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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,107 in Jubail.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,711 in Jubail.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,316 in Jubail.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 124% more expensive than in Jubail, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Jubail is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$6.81 SAR 25.59

170.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$40.68 SAR 153

70.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$8.96 SAR 33.67

56.81%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 SAR 6.88

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 SAR 8.70

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$3.96 SAR 14.85

-21.46%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$1.01 SAR 3.79

193.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.26 SAR 0.96

650.00%

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

$1.57 SAR 5.88

-15.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.43 SAR 5.37

47.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.61 SAR 6.03

13.66%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$2.14 SAR 8.03

141.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$8.65 SAR 32.47

103.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$6.21 SAR 23.31

52.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$10.77 SAR 40.44

85.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$2.17 SAR 8.13

46.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.79 SAR 6.70

23.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.58 SAR 5.92

65.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.66 SAR 6.23

71.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.29 SAR 4.84

68.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.38 SAR 5.17

52.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.68 SAR 6.31

-3.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.51 SAR 1.93

72.55%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.91 SAR 10.91

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 SAR 8.12

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 SAR 7.73

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$6.83 SAR 25.63

4.98%

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

$1.30 SAR 4.90

141.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$24.02 SAR 90.2

9.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$3.42 SAR 12.84

-5.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$2.73 SAR 10.24

-44.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$13.12 SAR 49.27

168.75%

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

$45.4K SAR 170.7K

-19.32%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$20.8K SAR 78.3K

51.99%

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

$187 €161

$81.1 SAR 305

130.61%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$27.49 SAR 103

-45.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$66.4 SAR 249

-43.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$102 SAR 384

-45.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$39.95 SAR 150

-58.10%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$13.45 SAR 50.5

-12.94%

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

$1,011 €871

$177 SAR 666

470.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$7,825 SAR 29.4K

118.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$41.23 SAR 155

121.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$59.6 SAR 224

-31.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$81.4 SAR 306

35.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$85.6 SAR 321

47.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$425 SAR 1,595

301.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$293 SAR 1,100

343.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$645 SAR 2,424

300.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$526 SAR 1,974

266.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$2,706 SAR 10.2K

185.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$1,386 SAR 5,205

288.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$1,602 SAR 6,016

48.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.62

-43.77%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Jubail: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $425 in Jubail. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 48% 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 $41.00 in Jubail for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $190 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 124% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,107 including rent). Jubail is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 48% 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 $425 in Jubail. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $177 in Jubail. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,107 in Jubail versus $2,482 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 124% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.