Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Abha

For one person, living is cheaper in Abha: $1,049 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Abha, Saudi Arabia
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,443
/mo nomad
Abha
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,049
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Abha

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Abha actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,443 per month in Barcelona vs $1,049 in Abha, rent included.

  • Barcelona $2,443
  • Abha $1,049

A couple spends around $3,519 per month in Barcelona vs $1,747 in Abha, rent included.

  • Barcelona $3,519
  • Abha $1,747

A family of three spends $4,595 per month in Barcelona vs $2,444 in Abha, rent included.

  • Barcelona $4,595
  • Abha $2,444

Barcelona costs about 133% more than Abha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Barcelona sits 81% above the global median, while Abha is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Abha
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.66 €15.72
$5.18 SAR 19.45
240.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.1
$50.7 SAR 190
32.97%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.61 €12.12
$7.22 SAR 27.09
88.50%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.64 SAR 6.14
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.30 SAR 4.90
-
Cappuccino
$3.10 €2.76
$3.11 SAR 11.67
-0.32%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 €2.67
$0.63 SAR 2.38
376.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 €1.72
$0.22 SAR 0.82
777.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.84 €3.42
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36 €3.88
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Abha
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 €1.11
$1.63 SAR 6.10
-23.31%
White Bread (500g)
$2.12 €1.89
$0.64 SAR 2.39
231.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.97 SAR 7.38
-
Eggs
$4.76 €4.24
$3.10 SAR 11.65
53.55%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.07 €15.20
$4.33 SAR 16.27
294.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.96 €7.97
$7.59 SAR 28.47
18.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.65 €18.39
$18.40 SAR 69.1
12.23%
Apples (1kg)
$3.16 €2.81
$2.08 SAR 7.82
51.92%
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$1.94 SAR 7.27
1.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 €2.36
$1.64 SAR 6.14
61.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.88 €2.57
$1.61 SAR 6.05
78.88%
Potato (1kg)
$2.06 €1.83
$2.18 SAR 8.18
-5.50%
Onion (1kg)
$2.18 €1.94
$1.26 SAR 4.72
73.02%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.53 €1.37
$0.34 SAR 1.27
350.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 €0.86
$0.51 SAR 1.93
90.20%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$4.40 SAR 16.53
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.23 SAR 4.61
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.43 SAR 5.35
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.97 €6.20
$9.12 SAR 34.21
-23.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.02
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 €1.26
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 €2.39
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Abha
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.31 €2.95
$0.85 SAR 3.20
289.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.61 €22.80
$37.06 SAR 139
-30.90%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.08 €2.75
$2.99 SAR 11.22
3.01%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 €1.32
$2.63 SAR 9.87
-43.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.87 €29.27
$14.25 SAR 53.5
130.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.87 €1.66
$0.59 SAR 2.22
216.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.0K €29.4K
$28.7K SAR 107.7K
14.91%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K €28.4K
$19.0K SAR 71.5K
67.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Abha
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 €163
$86.9 SAR 326
110.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.24 €12.68
$36.53 SAR 137
-61.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.56 €30.78
$75.9 SAR 285
-54.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Abha
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.4 €45.79
$91.5 SAR 343
-43.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.38 €14.59
$45.46 SAR 171
-63.97%
Cinema Ticket
$11.06 €9.85
$15.73 SAR 59.1
-29.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Abha
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$944 €840
$211 SAR 792
347.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.3K €19.8K
$4,216 SAR 15.8K
428.12%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Abha
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.7 €78.1
$30.04 SAR 113
191.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.77 €34.52
$69.8 SAR 262
-44.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.1
$96.3 SAR 361
8.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 €105
$67.0 SAR 251
75.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Abha
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,697 €1,511
$305 SAR 1,144
456.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,337 €1,190
$246 SAR 923
443.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,692 €2,397
$541 SAR 2,030
397.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,077 €1,849
$570 SAR 2,140
264.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,155 €6,371
$935 SAR 3,511
664.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,079 €4,522
$1,334 SAR 5,008
280.63%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Abha
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,241 €1,996
$2,239 SAR 8,402
0.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.19
6
-46.83%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Abha: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.3K
Abha
$246 81.6% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$328
Abha
$202 38.3% $126
Eating Out
Barcelona
$267
Abha
$104 61.1% $163
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$232
Abha
$199 13.9% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$157
Abha
$118 24.5% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Abha
$123 67.2% $49
Getting Around
Barcelona
$49
Abha
$57 14.7% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,697 in Barcelona versus $305 in Abha. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Barcelona versus $51 in Abha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $328 vs $202 – making Abha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇸🇦 Abha
🕒 Local time
02:28 2:28 AM
04:28 4:28 AM
2 h ahead of Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
236,157
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Abha 4,600 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Abha

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
Barcelona vs Abha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Barcelona or Abha?
Barcelona costs about 133% more than Abha, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Barcelona and in Abha?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,664 per month in Barcelona and $1,574 in Abha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Barcelona or Abha?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Abha, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $305 there versus $1,697 in Barcelona.
Are groceries more expensive in Barcelona or in Abha?
Groceries cost about 62% more in Barcelona, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How do dining costs compare in Barcelona and in Abha?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Barcelona and $51 in Abha. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Barcelona or in Abha?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,443 in Barcelona and $1,049 in Abha. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Abha – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Barcelona compared to Abha?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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