Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Khobar and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Khobar and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,341 in Al Khobar versus $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,136 in Al Khobar versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,931 in Al Khobar versus $4,582 in Barcelona.

Living in Al Khobar costs roughly 43% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Al Khobar 0% above, Barcelona 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.80 SAR 25.51

$17.61 €15.04

-61.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.4 SAR 196

$68.7 €58.7

-23.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 SAR 29.27

$13.75 €11.74

-43.20%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 SAR 7.63

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 SAR 10.23

Cappuccino

$4.23 SAR 15.84

$2.76 €2.36

53.26%

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

$1.02 SAR 3.84

$2.78 €2.38

-63.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 SAR 1.83

$2.05 €1.75

-76.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.93

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.92

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 SAR 6.63

$1.28 €1.09

38.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 SAR 5.02

$2.11 €1.80

-36.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 SAR 9.01

$1.97 €1.68

21.83%

Eggs

$2.82 SAR 10.57

$3.44 €2.94

-18.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.88 SAR 25.80

$18.83 €16.08

-63.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.05 SAR 33.93

$9.45 €8.07

-4.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.37 SAR 46.39

$19.01 €16.24

-34.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 SAR 9.11

$2.72 €2.32

-10.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 SAR 6.47

$2.37 €2.03

-27.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 SAR 8.29

$2.08 €1.77

6.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.08

$2.76 €2.36

-41.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 SAR 5.36

$1.97 €1.68

-27.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.46

$1.79 €1.53

-3.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 SAR 6.40

$1.51 €1.29

13.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$0.90 €0.77

-34.44%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.72 SAR 10.21

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 SAR 5.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 SAR 7.02

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.59 SAR 24.71

$6.76 €5.77

-2.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.44

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 SAR 3.40

$3.03 €2.59

-69.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.5 SAR 223

$28.39 €24.25

109.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 SAR 8.29

$4.43 €3.78

-50.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 SAR 4.90

$2.05 €1.75

-36.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.69 SAR 25.08

$29.33 €25.05

-77.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.38

$1.89 €1.61

-66.67%

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

$21.0K SAR 78.7K

$38.7K €33.1K

-45.80%

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

$23.1K SAR 86.5K

$32.4K €27.6K

-28.72%

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

$123 SAR 461

$189 €161

-34.84%

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

$34.30 SAR 129

$22.21 €18.96

54.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.9 SAR 303

$36.82 €31.44

119.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$109 SAR 409

$58.0 €49.52

88.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.07 SAR 135

$20.99 €17.93

71.84%

Cinema Ticket

$17.15 SAR 64.3

$11.05 €9.44

55.20%

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

$306 SAR 1,147

$726 €620

-57.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,552 SAR 28.3K

$15.2K €13.0K

-50.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 SAR 236

$88.3 €75.4

-28.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.8 SAR 258

$36.98 €31.58

85.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 SAR 372

$103 €87.6

-3.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 SAR 297

$119 €102

-33.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 SAR 1,639

$1,526 €1,304

-71.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 SAR 1,479

$1,218 €1,040

-67.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,054 SAR 3,952

$2,794 €2,386

-62.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$788 SAR 2,955

$2,027 €1,731

-61.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,411 SAR 9,040

$7,094 €6,058

-66.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,432 SAR 5,370

$4,849 €4,141

-70.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,942 SAR 7,283

$2,404 €2,053

-19.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.84

3.39

13.27%

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

Last update for Al Khobar: April 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $437 in Al Khobar and $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 24% 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: $52.0 in Al Khobar vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $320 per month, with Al Khobar 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

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

Al Khobar wins on cost – living expenses run 75% 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, Barcelona earns 24% 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: $437 in Al Khobar versus $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Al Khobar runs roughly 110% less than in Barcelona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $306 in Al Khobar versus $726 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,341 in Al Khobar versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al Khobar but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Al Khobar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Al Khobar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,341 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Al Khobar hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Al Khobar 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 Al Khobar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.