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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,332 in Dhahran.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,029 in Dhahran.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,725 in Dhahran.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Dhahran is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$5.23 SAR 19.64

236.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$40.50 SAR 152

68.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$7.14 SAR 26.78

96.92%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 SAR 7.68

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 SAR 6.06

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.77 SAR 14.14

-26.26%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.74 SAR 2.78

278.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.17 SAR 0.63

1111.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.49 SAR 5.60

-16.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.17 SAR 4.39

73.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.18 SAR 8.18

-11.93%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.39 SAR 8.98

38.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$6.83 SAR 25.62

169.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$8.84 SAR 33.18

7.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$13.50 SAR 50.7

41.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.24 SAR 8.41

17.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.38 SAR 5.20

77.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.63 SAR 6.11

30.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.37 SAR 5.13

108.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.23 SAR 4.63

65.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.89 SAR 3.34

107.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.10 SAR 4.14

33.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.57 SAR 2.15

47.37%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.84 SAR 18.16

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 SAR 7.43

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 SAR 5.86

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$9.52 SAR 35.72

-25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$1.05 SAR 3.93

183.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$40.72 SAR 153

-28.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$1.35 SAR 5.08

240.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.45 SAR 9.18

-15.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$13.53 SAR 50.8

115.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.65 SAR 2.43

183.08%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$32.4K SAR 121.8K

20.24%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$24.3K SAR 91.1K

34.73%

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

$188 €162

$104 SAR 391

80.37%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$36.18 SAR 136

-36.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$73.6 SAR 276

-50.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$183 SAR 688

-68.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$36.00 SAR 135

-42.50%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$11.90 SAR 44.66

-5.97%

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

$721 €620

$414 SAR 1,553

74.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$9,909 SAR 37.2K

51.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$59.4 SAR 223

45.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$76.7 SAR 288

-51.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$84.4 SAR 317

20.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$97.8 SAR 367

18.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$439 SAR 1,648

249.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$383 SAR 1,436

218.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$836 SAR 3,138

222.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$615 SAR 2,308

227.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$1,110 SAR 4,166

550.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$1,066 SAR 3,999

386.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$2,893 SAR 10.9K

-18.46%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Dhahran: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $439 in Dhahran. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dhahran pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $41.00 in Dhahran for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $200 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 ($2,367 vs $1,332 including rent). Dhahran is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Dhahran earns 23% less. 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $439 in Dhahran. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $414 in Dhahran. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,332 in Dhahran versus $2,367 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.