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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,207 in Dammam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,868 in Dammam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,530 in Dammam.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 94% more expensive than Dammam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Dammam is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$6.73 SAR 25.26

153.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$40.67 SAR 153

70.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$7.79 SAR 29.24

76.89%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 SAR 6.81

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.63

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$3.64 SAR 13.66

-24.18%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.81 SAR 3.05

244.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.30 SAR 1.14

563.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.64 SAR 6.15

-21.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.02 SAR 3.81

100.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.36 SAR 8.85

-15.68%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.59 SAR 9.73

30.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$6.90 SAR 25.89

172.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$7.53 SAR 28.25

24.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$12.74 SAR 47.82

50.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.34 SAR 8.79

15.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.70 SAR 6.38

37.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.57 SAR 5.89

35.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.57 SAR 5.88

81.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.23 SAR 4.60

60.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.33 SAR 5.00

35.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.37 SAR 5.13

5.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.58 SAR 2.19

48.28%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.93 SAR 10.98

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 SAR 6.44

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 SAR 7.84

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$7.25 SAR 27.20

-6.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$1.08 SAR 4.06

170.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$39.81 SAR 149

-27.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.73 SAR 10.26

63.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.91 SAR 7.15

7.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$13.59 SAR 51.0

117.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$0.60 SAR 2.24

203.33%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$27.0K SAR 101.4K

43.72%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$22.9K SAR 86.1K

44.32%

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

$189 €163

$106 SAR 399

78.02%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$33.85 SAR 127

-32.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$70.6 SAR 265

-46.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$95.4 SAR 358

-39.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$34.96 SAR 131

-40.68%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$14.40 SAR 54.1

-24.86%

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

$728 €628

$355 SAR 1,331

105.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$7,665 SAR 28.8K

92.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$55.8 SAR 209

58.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$62.7 SAR 235

-41.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$85.0 SAR 319

20.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$80.3 SAR 301

44.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$430 SAR 1,612

265.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$373 SAR 1,400

226.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$874 SAR 3,281

219.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$632 SAR 2,371

212.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$1,778 SAR 6,673

336.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$1,106 SAR 4,151

367.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Dammam: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $430 in Dammam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $41.00 in Dammam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 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 94% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,207 including rent). Dammam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,505 in Barcelona and $1,810 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $430 in Dammam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $355 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 $1,207 in Dammam versus $2,337 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 94% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.