Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Al-Ula

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-Ula: $1,184 a month against $2,399 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Al-Ula
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Al-Ula Living Index

Jump to prices

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,399

/mo nomad

Al-Ula

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,184

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Al-Ula

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-Ula actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,399 per month in Barcelona vs $1,184 in Al-Ula, rent included.

Barcelona $2,399
Al-Ula $1,184

A couple spends around $3,410 per month in Barcelona vs $1,757 in Al-Ula, rent included.

Barcelona $3,410
Al-Ula $1,757

A family of three spends $4,421 per month in Barcelona vs $2,330 in Al-Ula, rent included.

Barcelona $4,421
Al-Ula $2,330

Barcelona costs about 103% more than Al-Ula, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Barcelona sits 78% above the global median, while Al-Ula is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.94 €15.96

$6.11 SAR 22.91

193.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €60.5

$36.80 SAR 138

84.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.28 €11.81

$7.96 SAR 29.87

66.83%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 SAR 7.08

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 SAR 8.62

Cappuccino

$3.25 €2.89

$3.17 SAR 11.89

2.52%

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

$3.01 €2.67

$0.86 SAR 3.24

250.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.66

$0.26 SAR 0.98

619.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 €3.42

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 €3.98

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.74 SAR 6.52

-25.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.81

$1.27 SAR 4.75

60.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.53

$2.30 SAR 8.62

-25.22%

Eggs

$4.77 €4.24

$2.32 SAR 8.72

105.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.77 €14.92

$7.39 SAR 27.75

126.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 €7.94

$8.07 SAR 30.27

10.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.88 €17.68

$12.67 SAR 47.54

56.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.65

$2.25 SAR 8.45

32.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.80

$1.76 SAR 6.60

15.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 €2.43

$1.58 SAR 5.94

72.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 €2.38

$1.57 SAR 5.89

70.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.23 SAR 4.61

70.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 €1.85

$1.28 SAR 4.79

62.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.22 SAR 4.58

18.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.79

$0.54 SAR 2.02

64.81%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.86 SAR 10.71

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.94 €6.17

$6.74 SAR 25.28

2.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 €6.92

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 €2.29

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.99 €2.66

$1.09 SAR 4.08

174.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.20 €22.41

$36.77 SAR 138

-31.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 €2.77

$2.61 SAR 9.80

19.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.85 SAR 6.95

-22.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.50 €29.80

$13.14 SAR 49.29

154.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.59

$0.65 SAR 2.44

175.38%

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

$34.6K €30.8K

$44.0K SAR 165.2K

-21.34%

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

$30.1K €26.7K

$21.3K SAR 79.9K

41.15%

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

$178 €158

$106 SAR 397

67.91%

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

$13.32 €11.85

$33.21 SAR 125

-59.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.88 €31.03

$65.8 SAR 247

-46.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 €47.37

$82.4 SAR 309

-35.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.01 €14.24

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.84

$13.33 SAR 50.0

-17.03%

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

$957 €851

$425 SAR 1,596

124.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.7K

$8,102 SAR 30.4K

104.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 €78.4

$42.74 SAR 160

106.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.49 €35.12

$55.4 SAR 208

-28.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €91.5

$96.2 SAR 361

6.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$87.6 SAR 329

38.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,470

$576 SAR 2,162

186.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 €1,158

$372 SAR 1,397

249.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,557 €2,275

$832 SAR 3,121

207.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,915 €1,703

$572 SAR 2,147

234.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,286 €6,481

$2,323 SAR 8,718

213.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,080 €4,519

$1,382 SAR 5,187

267.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,281 €2,029

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

5.54

-40.79%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Last update for Al-Ula: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.3%

Al-Ula

$372 31.5% 71.4% $929

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$320 13.3%

Al-Ula

$203 17.1% 36.7% $118

Eating Out

Barcelona

$270 11.3%

Al-Ula

$115 9.7% 57.3% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$226 9.4%

Al-Ula

$205 17.3% 9.3% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.6%

Al-Ula

$127 10.7% 19.9% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$75 3.1%

Al-Ula

$109 9.2% 44.7% $34

Getting Around

Barcelona

$47 2%

Al-Ula

$53 4.5% 11.6% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,653 in Barcelona versus $576 in Al-Ula. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Barcelona versus $37.00 in Al-Ula. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $203 – making Al-Ula the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇸🇦 Al-Ula

🕒 Local time

12:05 12:05 PM

13:05 1:05 PM

1 h ahead of Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

32,413

💱 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-Ula 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Al-Ula

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-Ula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona, $1,184 in Al-Ula – roughly 103% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,599 per month in Barcelona and $1,776 in Al-Ula. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al-Ula, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $957 per month in Barcelona and $425 in Al-Ula. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Barcelona, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Al-Ula, where all-in costs run around $1,184, than in Barcelona at $2,399. In Al-Ula it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barcelona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Barcelona has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,184 in Al-Ula to $2,399 in Barcelona. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Al-Ula. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barcelona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.