Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Dammam Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Dammam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,232 in Dammam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,861 in Dammam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,490 in Dammam.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 91% more expensive than in Dammam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Dammam is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$6.52 SAR 24.47

163.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$40.70 SAR 153

67.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$7.97 SAR 29.91

71.14%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 SAR 6.90

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.70

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.60 SAR 13.52

-22.78%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.75 SAR 2.80

276.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.28 SAR 1.03

600.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.72 SAR 6.45

-26.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.05 SAR 3.93

102.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.29 SAR 8.60

-13.10%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.58 SAR 9.69

30.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$6.81 SAR 25.56

178.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$7.69 SAR 28.88

23.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$13.16 SAR 49.40

42.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.28 SAR 8.55

16.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.61 SAR 6.03

45.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.56 SAR 5.86

33.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.63 SAR 6.11

67.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.23 SAR 4.62

59.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.37 SAR 5.16

32.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.34 SAR 5.04

12.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.59 SAR 2.22

50.85%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.82 SAR 10.59

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.42

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$7.04 SAR 26.45

-3.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.05 SAR 3.92

177.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$40.75 SAR 153

-29.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$2.64 SAR 9.93

73.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.81 SAR 6.81

12.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$13.55 SAR 50.9

111.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$0.59 SAR 2.23

208.47%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$27.1K SAR 101.7K

45.13%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$23.3K SAR 87.7K

39.11%

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

$187 €162

$105 SAR 395

77.20%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$34.28 SAR 129

-34.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$72.2 SAR 271

-49.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$93.5 SAR 351

-38.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$36.34 SAR 136

-42.93%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$14.47 SAR 54.3

-25.57%

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

$725 €628

$353 SAR 1,327

105.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$7,445 SAR 28.0K

103.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$55.2 SAR 207

59.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$62.8 SAR 236

-41.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$83.7 SAR 314

23.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$81.0 SAR 304

46.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$430 SAR 1,615

254.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$386 SAR 1,450

217.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$864 SAR 3,245

215.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$632 SAR 2,374

213.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$1,761 SAR 6,612

324.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,102 SAR 4,139

375.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

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 27, 2026

Last update for Dammam: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $430 in Dammam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $41.00 in Dammam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $200 per month, with Dammam 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 Dammam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Dammam differ by about 91% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,232 including rent). Dammam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,539 in Barcelona and $1,849 in Dammam to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $430 in Dammam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $353 in Dammam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Dammam versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dammam but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Dammam 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 Dammam 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 Dammam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 91% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.