Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Qatif Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Qatif

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $1,057 in Qatif.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $1,683 in Qatif.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $2,308 in Qatif.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 127% more expensive than Qatif, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$3.41 SAR 12.78

418.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$48.84 SAR 183

43.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$8.03 SAR 30.13

70.11%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 SAR 7.20

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.82

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$3.57 SAR 13.40

-23.25%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.76 SAR 2.87

267.11%

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

$1.72 SAR 6.44

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.83 SAR 3.11

146.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.11 SAR 7.93

-6.16%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.23 SAR 8.35

52.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$6.30 SAR 23.63

195.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$7.33 SAR 27.52

30.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$10.15 SAR 38.08

85.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.09 SAR 7.83

31.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.48 SAR 5.57

66.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$1.44 SAR 5.40

45.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$0.71 SAR 2.65

297.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.28 SAR 4.81

57.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.38 SAR 5.18

34.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.10 SAR 4.13

37.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.51 SAR 1.91

76.47%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.68 SAR 10.07

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SAR 6.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 SAR 7.31

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$7.84 SAR 29.43

-9.95%

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

$1.09 SAR 4.11

164.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

$39.62 SAR 149

-28.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$3.15 SAR 11.84

39.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.56 SAR 5.85

37.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$13.37 SAR 50.2

118.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$0.63 SAR 2.37

195.24%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$22.6K SAR 84.9K

72.30%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$20.2K SAR 75.7K

62.07%

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

$189 €163

$106 SAR 396

79.07%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$36.23 SAR 136

-37.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$59.2 SAR 222

-38.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$94.6 SAR 355

-39.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

$57.5 SAR 216

-62.85%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$15.54 SAR 58.3

-30.44%

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

$726 €625

$401 SAR 1,505

81.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$8,166 SAR 30.6K

84.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$51.6 SAR 194

69.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$50.8 SAR 191

-27.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$90.1 SAR 338

14.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$86.8 SAR 326

34.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$356 SAR 1,336

341.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$285 SAR 1,070

327.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$703 SAR 2,639

285.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$495 SAR 1,856

297.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

$970 SAR 3,639

705.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

$795 SAR 2,983

562.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$2,237 SAR 8,396

6.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.33

-21.71%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 14, 2026

Last update for Qatif: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $356 in Qatif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 6% 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 $49.00 in Qatif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $175 per month, with Qatif 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 Qatif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Qatif differ by about 127% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $1,057 including rent). Qatif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 6% 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 $356 in Qatif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $401 in Qatif. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 84% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,057 in Qatif versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Qatif but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Qatif 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 Qatif 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 Qatif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.