Cost of Living Comparison Between Ar-rass and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Ar-rass and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,096 in Ar-rass versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,661 in Ar-rass versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,226 in Ar-rass versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Ar-rass costs roughly 56% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ar-rass is 20% below, Barcelona is 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.54 SAR 24.56

$18.39 €15.87

-64.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.31 SAR 140

$69.2 €59.7

-46.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.09 SAR 30.39

$14.13 €12.19

-42.75%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 SAR 6.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 SAR 7.67

Cappuccino

$3.31 SAR 12.43

$3.13 €2.70

5.75%

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

$0.83 SAR 3.11

$3.02 €2.60

-72.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 SAR 0.90

$1.96 €1.69

-87.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.45

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.11

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 SAR 7.09

$1.25 €1.08

51.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.39 SAR 1.46

$2.16 €1.87

-81.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 SAR 7.05

$1.69 €1.45

11.24%

Eggs

$3.54 SAR 13.30

$4.93 €4.26

-28.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 SAR 27.40

$17.88 €15.43

-59.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 SAR 30.36

$9.61 €8.29

-15.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 SAR 48.76

$19.34 €16.69

-32.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 SAR 7.90

$3.24 €2.79

-35.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$2.18 €1.88

-21.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 SAR 5.82

$2.67 €2.30

-41.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.08

$2.77 €2.39

-41.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 SAR 4.14

$2.21 €1.91

-50.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 SAR 4.74

$2.19 €1.89

-42.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 SAR 4.52

$1.52 €1.31

-21.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 SAR 2.05

$0.92 €0.80

-41.30%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.88 SAR 10.81

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 SAR 7.06

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 SAR 7.97

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.88 SAR 29.60

$7.12 €6.14

10.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.02

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.40

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.15

$3.15 €2.72

-65.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.78 SAR 146

$26.99 €23.29

43.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 SAR 10.92

$3.25 €2.80

-10.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 SAR 6.96

$1.50 €1.30

23.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.96 SAR 52.4

$34.89 €30.11

-59.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.22

$1.75 €1.51

-66.29%

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

$42.1K SAR 158.2K

$36.7K €31.6K

14.95%

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

$21.1K SAR 79.3K

$30.9K €26.7K

-31.77%

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

$99.9 SAR 375

$188 €162

-46.77%

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

$23.70 SAR 89.0

$15.44 €13.32

53.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.2 SAR 226

$37.80 €32.61

59.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.92 SAR 165

$57.2 €49.34

-23.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.59 SAR 145

$16.80 €14.49

129.70%

Cinema Ticket

$13.48 SAR 50.6

$11.58 €9.99

16.41%

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

$346 SAR 1,298

$1,003 €865

-65.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,243 SAR 23.4K

$17.0K €14.7K

-63.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 SAR 189

$89.2 €77.0

-43.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.9 SAR 229

$40.87 €35.27

48.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 SAR 358

$110 €94.9

-13.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 SAR 379

$123 €106

-17.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$585 SAR 2,196

$1,673 €1,444

-65.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 SAR 1,337

$1,331 €1,149

-73.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 SAR 1,415

$2,596 €2,240

-85.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 SAR 2,133

$1,950 €1,683

-70.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,639 SAR 9,909

$7,573 €6,535

-65.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,273 SAR 4,779

$5,370 €4,634

-76.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,741 SAR 6,536

$2,402 €2,073

-27.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.47

3.16

73.10%

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

Last update for Ar-rass: August 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $585 in Ar-rass and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 38% 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: $37.00 in Ar-rass vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $332 per month, with Ar-rass 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

Ar-rass vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ar-rass and Barcelona differ by about 128% in total monthly costs ($1,096 vs $2,495 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Barcelona. 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: $585 in Ar-rass versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $346 in Ar-rass versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,096 in Ar-rass versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ar-rass but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ar-rass 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, Ar-rass 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 Ar-rass gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.