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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,218 in Dammam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,844 in Dammam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,471 in Dammam.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 103% more expensive than in Dammam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Dammam is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.31

$6.75 SAR 25.36

177.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$40.61 SAR 153

71.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.98

$7.84 SAR 29.43

75.64%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 SAR 6.84

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.85

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.63 SAR 13.65

-14.60%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.79 SAR 2.98

258.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.30 SAR 1.14

526.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.94

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.65 SAR 6.21

-23.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.06 SAR 3.98

103.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.28 SAR 8.58

-22.81%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.46

$2.46 SAR 9.24

108.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.56

$7.00 SAR 26.29

155.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.40

$7.68 SAR 28.86

25.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.54

$13.20 SAR 49.58

52.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$2.30 SAR 8.63

41.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.62 SAR 6.09

37.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$1.62 SAR 6.10

60.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.63 SAR 6.13

69.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$1.25 SAR 4.68

76.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.32 SAR 4.97

60.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.31 SAR 4.93

18.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.64 SAR 2.40

48.44%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.89 SAR 10.84

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 SAR 6.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 SAR 7.49

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.39

$7.10 SAR 26.69

3.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.00

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.34

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.70

$1.10 SAR 4.13

182.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.51

$39.92 SAR 150

-35.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.73 SAR 10.26

19.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.83 SAR 6.88

-19.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.83

$13.27 SAR 49.85

158.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$0.59 SAR 2.22

193.22%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$26.6K SAR 100.0K

36.65%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$23.1K SAR 86.9K

32.03%

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

$187 €163

$104 SAR 390

80.25%

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

$15.14 €13.18

$34.08 SAR 128

-55.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.80

$70.7 SAR 266

-46.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.69

$94.2 SAR 354

-40.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.87

$37.14 SAR 140

-54.01%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.93

$14.36 SAR 53.9

-20.54%

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

$997 €867

$347 SAR 1,303

187.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$7,536 SAR 28.3K

119.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.6

$56.0 SAR 210

65.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.88

$63.1 SAR 237

-34.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.8

$84.2 SAR 316

32.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$81.0 SAR 304

54.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,486

$437 SAR 1,641

290.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,119

$382 SAR 1,434

236.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,233

$887 SAR 3,331

189.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,690

$632 SAR 2,373

207.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,656

$1,768 SAR 6,641

332.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,497

$1,097 SAR 4,119

371.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,044

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.42

-28.51%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Dammam: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $437 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 $336 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 103% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,218 including rent). Dammam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,714 in Barcelona and $1,827 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $437 in Dammam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $347 in Dammam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,218 in Dammam versus $2,476 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 103% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.