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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,343 in Dhahran.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,701 in Dhahran.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,060 in Dhahran.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 84% more expensive than in Dhahran, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Dhahran is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.32

$5.42 SAR 20.36

245.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$40.35 SAR 152

72.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.99

$6.17 SAR 23.18

123.18%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 SAR 6.82

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 SAR 5.83

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.93 SAR 14.75

-21.12%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.72 SAR 2.70

293.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.20 SAR 0.75

840.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.63 SAR 6.11

-22.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.01 SAR 3.78

113.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.92 SAR 7.20

-8.33%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$3.93 SAR 14.75

30.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.58

$8.77 SAR 32.92

103.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$11.24 SAR 42.22

-14.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.55

$13.99 SAR 52.5

44.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$2.15 SAR 8.06

51.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.38 SAR 5.18

61.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.79 SAR 6.73

45.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.74 SAR 6.52

58.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.54 SAR 5.79

43.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$0.99 SAR 3.72

114.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.91 SAR 7.17

-18.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.93 SAR 3.50

2.15%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.76 SAR 17.86

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 SAR 6.11

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 SAR 9.31

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$5.77 SAR 21.66

27.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.78 SAR 2.91

298.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.31 SAR 4.90

149.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$3.23 SAR 12.15

-54.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.86

$9.42 SAR 35.38

263.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.65 SAR 2.44

166.15%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$52.0K SAR 195.1K

-30.01%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$20.2K SAR 75.7K

51.43%

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

$187 €163

$59.5 SAR 224

214.31%

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

$15.14 €13.19

$42.58 SAR 160

-64.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.83

$66.4 SAR 249

-43.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.73

$197 SAR 738

-71.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

$94.8 SAR 356

-81.99%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.94

$10.81 SAR 40.61

5.55%

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

$997 €868

$65.3 SAR 245

1425.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$13.5K SAR 50.9K

22.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.7

$50.7 SAR 190

82.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.91

$43.44 SAR 163

-5.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$77.0 SAR 289

44.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$87.5 SAR 329

43.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,487

$354 SAR 1,328

382.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,120

$444 SAR 1,669

189.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,235

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,692

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,662

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,501

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,046

$2,811 SAR 10.6K

-16.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.5

-29.78%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Dhahran: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $354 in Dhahran. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dhahran pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $40.00 in Dhahran for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $234 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 84% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,343 including rent). Dhahran is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 20% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $354 in Dhahran. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $65.3 in Dhahran. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Dhahran – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,343 in Dhahran versus $2,476 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 84% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.