 €1.87

-33.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 SAR 6.20

$2.07 €1.85

-20.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 SAR 6.55

$1.46 €1.31

19.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 SAR 2.18

$0.94 €0.84

-38.30%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.73 SAR 10.26

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 SAR 7.13

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.75 SAR 25.31

$6.87 €6.15

-1.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.06

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.27

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 SAR 3.55

$3.14 €2.82

-69.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.9 SAR 232

$25.45 €22.79

143.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 SAR 10.88

$2.99 €2.68

-3.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 SAR 9.89

$1.49 €1.34

77.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.58 SAR 24.68

$33.37 €29.89

-80.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.39

$1.80 €1.61

-64.44%

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

$67.8K SAR 254.5K

$33.2K €29.7K

104.32%

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

$21.6K SAR 81.0K

$31.7K €28.4K

-31.91%

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

$99.4 SAR 373

$180 €162

-44.92%

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

$33.37 SAR 125

$13.84 €12.39

141.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.9 SAR 259

$33.70 €30.18

104.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.3 SAR 305

$51.5 €46.13

57.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.86 SAR 138

$15.96 €14.29

130.95%

Cinema Ticket

$15.26 SAR 57.3

$10.99 €9.85

38.85%

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

$607 SAR 2,279

$917 €821

-33.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,542 SAR 32.1K

$16.5K €14.8K

-48.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 SAR 238

$87.0 €77.9

-27.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$82.3 SAR 309

$38.51 €34.49

113.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 SAR 367

$106 €94.8

-7.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.4 SAR 354

$120 €107

-21.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$766 SAR 2,876

$1,699 €1,522

-54.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 SAR 2,189

$1,355 €1,214

-56.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 SAR 4,678

$2,603 €2,331

-52.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 SAR 3,401

$2,062 €1,847

-56.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,456 SAR 5,464

$6,915 €6,193

-78.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,072 SAR 4,025

$5,128 €4,592

-79.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,877 SAR 7,045

$2,211 €1,980

-15.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.88

3.28

79.27%

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

Last update for Al Khobar: October 24, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Al Khobar

$583 39.2%

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3% 132% $772

Groceries & Markets

Al Khobar

$220 14.8%

Barcelona

$322 13.1% 46.5% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Khobar

$202 13.6%

Barcelona

$228 9.3% 13.1% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Al Khobar

$152 10.2%

Barcelona

$158 6.4% 3.9% $5.9

Eating Out

Al Khobar

$137 9.2%

Barcelona

$268 10.9% 95.8% $131

Sport & Entertainment

Al Khobar

$112 7.5%

Barcelona

$74 3% 34.3% $38

Getting Around

Al Khobar

$82 5.5%

Barcelona

$48 2% 40.7% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $766 in Al Khobar and $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 18% 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: $60 in Al Khobar vs $67 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $322 per month, with Al Khobar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Al Khobar

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

15:40 3:40 PM

13:40 1:40 PM

2 h behind Al Khobar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

219,679

1,660,122

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.19 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

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

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Al Khobar Barcelona 4,670 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Al Khobar
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 Khobar vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Khobar wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Barcelona. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Al Khobar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Al Khobar. 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: $766 in Al Khobar versus $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Barcelona runs roughly 59% less than in Al Khobar. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $607 in Al Khobar versus $917 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Al Khobar is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Al Khobar and Barcelona are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Al Khobar wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.