Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ar-rass Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ar-rass

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,169 in Ar-rass.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,770 in Ar-rass.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,372 in Ar-rass.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 103% more expensive than Ar-rass, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Ar-rass is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$6.55 SAR 24.58

168.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$44.10 SAR 166

55.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$7.87 SAR 29.52

78.65%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.87

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.62 SAR 13.57

-23.20%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.76 SAR 2.84

268.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.29 SAR 1.08

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

$2.39 SAR 8.97

-48.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.01 SAR 3.79

100.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.55 SAR 5.82

23.87%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.61 SAR 13.56

-8.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$6.77 SAR 25.40

172.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$7.45 SAR 27.96

27.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$13.04 SAR 48.93

46.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.23 SAR 8.38

18.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.64 SAR 6.16

49.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.75 SAR 6.56

21.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.56 SAR 5.87

82.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.28 SAR 4.81

59.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.31 SAR 4.92

41.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.19 SAR 4.46

23.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.59 SAR 2.20

42.37%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.80 SAR 10.51

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SAR 6.53

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.82

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$6.29 SAR 23.61

13.51%

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

$1.09 SAR 4.08

173.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$39.20 SAR 147

-25.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$2.61 SAR 9.78

76.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.92 SAR 7.22

7.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$13.48 SAR 50.6

116.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.59 SAR 2.21

211.86%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$27.0K SAR 101.4K

44.36%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$22.6K SAR 84.8K

44.72%

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

$188 €162

$104 SAR 390

80.56%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$33.90 SAR 127

-32.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$72.7 SAR 273

-49.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$43.87 SAR 165

30.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$35.18 SAR 132

-41.16%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$15.52 SAR 58.3

-27.90%

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

$721 €620

$349 SAR 1,310

106.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$6,909 SAR 25.9K

117.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$21.12 SAR 79.3

308.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$61.3 SAR 230

-39.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$79.5 SAR 298

28.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$82.4 SAR 309

40.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$445 SAR 1,669

244.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$382 SAR 1,434

219.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$388 SAR 1,455

595.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$614 SAR 2,303

228.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$2,559 SAR 9,604

182.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$1,508 SAR 5,658

244.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$1,728 SAR 6,485

36.53%

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 Ar-rass: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $445 in Ar-rass. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 37% 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 $44.00 in Ar-rass for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $205 per month, with Ar-rass 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 Ar-rass: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ar-rass differ by about 103% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,169 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 37% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $445 in Ar-rass. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $349 in Ar-rass. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,169 in Ar-rass versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ar-rass but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ar-rass 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 Ar-rass 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 Ar-rass gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.