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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,024 in Ha'il.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,474 in Ha'il.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,925 in Ha'il.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 129% more expensive than Ha'il, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Ha'il is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$6.83 SAR 25.60

157.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$25.28 SAR 94.8

171.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$7.19 SAR 26.97

91.24%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 SAR 3.93

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 SAR 8.17

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$3.29 SAR 12.35

-16.11%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.04 SAR 3.92

167.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.32 SAR 1.20

540.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.72 SAR 6.45

-25.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.84 SAR 3.17

151.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.83 SAR 6.85

7.65%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$1.97 SAR 7.40

74.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$6.67 SAR 25.03

182.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$8.91 SAR 33.42

6.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$8.23 SAR 30.85

130.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$1.56 SAR 5.85

74.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.50 SAR 5.62

58.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.30 SAR 4.86

60.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.96 SAR 7.34

40.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.31 SAR 4.90

50.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.63 SAR 6.13

9.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.06 SAR 3.96

42.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.48 SAR 1.82

87.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.57 SAR 9.65

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.92

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$7.20 SAR 26.98

-6.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$1.04 SAR 3.91

191.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$39.36 SAR 148

-27.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$2.69 SAR 10.08

64.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.90 SAR 7.11

7.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$13.46 SAR 50.5

117.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$0.63 SAR 2.36

200.00%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$26.6K SAR 99.6K

45.92%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$22.1K SAR 82.9K

46.43%

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

$189 €161

$52.5 SAR 197

259.42%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$21.05 SAR 78.9

5.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$47.26 SAR 177

-22.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$67.0 SAR 251

-13.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$35.14 SAR 132

-40.27%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$14.69 SAR 55.1

-24.78%

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

$726 €622

$360 SAR 1,350

101.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$6,874 SAR 25.8K

121.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$60.3 SAR 226

46.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$61.3 SAR 230

-39.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$78.1 SAR 293

31.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$83.1 SAR 311

43.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$483 SAR 1,813

215.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$329 SAR 1,234

270.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$448 SAR 1,680

523.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$356 SAR 1,337

468.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$2,369 SAR 8,883

199.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,314 SAR 4,926

269.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$1,052 SAR 3,944

128.57%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ha'il: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $483 in Ha'il. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 129% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $25.00 in Ha'il for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $179 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 129% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,024 including rent). Ha'il is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 129% more on average, 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $483 in Ha'il. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $360 in Ha'il. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,024 in Ha'il versus $2,341 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 129% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.