Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ad Dammam Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ad Dammam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,210 in Ad Dammam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,872 in Ad Dammam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,533 in Ad Dammam.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 96% more expensive than Ad Dammam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Ad Dammam is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$7.31 SAR 27.42

140.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$53.6 SAR 201

27.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$7.98 SAR 29.94

76.19%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 SAR 6.86

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.82

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.70 SAR 13.89

-24.86%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.92 SAR 3.43

204.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.35 SAR 1.30

488.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.71 SAR 6.43

-27.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.45 SAR 5.43

40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.09 SAR 7.85

-8.13%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.24 SAR 8.42

47.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$6.06 SAR 22.73

204.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$7.15 SAR 26.85

32.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$9.62 SAR 36.12

99.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.11 SAR 7.93

25.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.50 SAR 5.62

63.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.38 SAR 5.20

53.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.66 SAR 6.24

71.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.28 SAR 4.80

59.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.33 SAR 4.99

39.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.35 SAR 5.06

8.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.55 SAR 2.07

52.73%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.19 SAR 15.73

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 SAR 6.01

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 SAR 7.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$7.92 SAR 29.73

-9.85%

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)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.89 SAR 3.36

234.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$40.16 SAR 151

-27.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$3.29 SAR 12.35

39.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.65 SAR 9.96

-21.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$13.28 SAR 49.85

119.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.64 SAR 2.42

187.50%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$23.1K SAR 86.6K

69.15%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$21.3K SAR 79.8K

53.80%

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

$188 €162

$117 SAR 438

61.00%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$38.34 SAR 144

-40.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$63.5 SAR 238

-42.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$70.9 SAR 266

-19.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$30.51 SAR 114

-32.15%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$15.54 SAR 58.3

-27.99%

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

$721 €620

$415 SAR 1,559

73.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$8,170 SAR 30.7K

84.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$66.9 SAR 251

28.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$68.2 SAR 256

-45.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$90.8 SAR 341

12.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$85.5 SAR 321

35.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$447 SAR 1,678

242.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$375 SAR 1,408

225.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$800 SAR 3,002

237.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$641 SAR 2,407

213.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$1,309 SAR 4,914

451.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$805 SAR 3,020

544.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$1,895 SAR 7,110

24.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.33

-21.71%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ad Dammam: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $447 in Ad Dammam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 25% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $54.0 in Ad Dammam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $184 per month, with Ad Dammam 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

Barcelona vs Ad Dammam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ad Dammam wins on cost – living expenses run 96% lower than in Barcelona. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ad Dammam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Barcelona pays 25% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $447 in Ad Dammam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,367 per month in Barcelona versus $1,210 in Ad Dammam – a 96% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ad Dammam runs roughly 37% less than in Barcelona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,210 in Ad Dammam versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ad Dammam but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ad Dammam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ad Dammam delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,210 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ad Dammam hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Ad Dammam 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 Ad Dammam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.