Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Al-hawiyah Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Al-hawiyah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,222 in Al-hawiyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,882 in Al-hawiyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,542 in Al-hawiyah.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 94% more expensive than Al-hawiyah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Al-hawiyah is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$6.84 SAR 25.66

157.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$44.30 SAR 166

54.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$7.80 SAR 29.27

80.26%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 SAR 6.37

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.92

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.61 SAR 13.54

-22.99%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.80 SAR 3.02

250.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.29 SAR 1.07

610.34%

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

$1.69 SAR 6.35

-26.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.96 SAR 3.60

111.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.27 SAR 8.52

-15.42%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.42 SAR 9.09

36.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$6.73 SAR 25.27

173.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$7.61 SAR 28.55

24.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$13.06 SAR 49.00

46.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.29 SAR 8.58

15.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.64 SAR 6.17

49.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.70 SAR 6.37

24.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.56 SAR 5.84

82.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.29 SAR 4.85

58.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.26 SAR 4.75

46.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.20 SAR 4.49

22.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.55 SAR 2.08

52.73%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.67 SAR 10.00

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.64

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.87

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$6.89 SAR 25.88

3.63%

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

$1.05 SAR 3.94

183.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$40.44 SAR 152

-27.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$2.67 SAR 10.02

72.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.90 SAR 7.12

8.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$13.34 SAR 50.1

118.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.65 SAR 2.43

183.08%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$26.6K SAR 99.9K

46.57%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$22.1K SAR 83.1K

47.63%

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

$188 €162

$106 SAR 397

77.69%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$34.27 SAR 129

-33.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$73.7 SAR 277

-50.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$86.6 SAR 325

-33.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$36.20 SAR 136

-42.82%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$15.96 SAR 59.9

-29.89%

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

$721 €620

$350 SAR 1,313

106.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$6,922 SAR 26.0K

117.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$59.2 SAR 222

45.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$61.4 SAR 231

-39.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$77.8 SAR 292

31.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$82.6 SAR 310

40.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$433 SAR 1,627

253.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$374 SAR 1,405

225.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$866 SAR 3,252

211.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$625 SAR 2,346

222.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$2,091 SAR 7,846

245.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$1,170 SAR 4,390

343.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.42

-23.30%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Al-hawiyah: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $433 in Al-hawiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $44.00 in Al-hawiyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $196 per month, with Al-hawiyah 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 Al-hawiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Al-hawiyah differ by about 94% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,222 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $1,833 in Al-hawiyah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $433 in Al-hawiyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Al-hawiyah – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,367 per month in Barcelona versus $1,222 in Al-hawiyah – a 94% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,222 in Al-hawiyah versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al-hawiyah but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Al-hawiyah 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, Barcelona and Al-hawiyah 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-hawiyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.