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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,103 in Ar-rass.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,669 in Ar-rass.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,235 in Ar-rass.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 125% more expensive than in Ar-rass, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Ar-rass is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.31

$6.70 SAR 25.15

179.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$37.74 SAR 142

84.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.98

$7.77 SAR 29.17

77.22%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 SAR 6.90

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 SAR 7.55

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.36 SAR 12.63

-7.74%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.81 SAR 3.04

249.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.24 SAR 0.90

683.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.94

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.82 SAR 6.85

-30.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.41 SAR 1.55

426.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.90 SAR 7.14

-7.37%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.46

$3.68 SAR 13.82

39.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.56

$7.03 SAR 26.40

154.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.40

$8.16 SAR 30.65

18.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.54

$13.12 SAR 49.27

53.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$2.09 SAR 7.83

55.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.77 SAR 6.66

25.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$1.56 SAR 5.86

66.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.61 SAR 6.05

71.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$1.15 SAR 4.32

92.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.35 SAR 5.05

57.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.15 SAR 4.32

34.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.56 SAR 2.10

69.64%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.79 SAR 10.47

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 SAR 6.82

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.39

$7.90 SAR 29.67

-7.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.00

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.34

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.70

$1.22 SAR 4.57

154.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.51

$35.86 SAR 135

-27.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.96 SAR 11.11

10.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.54 SAR 5.78

-3.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.83

$11.37 SAR 42.69

201.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$0.64 SAR 2.40

170.31%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$47.0K SAR 176.6K

-22.66%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$21.3K SAR 79.9K

43.63%

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

$187 €163

$88.2 SAR 331

112.04%

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

$15.14 €13.18

$24.45 SAR 91.8

-38.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.80

$60.2 SAR 226

-37.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.69

$44.03 SAR 165

27.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.87

$40.53 SAR 152

-57.86%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.93

$13.08 SAR 49.14

-12.77%

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

$997 €867

$349 SAR 1,310

185.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$7,401 SAR 27.8K

123.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.6

$50.6 SAR 190

83.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.88

$58.2 SAR 219

-29.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.8

$95.0 SAR 357

17.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$95.5 SAR 359

31.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,486

$580 SAR 2,177

194.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,119

$339 SAR 1,273

279.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,233

$382 SAR 1,433

572.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,690

$591 SAR 2,220

228.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,656

$2,677 SAR 10.1K

185.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,497

$1,276 SAR 4,793

304.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,044

$1,706 SAR 6,407

37.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.47

-42.23%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Ar-rass: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $580 in Ar-rass. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 38% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $38.00 in Ar-rass for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $199 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 125% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,103 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 38% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $580 in Ar-rass. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 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 69% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,103 in Ar-rass versus $2,476 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 125% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.