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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,174 in Ar-rass.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,802 in Ar-rass.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,431 in Ar-rass.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 98% more expensive than in Ar-rass, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Ar-rass is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$6.58 SAR 24.71

168.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$43.89 SAR 165

58.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$7.93 SAR 29.79

78.56%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 SAR 6.64

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.69 SAR 13.87

-24.12%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.79 SAR 2.97

255.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.29 SAR 1.08

610.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$2.33 SAR 8.77

-47.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.06 SAR 3.97

91.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.51 SAR 5.69

31.13%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.62 SAR 13.58

-3.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$6.82 SAR 25.62

168.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$7.40 SAR 27.79

32.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$13.14 SAR 49.34

45.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.18 SAR 8.19

25.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.64 SAR 6.17

45.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.72 SAR 6.47

20.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.56 SAR 5.84

76.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.23 SAR 4.61

59.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.27 SAR 4.76

40.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.24 SAR 4.66

19.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.55 SAR 2.07

65.45%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.40 SAR 9.03

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$6.23 SAR 23.40

14.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.06 SAR 3.98

183.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$39.89 SAR 150

-26.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$2.65 SAR 9.94

64.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.86 SAR 6.98

14.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$13.19 SAR 49.52

124.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$0.58 SAR 2.18

213.79%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$26.4K SAR 99.3K

43.26%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$22.2K SAR 83.4K

45.80%

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

$189 €166

$107 SAR 403

75.96%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$33.12 SAR 124

-32.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$72.8 SAR 273

-48.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$45.13 SAR 169

28.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$35.22 SAR 132

-41.34%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$15.83 SAR 59.4

-31.33%

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

$706 €618

$355 SAR 1,334

98.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$6,847 SAR 25.7K

117.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$21.29 SAR 79.9

320.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$60.0 SAR 225

-39.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$79.2 SAR 297

31.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$83.0 SAR 312

43.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$437 SAR 1,641

261.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$386 SAR 1,450

220.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$384 SAR 1,442

606.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$615 SAR 2,308

231.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$2,551 SAR 9,579

195.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,264 SAR 4,746

314.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,700 SAR 6,383

39.06%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Ar-rass: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $437 in Ar-rass. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 39% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $44.00 in Ar-rass for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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 98% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,174 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 39% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $437 in Ar-rass. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $355 in Ar-rass. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,174 in Ar-rass versus $2,320 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 98% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.