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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,185 in Buraydah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,980 in Buraydah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,775 in Buraydah.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 100% more expensive than Buraydah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Buraydah is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$12.73 SAR 47.78

38.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$39.83 SAR 150

71.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$7.43 SAR 27.87

89.23%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 SAR 6.10

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 SAR 5.58

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.69 SAR 13.86

-24.66%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.74 SAR 2.76

278.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.26 SAR 0.97

692.31%

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

$1.66 SAR 6.24

-25.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.09 SAR 4.10

86.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.58 SAR 9.68

-25.58%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.53 SAR 9.51

30.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$8.23 SAR 30.90

123.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$6.66 SAR 25.00

42.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$13.67 SAR 51.3

40.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.46 SAR 9.22

7.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.86 SAR 6.98

31.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.45 SAR 5.43

46.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.67 SAR 6.25

70.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.42 SAR 5.34

43.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.50 SAR 5.62

23.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.12 SAR 4.20

31.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.65 SAR 2.44

29.23%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.92 SAR 7.22

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 SAR 5.47

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 SAR 9.71

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$6.25 SAR 23.46

14.24%

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

$1.04 SAR 3.90

186.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$39.65 SAR 149

-26.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$2.69 SAR 10.09

71.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.85 SAR 6.94

11.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$16.87 SAR 63.3

72.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.59 SAR 2.23

211.86%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$26.8K SAR 100.5K

45.64%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$24.2K SAR 90.8K

35.18%

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

$188 €162

$75.8 SAR 284

147.88%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$29.84 SAR 112

-23.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$69.7 SAR 262

-47.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$102 SAR 383

-43.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$34.97 SAR 131

-40.81%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$16.24 SAR 60.9

-31.10%

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

$721 €620

$262 SAR 984

175.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$3,720 SAR 14.0K

304.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$51.6 SAR 194

67.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$74.5 SAR 279

-50.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$81.8 SAR 307

24.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$69.9 SAR 262

65.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$634 SAR 2,379

141.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$338 SAR 1,267

261.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$749 SAR 2,812

259.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$808 SAR 3,033

149.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$2,323 SAR 8,717

210.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$1,329 SAR 4,988

290.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$2,826 SAR 10.6K

-16.50%

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 Buraydah: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $634 in Buraydah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buraydah pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $40.00 in Buraydah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $204 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 100% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,185 including rent). Buraydah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Buraydah earns 20% less. 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $634 in Buraydah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $262 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 $1,185 in Buraydah versus $2,367 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 100% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.