Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Jubail Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Jubail

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,050 in Jubail.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,650 in Jubail.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,251 in Jubail.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 123% more expensive than Jubail, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Jubail is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$6.48 SAR 24.31

171.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$40.19 SAR 151

70.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$9.29 SAR 34.84

48.01%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 SAR 6.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 SAR 10.70

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$3.39 SAR 12.71

-18.58%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.83 SAR 3.10

234.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.26 SAR 0.97

688.46%

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

$1.77 SAR 6.65

-27.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.98 SAR 3.68

115.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.63 SAR 6.11

20.86%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.52 SAR 9.44

36.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$8.20 SAR 30.76

129.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$6.89 SAR 25.85

37.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$11.19 SAR 41.96

69.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.32 SAR 8.72

17.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.71 SAR 6.40

38.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.58 SAR 5.91

31.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.43 SAR 5.37

93.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.12 SAR 4.20

75.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.30 SAR 4.86

37.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.38 SAR 5.17

9.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.64 SAR 2.39

40.63%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.91 SAR 10.92

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 SAR 7.42

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 SAR 9.14

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$7.02 SAR 26.33

-3.70%

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

$0.97 SAR 3.63

212.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$25.13 SAR 94.2

12.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$4.08 SAR 15.32

8.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.85 SAR 6.94

10.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$17.01 SAR 63.8

72.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$0.63 SAR 2.37

200.00%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$20.2K SAR 75.9K

91.37%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$24.2K SAR 90.8K

33.70%

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

$189 €161

$98.8 SAR 371

90.86%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$31.97 SAR 120

-30.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$65.1 SAR 244

-43.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$88.0 SAR 330

-34.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$35.90 SAR 135

-41.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$13.89 SAR 52.1

-20.45%

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

$726 €622

$202 SAR 759

258.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$8,378 SAR 31.4K

81.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$38.63 SAR 145

128.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$62.2 SAR 233

-40.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$83.4 SAR 313

23.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$79.4 SAR 298

50.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$403 SAR 1,513

278.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$277 SAR 1,039

339.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$655 SAR 2,456

326.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$505 SAR 1,892

301.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$2,522 SAR 9,458

181.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,316 SAR 4,934

268.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$1,602 SAR 6,008

50.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.33

-36.40%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Jubail: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $403 in Jubail. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 50% 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 $40.00 in Jubail for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $191 per month, with Jubail 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 Jubail: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Jubail differ by about 123% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,050 including rent). Jubail is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 50% 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 $403 in Jubail. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $202 in Jubail. 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 $1,050 in Jubail versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jubail but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Jubail 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 Jubail 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 Jubail gentler on the wallet – expenses run 123% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.