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: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $1,049 in Jubail.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $1,657 in Jubail.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $2,264 in Jubail.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 129% more expensive than Jubail, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Jubail is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$6.59 SAR 24.74

168.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$39.56 SAR 148

77.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$9.35 SAR 35.10

46.10%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 SAR 6.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 SAR 10.90

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$3.23 SAR 12.14

-15.17%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.78 SAR 2.92

257.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.26 SAR 0.97

653.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.79 SAR 6.71

-27.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.01 SAR 3.78

102.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.61 SAR 6.03

22.98%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.50 SAR 9.38

35.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$8.20 SAR 30.76

127.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$6.89 SAR 25.85

38.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$10.98 SAR 41.20

71.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.37 SAR 8.89

16.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.64 SAR 6.16

50.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$1.58 SAR 5.92

32.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$1.35 SAR 5.08

108.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.18 SAR 4.44

71.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.34 SAR 5.03

38.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.41 SAR 5.29

7.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.60 SAR 2.25

50.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.88 SAR 10.80

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 SAR 7.56

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SAR 8.95

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$7.26 SAR 27.24

-2.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$0.91 SAR 3.43

216.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

$26.04 SAR 97.7

9.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$4.09 SAR 15.36

7.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.86 SAR 6.97

15.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$17.44 SAR 65.4

67.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$0.59 SAR 2.23

215.25%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$19.9K SAR 74.6K

96.03%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$24.1K SAR 90.5K

35.53%

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

$189 €163

$98.4 SAR 369

92.14%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$31.88 SAR 120

-28.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$65.1 SAR 244

-43.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$88.0 SAR 330

-34.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

$35.61 SAR 134

-39.99%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$14.00 SAR 52.5

-22.79%

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

$726 €625

$205 SAR 769

254.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$8,430 SAR 31.6K

79.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$38.03 SAR 143

130.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$62.8 SAR 236

-41.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$81.7 SAR 307

26.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$78.4 SAR 294

48.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$406 SAR 1,525

287.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$278 SAR 1,044

338.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$639 SAR 2,400

323.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$493 SAR 1,850

298.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

$2,528 SAR 9,486

209.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

$1,314 SAR 4,931

300.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$1,593 SAR 5,979

49.04%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Jubail: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $406 in Jubail. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 49% 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 Jubail for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 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 129% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $1,049 including rent). Jubail is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 49% 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $406 in Jubail. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $205 in Jubail. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,049 in Jubail versus $2,399 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 129% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.