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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,087 in Qatif.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,707 in Qatif.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,328 in Qatif.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 117% more expensive than in Qatif, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Qatif is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.88

$3.44 SAR 12.94

398.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.0

$47.42 SAR 178

43.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.84

$8.05 SAR 30.22

69.44%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 SAR 6.97

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.83

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.66 SAR 13.73

-24.04%

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

$2.82 €2.45

$0.77 SAR 2.91

266.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.26 SAR 0.97

653.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.65 SAR 6.20

-23.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.81 SAR 3.04

162.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.03 SAR 7.64

-1.97%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.32 SAR 8.73

45.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.45

$6.03 SAR 22.64

214.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.27

$7.38 SAR 27.72

29.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.25

$9.67 SAR 36.30

93.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.30

$2.12 SAR 7.95

25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.48 SAR 5.56

58.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.44 SAR 5.42

45.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$0.75 SAR 2.83

264.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.26 SAR 4.74

55.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.57

$1.35 SAR 5.05

34.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.10 SAR 4.13

37.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$0.55 SAR 2.08

61.82%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.73 SAR 10.27

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 SAR 5.93

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 SAR 7.58

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.88

$7.68 SAR 28.83

-11.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.87

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.10 SAR 4.14

164.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.86

$39.26 SAR 147

-27.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.97

$3.12 SAR 11.72

46.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.63 SAR 6.13

25.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.91

$13.22 SAR 49.64

117.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$0.65 SAR 2.43

180.00%

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

$39.3K €34.1K

$22.6K SAR 84.8K

74.21%

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

$32.5K €28.2K

$19.7K SAR 73.8K

65.23%

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

$187 €162

$104 SAR 392

78.95%

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

$22.29 €19.34

$37.20 SAR 140

-40.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.55

$59.6 SAR 224

-38.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.91

$94.2 SAR 354

-38.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.99

$56.9 SAR 214

-63.54%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.34

$15.36 SAR 57.7

-29.88%

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

$725 €629

$405 SAR 1,521

78.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$8,110 SAR 30.5K

86.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.2

$51.3 SAR 192

71.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.93

$50.9 SAR 191

-27.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.7

$91.5 SAR 343

13.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$85.8 SAR 322

38.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,322

$360 SAR 1,351

323.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,064

$281 SAR 1,054

336.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,366

$717 SAR 2,693

280.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,721

$486 SAR 1,826

307.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,479

$949 SAR 3,563

687.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,549

$796 SAR 2,990

558.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,076

$2,248 SAR 8,440

6.46%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Qatif: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $360 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $47.00 in Qatif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $173 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 117% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,087 including rent). Qatif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 6% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $360 in Qatif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $405 in Qatif. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,087 in Qatif versus $2,359 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 117% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.