Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Al Khobar Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Al Khobar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,323 in Al Khobar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $2,104 in Al Khobar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,885 in Al Khobar.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 78% more expensive than in Al Khobar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Al Khobar is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$6.47 SAR 24.31

165.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$53.2 SAR 200

28.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$7.78 SAR 29.21

75.32%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 SAR 7.60

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 SAR 9.92

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$4.38 SAR 16.45

-36.53%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.02 SAR 3.84

176.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.51 SAR 1.92

284.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.75 SAR 6.57

-27.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.39 SAR 5.22

53.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.40 SAR 9.01

-17.08%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.83 SAR 10.62

19.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$6.64 SAR 24.92

185.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$8.95 SAR 33.60

6.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$12.73 SAR 47.82

47.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.54 SAR 9.52

4.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.74 SAR 6.52

35.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.15 SAR 8.09

-2.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.57 SAR 5.90

73.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.42 SAR 5.33

38.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.66 SAR 6.24

9.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.71 SAR 6.43

-11.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.58 SAR 2.19

53.45%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.61 SAR 9.82

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 SAR 5.34

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 SAR 7.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$6.62 SAR 24.86

2.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.96 SAR 3.60

203.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$61.6 SAR 231

-53.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$2.23 SAR 8.38

105.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.31 SAR 4.93

55.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$6.79 SAR 25.48

322.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$0.65 SAR 2.43

180.00%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$21.2K SAR 79.8K

85.07%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$23.0K SAR 86.2K

41.46%

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

$187 €162

$122 SAR 458

53.19%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$34.21 SAR 128

-34.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$81.4 SAR 306

-55.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$106 SAR 400

-45.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$36.66 SAR 138

-43.43%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$17.12 SAR 64.3

-37.09%

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

$725 €628

$301 SAR 1,129

141.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$7,632 SAR 28.7K

98.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$63.6 SAR 239

38.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$69.1 SAR 259

-46.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$100.0 SAR 375

3.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$78.0 SAR 293

52.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$430 SAR 1,615

254.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$394 SAR 1,479

211.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$1,049 SAR 3,938

160.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$800 SAR 3,004

148.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$2,385 SAR 8,955

213.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,459 SAR 5,479

259.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$1,822 SAR 6,843

31.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.84

-11.72%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Al Khobar: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $430 in Al Khobar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 31% 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 $53.0 in Al Khobar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $216 per month, with Al Khobar 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 Khobar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Khobar wins on cost – living expenses run 78% lower than in Barcelona. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Al Khobar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 31% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $430 in Al Khobar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Al Khobar runs roughly 115% less than in Barcelona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $301 in Al Khobar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,323 in Al Khobar versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al Khobar but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Al Khobar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Al Khobar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,323 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Al Khobar hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Al Khobar 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 Khobar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.