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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,367 in Jeddah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $2,104 in Jeddah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,842 in Jeddah.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 82% more expensive than in Jeddah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Jeddah is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$6.65 SAR 24.97

176.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$53.3 SAR 200

30.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$8.34 SAR 31.31

68.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 SAR 9.44

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 SAR 10.03

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$3.54 SAR 13.31

-12.15%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$1.01 SAR 3.78

193.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.24 SAR 0.89

712.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.68 SAR 6.30

-21.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.33 SAR 4.99

58.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.23 SAR 8.36

-17.94%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$2.39 SAR 8.98

115.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$6.59 SAR 24.76

166.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$8.03 SAR 30.17

18.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$12.92 SAR 48.51

54.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$2.13 SAR 8.00

48.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.69 SAR 6.36

30.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.52 SAR 5.71

71.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.63 SAR 6.12

74.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.17 SAR 4.39

85.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.35 SAR 5.06

56.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.09 SAR 4.09

48.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.54 SAR 2.01

62.96%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.18 SAR 15.68

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.94

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 SAR 9.36

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$6.64 SAR 24.94

7.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$1.14 SAR 4.27

175.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$55.4 SAR 208

-52.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$3.21 SAR 12.06

0.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.76 SAR 6.61

-14.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$13.94 SAR 52.4

152.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.60 SAR 2.24

191.67%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$48.1K SAR 180.7K

-23.81%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$21.9K SAR 82.1K

44.88%

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

$187 €161

$100 SAR 377

86.28%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$37.60 SAR 141

-59.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$66.3 SAR 249

-43.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$88.3 SAR 331

-37.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$40.96 SAR 154

-59.13%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$12.01 SAR 45.11

-2.50%

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

$1,011 €871

$720 SAR 2,703

40.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$15.8K SAR 59.2K

8.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$69.0 SAR 259

32.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$58.9 SAR 221

-30.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$98.3 SAR 369

12.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$96.8 SAR 364

30.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$769 SAR 2,886

121.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$523 SAR 1,965

148.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$1,342 SAR 5,041

92.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$854 SAR 3,207

125.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$1,732 SAR 6,504

346.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$1,131 SAR 4,247

376.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$1,622 SAR 6,090

46.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.39

-41.37%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Jeddah: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $769 in Jeddah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 46% 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 $53.0 in Jeddah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $199 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 82% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,367 including rent). Jeddah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 46% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $769 in Jeddah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $720 in Jeddah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,367 in Jeddah versus $2,482 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 82% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.