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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,238 in Dammam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,848 in Dammam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,458 in Dammam.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 89% more expensive than Dammam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Dammam is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$6.82 SAR 25.59

158.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$40.14 SAR 151

71.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$8.07 SAR 30.25

70.38%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 SAR 6.62

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.82

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$3.63 SAR 13.63

-23.97%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.81 SAR 3.04

243.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.30 SAR 1.14

583.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.64 SAR 6.16

-21.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.01 SAR 3.77

108.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.37 SAR 8.90

-16.88%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.44 SAR 9.17

40.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$7.07 SAR 26.50

166.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$7.41 SAR 27.79

27.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$13.20 SAR 49.50

44.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.28 SAR 8.55

19.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.61 SAR 6.03

47.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.58 SAR 5.93

31.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.60 SAR 6.01

72.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.27 SAR 4.77

55.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.32 SAR 4.96

35.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.31 SAR 4.92

15.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.62 SAR 2.34

45.16%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.81 SAR 10.54

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SAR 6.54

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.81

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$7.31 SAR 27.40

-7.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$1.08 SAR 4.05

180.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$40.21 SAR 151

-29.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$2.64 SAR 9.90

67.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.84 SAR 6.89

11.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$13.08 SAR 49.05

124.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$0.64 SAR 2.39

195.31%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$26.3K SAR 98.8K

47.04%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$22.7K SAR 85.2K

42.48%

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

$189 €161

$105 SAR 393

80.18%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$34.19 SAR 128

-35.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$71.3 SAR 267

-48.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$95.2 SAR 357

-39.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$35.44 SAR 133

-40.77%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$14.61 SAR 54.8

-24.37%

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

$726 €622

$353 SAR 1,324

105.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$7,486 SAR 28.1K

103.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$55.0 SAR 206

60.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$64.1 SAR 240

-42.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$85.2 SAR 320

20.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$82.0 SAR 307

45.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$434 SAR 1,627

251.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$378 SAR 1,417

222.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$867 SAR 3,251

222.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$625 SAR 2,346

224.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$1,757 SAR 6,588

303.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,095 SAR 4,107

342.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Dammam: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $434 in Dammam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $40.00 in Dammam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $198 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 89% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,238 including rent). Dammam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,512 in Barcelona and $1,857 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $434 in Dammam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 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 61% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,238 in Dammam versus $2,341 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 89% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.