Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Buraydah Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Buraydah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,224 in Buraydah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,996 in Buraydah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,768 in Buraydah.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 90% more expensive than in Buraydah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Buraydah is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$12.49 SAR 46.89

41.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$39.47 SAR 148

76.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$7.46 SAR 28.02

89.81%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 SAR 5.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 SAR 5.68

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.67 SAR 13.78

-23.71%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.80 SAR 3.00

251.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.26 SAR 0.96

692.31%

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

$1.65 SAR 6.21

-25.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.05 SAR 3.93

93.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.58 SAR 9.70

-23.26%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.52 SAR 9.47

38.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$8.45 SAR 31.74

116.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$6.68 SAR 25.08

47.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$13.72 SAR 51.5

39.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.47 SAR 9.28

10.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.86 SAR 6.99

27.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.40 SAR 5.25

48.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.67 SAR 6.26

64.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.41 SAR 5.31

39.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.50 SAR 5.64

19.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.12 SAR 4.19

32.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.70 SAR 2.63

30.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.90 SAR 7.15

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 SAR 5.43

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 SAR 9.78

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$6.22 SAR 23.36

14.63%

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

$1.05 SAR 3.95

186.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$39.96 SAR 150

-26.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$2.58 SAR 9.70

68.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.86 SAR 6.97

14.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$16.68 SAR 62.6

77.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$0.60 SAR 2.25

203.33%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$26.3K SAR 98.7K

44.08%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$24.6K SAR 92.5K

31.49%

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

$189 €166

$75.8 SAR 285

149.31%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$29.83 SAR 112

-25.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$71.4 SAR 268

-47.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$102 SAR 382

-43.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$35.02 SAR 131

-41.01%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$15.81 SAR 59.4

-31.25%

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

$706 €618

$264 SAR 989

167.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$3,690 SAR 13.9K

302.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$50.7 SAR 191

76.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$73.5 SAR 276

-50.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$80.7 SAR 303

28.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$71.1 SAR 267

67.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$626 SAR 2,349

152.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$338 SAR 1,267

266.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$767 SAR 2,879

253.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$810 SAR 3,042

151.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$2,385 SAR 8,956

215.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,332 SAR 5,003

293.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$2,488 SAR 9,344

-5.00%

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 Buraydah: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $626 in Buraydah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buraydah pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $39.00 in Buraydah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $205 per month, with Buraydah 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 Buraydah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Buraydah differ by about 90% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,224 including rent). Buraydah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Buraydah. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $626 in Buraydah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $264 in Buraydah. 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 $1,224 in Buraydah versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Buraydah but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Buraydah 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 Buraydah 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 Buraydah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.