Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Dhahran Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Dhahran

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,302 in Dhahran.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,999 in Dhahran.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,697 in Dhahran.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 78% more expensive than in Dhahran, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Dhahran is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$5.30 SAR 19.91

233.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$40.06 SAR 150

73.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$7.35 SAR 27.58

92.65%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 SAR 7.56

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.96

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.67 SAR 13.79

-23.71%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.70 SAR 2.62

301.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.20 SAR 0.73

930.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.51 SAR 5.68

-18.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.18 SAR 4.43

72.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.16 SAR 8.10

-8.33%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.36 SAR 8.86

47.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$6.55 SAR 24.61

179.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$8.74 SAR 32.82

12.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$13.55 SAR 50.9

41.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.17 SAR 8.15

25.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.42 SAR 5.34

67.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.58 SAR 5.94

31.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.30 SAR 4.88

111.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.19 SAR 4.47

64.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.98 SAR 3.66

82.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.07 SAR 4.01

38.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.57 SAR 2.15

59.65%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.76 SAR 17.88

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 SAR 7.53

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 SAR 5.83

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$9.21 SAR 34.59

-22.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.04 SAR 3.91

189.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$40.24 SAR 151

-27.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.37 SAR 5.13

218.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.36 SAR 8.88

-9.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$13.26 SAR 49.79

123.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$0.64 SAR 2.39

184.38%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$31.8K SAR 119.4K

19.13%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$24.4K SAR 91.7K

32.54%

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

$189 €166

$106 SAR 397

78.87%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$36.75 SAR 138

-39.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$72.3 SAR 271

-48.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$184 SAR 689

-68.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$35.54 SAR 133

-41.87%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$12.10 SAR 45.42

-10.17%

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

$706 €618

$403 SAR 1,514

75.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$9,692 SAR 36.4K

53.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$59.7 SAR 224

49.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$74.7 SAR 281

-51.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$85.8 SAR 322

21.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$95.9 SAR 360

24.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$439 SAR 1,650

259.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$381 SAR 1,430

225.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$840 SAR 3,153

223.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$633 SAR 2,377

222.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$1,109 SAR 4,164

578.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,053 SAR 3,955

397.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$2,884 SAR 10.8K

-18.04%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Dhahran: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $439 in Dhahran. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dhahran pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $40.00 in Dhahran for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $198 per month, with Dhahran 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 Dhahran: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Dhahran differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,302 including rent). Dhahran is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Dhahran. 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $439 in Dhahran. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $403 in Dhahran. 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 $1,302 in Dhahran versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Dhahran but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Dhahran 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 Dhahran 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 Dhahran gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.