Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ha'il Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ha'il

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $1,038 in Ha'il.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $1,487 in Ha'il.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $1,937 in Ha'il.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 131% more expensive than in Ha'il, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Ha'il is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.42

$6.61 SAR 24.81

167.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €61.1

$25.32 SAR 95.1

176.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.91

$6.90 SAR 25.88

97.97%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 SAR 4.10

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 SAR 8.18

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.39

$3.25 SAR 12.19

-15.69%

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

$2.79 €2.43

$1.00 SAR 3.74

179.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.32 SAR 1.19

512.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.81

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.99

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.71 SAR 6.43

-24.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.79

$0.87 SAR 3.25

135.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.90 SAR 7.15

4.21%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.96

$1.87 SAR 7.00

81.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.26

$6.52 SAR 24.45

185.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.34

$8.87 SAR 33.28

7.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.43

$8.20 SAR 30.77

129.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.40

$1.51 SAR 5.65

82.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$1.57 SAR 5.89

57.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.25 SAR 4.69

68.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.46

$1.94 SAR 7.29

45.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.36 SAR 5.12

48.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.57 SAR 5.90

17.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.10 SAR 4.13

37.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.78

$0.45 SAR 1.70

100.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.45 SAR 9.21

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 SAR 7.58

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.16

$6.83 SAR 25.65

3.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.96

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.00

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.51

$1.05 SAR 3.94

174.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.77

$40.71 SAR 153

-30.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.82

$2.74 SAR 10.28

59.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.90 SAR 7.12

12.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.44

$13.54 SAR 50.8

115.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.63

$0.63 SAR 2.37

195.24%

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

$39.0K €34.0K

$26.5K SAR 99.3K

47.29%

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

$32.7K €28.5K

$22.2K SAR 83.1K

47.62%

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

$189 €165

$54.1 SAR 203

249.28%

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

$22.71 €19.82

$21.30 SAR 79.9

6.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.85

$47.32 SAR 178

-22.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €50.3

$65.5 SAR 246

-12.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.64

$35.00 SAR 131

-38.94%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.43

$14.68 SAR 55.1

-26.36%

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

$726 €634

$348 SAR 1,305

108.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.2K

$6,962 SAR 26.1K

116.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €76.5

$59.4 SAR 223

47.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €32.19

$61.4 SAR 230

-39.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.3

$77.8 SAR 292

33.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €102

$83.2 SAR 312

39.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,373

$493 SAR 1,850

219.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,064

$325 SAR 1,220

275.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,366

$444 SAR 1,668

510.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,716

$353 SAR 1,324

457.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,815

$2,398 SAR 9,001

225.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,595

$1,343 SAR 5,041

292.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,072

$1,073 SAR 4,028

121.28%

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 14, 2026

Last update for Ha'il: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $493 in Ha'il. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 121% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $25.00 in Ha'il for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $178 per month, with Ha'il 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 Ha'il: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ha'il differ by about 131% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $1,038 including rent). Ha'il is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 121% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $493 in Ha'il. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $348 in Ha'il. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,038 in Ha'il versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ha'il but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ha'il 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 Ha'il 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 Ha'il gentler on the wallet – expenses run 131% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.