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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,055 in Qatif.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,678 in Qatif.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,301 in Qatif.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 122% more expensive than Qatif, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Qatif is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.04

$3.39 SAR 12.71

419.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.7

$48.21 SAR 181

42.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.74

$8.10 SAR 30.38

69.75%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 SAR 7.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 SAR 6.89

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$3.53 SAR 13.23

-21.81%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.77 SAR 2.89

261.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.26 SAR 0.97

688.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.93

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.92

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.65 SAR 6.18

-22.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.80

$0.80 SAR 3.01

163.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$2.10 SAR 7.89

-6.19%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.94

$2.33 SAR 8.73

47.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.08

$6.20 SAR 23.26

203.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.07

$7.16 SAR 26.83

31.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.24

$10.02 SAR 37.58

89.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.32

$2.14 SAR 8.01

27.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.54 SAR 5.76

53.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.77

$1.44 SAR 5.38

44.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$0.72 SAR 2.68

283.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.28 SAR 4.78

53.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.33 SAR 4.99

34.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.11 SAR 4.15

36.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.51 SAR 1.90

76.47%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.60 SAR 9.73

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 SAR 5.87

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 SAR 7.48

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.77

$7.51 SAR 28.17

-9.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.44

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

$1.09 SAR 4.08

177.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.25

$39.91 SAR 150

-28.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$3.12 SAR 11.71

41.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.57 SAR 5.88

30.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.05

$13.41 SAR 50.3

118.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$0.63 SAR 2.37

200.00%

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

$38.7K €33.1K

$22.5K SAR 84.3K

72.37%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$19.6K SAR 73.5K

65.04%

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

$189 €161

$103 SAR 387

82.65%

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

$22.21 €18.96

$37.05 SAR 139

-40.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.44

$58.9 SAR 221

-37.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.52

$95.3 SAR 357

-39.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.93

$57.2 SAR 214

-63.30%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.44

$15.22 SAR 57.1

-27.40%

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

$726 €620

$392 SAR 1,470

85.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$8,106 SAR 30.4K

87.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.4

$52.4 SAR 196

68.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.58

$50.8 SAR 190

-27.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.6

$91.5 SAR 343

12.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$85.4 SAR 320

39.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,304

$356 SAR 1,333

329.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,040

$282 SAR 1,058

331.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,386

$710 SAR 2,661

293.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,731

$495 SAR 1,855

309.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,058

$943 SAR 3,537

652.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,141

$776 SAR 2,910

524.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,053

$1,869 SAR 7,009

28.63%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Qatif: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $356 in Qatif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 29% 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 $48.00 in Qatif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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 122% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,055 including rent). Qatif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 29% 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 $356 in Qatif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $392 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 $1,055 in Qatif versus $2,341 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 122% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.