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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,218 in Jeddah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,846 in Jeddah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,474 in Jeddah.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 90% more expensive than in Jeddah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Jeddah is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$6.51 SAR 24.46

171.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$39.65 SAR 149

75.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$7.80 SAR 29.29

81.54%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 SAR 8.10

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.90

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.78 SAR 14.20

-25.93%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.70 SAR 2.64

301.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.25 SAR 0.94

724.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.68 SAR 6.32

-26.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.94 SAR 3.53

115.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.23 SAR 8.38

-11.21%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.63 SAR 9.88

32.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$7.42 SAR 27.86

147.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$7.77 SAR 29.19

26.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$12.38 SAR 46.50

54.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.18 SAR 8.19

25.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.57 SAR 5.89

51.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.54 SAR 5.80

35.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.58 SAR 5.94

74.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.33 SAR 4.98

47.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.25 SAR 4.68

43.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.10 SAR 4.15

34.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.55 SAR 2.07

65.45%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.21 SAR 15.79

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 SAR 7.11

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 SAR 9.36

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$6.79 SAR 25.51

5.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.30 SAR 4.87

131.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$39.89 SAR 150

-26.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$3.17 SAR 11.89

37.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.85 SAR 6.94

15.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$15.04 SAR 56.5

96.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$0.60 SAR 2.24

203.33%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$26.4K SAR 99.2K

43.39%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$21.3K SAR 80.0K

51.97%

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

$189 €166

$108 SAR 406

74.88%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$32.30 SAR 121

-30.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$69.6 SAR 261

-46.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$91.1 SAR 342

-36.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$45.14 SAR 170

-54.23%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$13.21 SAR 49.62

-17.71%

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

$706 €618

$407 SAR 1,527

73.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$6,378 SAR 24.0K

133.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$62.7 SAR 235

42.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$57.9 SAR 217

-36.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$94.9 SAR 356

9.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$83.8 SAR 315

42.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$507 SAR 1,903

211.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$384 SAR 1,442

222.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$904 SAR 3,395

200.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$601 SAR 2,256

239.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$1,646 SAR 6,179

357.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,015 SAR 3,812

415.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,660 SAR 6,233

42.41%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Jeddah: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $507 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $40.00 in Jeddah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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 90% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,218 including rent). Jeddah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 42% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $507 in Jeddah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $407 in Jeddah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,218 in Jeddah versus $2,320 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 90% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.