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: $2,405 in Barcelona versus $1,074 in Al-hawiyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,477 in Barcelona versus $1,596 in Al-hawiyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,550 in Barcelona versus $2,118 in Al-hawiyah.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 124% more expensive than in Al-hawiyah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 79% above, Al-hawiyah is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.98 €16.05

$4.66 SAR 17.48

285.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 €60.2

$26.67 SAR 100

152.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.37 €11.93

$6.85 SAR 25.70

95.18%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.49 SAR 5.59

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 SAR 5.66

Cappuccino

$3.34 €2.98

$2.53 SAR 9.50

32.02%

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

$2.95 €2.64

$0.71 SAR 2.65

315.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.69

$0.23 SAR 0.86

726.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.88 €3.46

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 €4.08

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.88 SAR 7.06

-32.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 €1.75

$0.96 SAR 3.59

104.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$2.19 SAR 8.21

-20.09%

Eggs

$4.89 €4.37

$2.55 SAR 9.58

91.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 €15.60

$5.80 SAR 21.78

201.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.06 €8.09

$11.95 SAR 44.85

-24.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.18 €18.01

$13.08 SAR 49.09

54.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 €2.75

$2.03 SAR 7.60

51.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$1.62 SAR 6.07

25.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.32

$1.83 SAR 6.85

42.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 €2.42

$1.48 SAR 5.54

83.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.92

$1.35 SAR 5.05

59.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$1.51 SAR 5.66

46.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.38

$1.09 SAR 4.08

41.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$0.69 SAR 2.59

34.78%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.59 SAR 9.73

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.80

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 SAR 5.89

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.09 €6.33

$8.08 SAR 30.33

-12.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.63 €6.81

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.33

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.43

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 €2.63

$1.12 SAR 4.20

163.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.91 €23.13

$31.31 SAR 118

-17.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 €2.80

$2.42 SAR 9.09

29.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 €1.29

$2.74 SAR 10.29

-47.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.17 €30.50

$13.50 SAR 50.7

153.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.60

$0.61 SAR 2.28

193.44%

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

$34.7K €31.0K

$44.4K SAR 166.7K

-21.88%

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

$30.3K €27.0K

$21.1K SAR 79.2K

43.52%

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

$181 €161

$66.5 SAR 249

171.86%

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

$13.56 €12.11

$35.32 SAR 133

-61.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.12 €31.35

$61.9 SAR 232

-43.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.2 €47.45

$87.4 SAR 328

-39.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.05 €14.33

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 €10.15

$15.06 SAR 56.5

-24.50%

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

$939 €838

$395 SAR 1,483

137.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

$8,923 SAR 33.5K

85.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 €78.7

$13.43 SAR 50.4

556.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.77 €35.50

$53.8 SAR 202

-26.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.3

$40.12 SAR 151

157.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €107

$53.4 SAR 200

123.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 €1,513

$545 SAR 2,044

211.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 €1,161

$349 SAR 1,309

273.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,576 €2,299

$873 SAR 3,279

194.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 €1,733

$560 SAR 2,102

246.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,470 €6,668

$2,288 SAR 8,591

226.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,195 €4,637

$1,239 SAR 4,652

319.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,299 €2,052

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

5.25

-37.52%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 4, 2026

Last update for Al-hawiyah: October 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,695 in Barcelona and $545 in Al-hawiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67.0 in Barcelona vs $27.00 in Al-hawiyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $218 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 124% in total monthly costs ($2,405 vs $1,074 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,607 in Barcelona and $1,610 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: $1,695 in Barcelona versus $545 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 $27.00 versus $67.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,405 per month in Barcelona versus $1,074 in Al-hawiyah – a 124% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,074 in Al-hawiyah versus $2,405 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 124% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.