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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,041 in Ha'il.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,491 in Ha'il.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,940 in Ha'il.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 127% more expensive than in Ha'il, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Ha'il is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$6.57 SAR 24.68

161.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$25.76 SAR 96.8

164.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$7.13 SAR 26.76

91.30%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 SAR 4.09

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.88

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.27 SAR 12.26

-14.98%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.01 SAR 3.78

179.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.32 SAR 1.20

512.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.75 SAR 6.56

-27.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.81 SAR 3.03

162.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.91 SAR 7.18

4.19%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.95 SAR 7.31

72.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$6.63 SAR 24.89

185.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$8.92 SAR 33.48

6.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$8.48 SAR 31.86

120.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.55 SAR 5.83

70.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.52 SAR 5.69

54.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.26 SAR 4.72

65.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$2.02 SAR 7.60

35.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.34 SAR 5.04

46.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.56 SAR 5.85

16.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.06 SAR 3.97

42.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.49 SAR 1.85

81.63%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.43 SAR 9.11

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 SAR 6.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.82

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$7.02 SAR 26.34

-3.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.08 SAR 4.07

169.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$39.94 SAR 150

-28.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$2.70 SAR 10.16

69.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.82 SAR 6.83

12.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$13.09 SAR 49.14

119.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$0.59 SAR 2.23

208.47%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$27.2K SAR 102.0K

44.71%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$22.7K SAR 85.3K

42.96%

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

$187 €162

$54.0 SAR 203

245.68%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$21.59 SAR 81.1

3.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$46.03 SAR 173

-20.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$66.3 SAR 249

-13.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$36.21 SAR 136

-42.72%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$14.70 SAR 55.2

-26.73%

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

$725 €628

$352 SAR 1,320

106.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$7,085 SAR 26.6K

113.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$59.2 SAR 222

48.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$60.4 SAR 227

-39.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$77.9 SAR 292

32.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$80.6 SAR 303

47.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$498 SAR 1,871

205.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$330 SAR 1,241

271.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$440 SAR 1,651

520.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$361 SAR 1,355

449.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$2,366 SAR 8,885

215.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,332 SAR 5,001

293.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$1,064 SAR 3,994

124.94%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Ha'il: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $498 in Ha'il. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 125% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $26.00 in Ha'il for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $180 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 127% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,041 including rent). Ha'il is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 125% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $498 in Ha'il. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $352 in Ha'il. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,041 in Ha'il versus $2,359 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 127% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.