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: $1,169 in Ar-rass versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,770 in Ar-rass versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,372 in Ar-rass versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Ar-rass costs roughly 51% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ar-rass is 13% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.55 SAR 24.58

$17.58 €15.12

-62.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.10 SAR 166

$68.4 €58.9

-35.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 SAR 29.52

$14.06 €12.09

-44.03%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.87

Cappuccino

$3.62 SAR 13.57

$2.78 €2.39

30.22%

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

$0.76 SAR 2.84

$2.80 €2.41

-72.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 SAR 1.08

$2.06 €1.78

-85.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 SAR 8.97

$1.24 €1.07

92.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 SAR 3.79

$2.03 €1.74

-50.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 SAR 5.82

$1.92 €1.65

-19.27%

Eggs

$3.61 SAR 13.56

$3.31 €2.85

9.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.77 SAR 25.40

$18.43 €15.85

-63.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.45 SAR 27.96

$9.49 €8.16

-21.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.04 SAR 48.93

$19.16 €16.48

-31.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 SAR 8.38

$2.64 €2.27

-15.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.16

$2.45 €2.11

-33.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 SAR 6.56

$2.12 €1.82

-17.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.87

$2.85 €2.45

-45.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.81

$2.04 €1.75

-37.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 SAR 4.92

$1.85 €1.59

-29.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 SAR 4.46

$1.47 €1.26

-19.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.20

$0.84 €0.73

-29.76%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.80 SAR 10.51

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SAR 6.53

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.82

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.29 SAR 23.61

$7.14 €6.14

-11.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.08

$2.98 €2.56

-63.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.20 SAR 147

$29.26 €25.17

33.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 SAR 9.78

$4.60 €3.95

-43.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 SAR 7.22

$2.07 €1.78

-7.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.48 SAR 50.6

$29.18 €25.10

-53.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.21

$1.84 €1.58

-67.93%

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

$27.0K SAR 101.4K

$39.0K €33.6K

-30.73%

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

$22.6K SAR 84.8K

$32.7K €28.1K

-30.90%

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

$104 SAR 390

$188 €162

-44.62%

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

$33.90 SAR 127

$22.93 €19.73

47.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.7 SAR 273

$36.71 €31.58

98.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.87 SAR 165

$57.4 €49.35

-23.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.18 SAR 132

$20.70 €17.80

69.95%

Cinema Ticket

$15.52 SAR 58.3

$11.19 €9.63

38.70%

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

$349 SAR 1,310

$721 €620

-51.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,909 SAR 25.9K

$15.0K €12.9K

-54.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.12 SAR 79.3

$86.2 €74.2

-75.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.3 SAR 230

$37.07 €31.89

65.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 SAR 298

$102 €87.8

-22.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.4 SAR 309

$116 €99.7

-28.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 SAR 1,669

$1,534 €1,319

-71.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 SAR 1,434

$1,220 €1,050

-68.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$388 SAR 1,455

$2,696 €2,319

-85.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$614 SAR 2,303

$2,013 €1,732

-69.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,559 SAR 9,604

$7,220 €6,211

-64.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,508 SAR 5,658

$5,189 €4,463

-70.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,728 SAR 6,485

$2,359 €2,029

-26.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

3.39

30.38%

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

Last update for Ar-rass: June 2, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $445 in Ar-rass and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 37% 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: $44.00 in Ar-rass vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $318 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 103% in total monthly costs ($1,169 vs $2,367 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 37% 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: $445 in Ar-rass versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $349 in Ar-rass versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,169 in Ar-rass versus $2,367 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 103% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.