Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Jeddah Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Jeddah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,202 in Jeddah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,858 in Jeddah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,514 in Jeddah.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 97% more expensive than Jeddah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Jeddah is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$6.54 SAR 24.53

168.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$40.72 SAR 153

68.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$8.21 SAR 30.82

71.25%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 SAR 8.23

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.89

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.58 SAR 13.45

-22.35%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.70 SAR 2.64

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.25 SAR 0.94

724.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.74 SAR 6.51

-28.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$0.96 SAR 3.58

111.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.30 SAR 8.61

-16.52%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.75 SAR 10.34

20.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$7.41 SAR 27.83

148.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$7.64 SAR 28.69

24.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$12.34 SAR 46.33

55.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.16 SAR 8.13

22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.57 SAR 5.90

56.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.55 SAR 5.82

36.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.54 SAR 5.78

85.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.32 SAR 4.94

54.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.21 SAR 4.54

52.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.05 SAR 3.96

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.60 SAR 2.23

40.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.08 SAR 15.31

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 SAR 7.33

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 SAR 9.32

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$6.76 SAR 25.37

5.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

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 €2.57

$1.36 SAR 5.12

119.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$39.64 SAR 149

-26.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$3.23 SAR 12.13

42.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.88 SAR 7.07

10.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$15.36 SAR 57.7

89.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.63 SAR 2.37

192.06%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$26.9K SAR 101.0K

44.94%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$21.4K SAR 80.4K

52.64%

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

$188 €162

$105 SAR 393

79.18%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$32.31 SAR 121

-29.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$70.1 SAR 263

-47.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$90.9 SAR 341

-36.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$45.17 SAR 170

-54.17%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$13.12 SAR 49.26

-14.71%

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

$721 €621

$400 SAR 1,500

80.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$6,414 SAR 24.1K

134.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$64.6 SAR 242

33.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$58.1 SAR 218

-36.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$92.5 SAR 347

10.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$84.4 SAR 317

37.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$501 SAR 1,881

206.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$390 SAR 1,464

212.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$899 SAR 3,375

199.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$618 SAR 2,321

225.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$1,625 SAR 6,100

344.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$1,014 SAR 3,805

411.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

$1,657 SAR 6,219

42.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.5

-24.67%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Jeddah: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $501 in Jeddah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 42% 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 $41.00 in Jeddah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $196 per month, with Jeddah 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 Jeddah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Jeddah differ by about 97% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,202 including rent). Jeddah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 42% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $501 in Jeddah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $400 in Jeddah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,202 in Jeddah versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Jeddah but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Jeddah 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 Jeddah 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 Jeddah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.