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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,232 in Buraydah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,019 in Buraydah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,805 in Buraydah.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 101% more expensive than in Buraydah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Buraydah is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$13.18 SAR 49.51

42.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$40.32 SAR 151

72.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$8.07 SAR 30.30

70.63%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 SAR 6.94

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 SAR 5.12

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.57 SAR 13.43

-13.17%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.75 SAR 2.82

277.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.28 SAR 1.06

571.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.66 SAR 6.23

-23.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.16 SAR 4.36

86.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.48 SAR 9.31

-29.03%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.87 SAR 10.78

78.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$8.51 SAR 31.97

110.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$6.74 SAR 25.30

43.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$13.57 SAR 51.0

48.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.35 SAR 8.83

38.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.84 SAR 6.93

21.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.69 SAR 6.33

53.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.68 SAR 6.32

64.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.46 SAR 5.49

51.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.35 SAR 5.08

57.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.09 SAR 4.11

42.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.66 SAR 2.48

43.94%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.87 SAR 7.04

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 SAR 5.53

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 SAR 9.66

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$6.53 SAR 24.52

12.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.09 SAR 4.08

185.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$35.90 SAR 135

-27.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.63 SAR 9.86

24.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.58 SAR 9.70

-42.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$16.34 SAR 61.4

109.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.64 SAR 2.39

170.31%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$41.9K SAR 157.3K

-13.14%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$23.0K SAR 86.3K

32.96%

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

$187 €163

$70.8 SAR 266

164.39%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$31.23 SAR 117

-51.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$71.2 SAR 267

-47.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$134 SAR 505

-58.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$36.51 SAR 137

-53.22%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$15.51 SAR 58.3

-26.43%

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

$997 €869

$261 SAR 980

281.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$3,795 SAR 14.3K

335.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$51.7 SAR 194

79.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$57.2 SAR 215

-27.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$82.7 SAR 311

34.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$71.7 SAR 269

74.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$683 SAR 2,566

149.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$342 SAR 1,284

276.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$869 SAR 3,263

195.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$831 SAR 3,121

133.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$2,347 SAR 8,816

225.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,366 SAR 5,133

278.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$2,509 SAR 9,425

-6.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.98

-20.60%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Buraydah: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $683 in Buraydah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buraydah pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $40.00 in Buraydah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $207 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 101% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,232 including rent). Buraydah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 7% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $683 in Buraydah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $261 in Buraydah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Buraydah versus $2,476 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 101% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.