Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Al Khobar

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Khobar: $1,435 a month against $2,405 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Al Khobar
Learn more

Al Khobar Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,405

/mo nomad

Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,435

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Al Khobar

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 Al Khobar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,405 in Barcelona versus $1,435 in Al Khobar.

Barcelona $2,405
Al Khobar $1,435

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,477 in Barcelona versus $2,239 in Al Khobar.

Barcelona $3,477
Al Khobar $2,239

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,550 in Barcelona versus $3,043 in Al Khobar.

Barcelona $4,550
Al Khobar $3,043

Living in Barcelona is roughly 68% more expensive than in Al Khobar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 79% above, Al Khobar 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.98 €16.05

$6.78 SAR 25.46

165.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 €60.2

$58.9 SAR 221

14.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.37 €11.93

$8.08 SAR 30.34

65.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 SAR 10.14

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 SAR 10.19

Cappuccino

$3.34 €2.98

$4.51 SAR 16.92

-25.94%

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

$2.95 €2.64

$0.92 SAR 3.45

220.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.69

$0.40 SAR 1.52

375.00%

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

$1.70 SAR 6.38

-25.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 €1.75

$1.26 SAR 4.72

55.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$2.55 SAR 9.59

-31.37%

Eggs

$4.89 €4.36

$2.40 SAR 9.01

103.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 €15.59

$7.11 SAR 26.69

145.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.06 €8.09

$10.30 SAR 38.68

-12.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.18 €18.01

$11.59 SAR 43.52

74.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 €2.75

$2.77 SAR 10.40

11.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$1.78 SAR 6.68

14.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.32

$1.98 SAR 7.42

31.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 €2.42

$1.83 SAR 6.86

48.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.92

$1.36 SAR 5.10

58.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$1.67 SAR 6.26

32.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.38

$1.69 SAR 6.34

-8.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$0.55 SAR 2.05

69.09%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.68 SAR 10.07

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 SAR 6.21

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 SAR 7.08

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.09 €6.32

$6.61 SAR 24.84

7.26%

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

$0.74 SAR 2.77

298.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.91 €23.13

$67.0 SAR 252

-61.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 €2.80

$3.38 SAR 12.68

-7.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 €1.29

$2.72 SAR 10.20

-46.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.17 €30.49

$6.84 SAR 25.67

399.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.60

$0.64 SAR 2.41

179.69%

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

$34.7K €31.0K

$66.1K SAR 248.1K

-47.49%

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

$30.3K €27.0K

$22.6K SAR 84.8K

34.19%

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

$181 €161

$99.2 SAR 372

82.17%

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

$13.56 €12.10

$32.92 SAR 124

-58.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.12 €31.34

$69.7 SAR 262

-49.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.2 €47.44

$80.9 SAR 304

-34.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.05 €14.33

$36.24 SAR 136

-55.71%

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 €10.14

$15.22 SAR 57.1

-25.30%

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

$939 €838

$602 SAR 2,262

55.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

$8,315 SAR 31.2K

98.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 €78.7

$62.8 SAR 236

40.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.77 €35.49

$83.7 SAR 314

-52.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.3

$96.3 SAR 362

7.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €107

$92.4 SAR 347

29.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 €1,513

$631 SAR 2,370

168.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 €1,161

$514 SAR 1,929

153.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,576 €2,299

$1,174 SAR 4,410

119.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 €1,732

$855 SAR 3,209

127.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,470 €6,666

$2,388 SAR 8,966

212.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,195 €4,636

$1,463 SAR 5,495

254.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,299 €2,052

$1,872 SAR 7,028

22.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

5.88

-44.22%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 4, 2026

Last update for Al Khobar: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54%

Al Khobar

$514 36.1% 60.5% $787

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$325 13.5%

Al Khobar

$219 15.4% 32.5% $106

Eating Out

Barcelona

$272 11.3%

Al Khobar

$138 9.7% 49.3% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$229 9.5%

Al Khobar

$202 14.2% 12% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.6%

Al Khobar

$151 10.6% 4.4% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$76 3.2%

Al Khobar

$111 7.8% 46.8% $35

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

Al Khobar

$87 6.1% 80.7% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,695 in Barcelona and $631 in Al Khobar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 23% 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: $67.0 in Barcelona vs $59.0 in Al Khobar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $219 per month, with Al Khobar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇸🇦 Al Khobar

🕒 Local time

10:17 10:17 AM

11:17 11:17 AM

1 h ahead of Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

219,679

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Barcelona Al Khobar 4,670 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Al Khobar

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 Al Khobar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Khobar wins on cost – living expenses run 68% 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 23% 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: $1,695 in Barcelona versus $631 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 159% less than in Barcelona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $939 in Barcelona versus $602 in Al Khobar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,435 in Al Khobar versus $2,405 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 $1,435 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 68% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.