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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,080 in Qatif.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,638 in Qatif.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,196 in Qatif.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Qatif is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$3.56 SAR 13.38

426.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$35.17 SAR 132

97.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$6.67 SAR 25.07

106.45%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 SAR 7.10

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 SAR 8.27

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.95 SAR 11.07

5.08%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.73 SAR 2.73

287.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.15 SAR 0.58

1153.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.76 SAR 6.61

-27.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.94 SAR 3.53

129.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.95 SAR 7.31

-9.74%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.11 SAR 7.93

143.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$5.70 SAR 21.42

213.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$7.80 SAR 29.31

23.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$12.98 SAR 48.76

55.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.18 SAR 8.20

49.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.72 SAR 6.45

29.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.59 SAR 5.96

63.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$0.64 SAR 2.39

331.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.12 SAR 4.21

97.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.10 SAR 4.12

92.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.91 SAR 3.41

70.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.50 SAR 1.89

90.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.63 SAR 9.87

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 SAR 5.61

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 SAR 8.14

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$6.62 SAR 24.85

10.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.04 SAR 3.91

199.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$36.12 SAR 136

-28.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.36 SAR 8.86

38.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.51 SAR 1.92

190.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$13.10 SAR 49.20

161.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.61 SAR 2.30

183.61%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$35.8K SAR 134.6K

1.48%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$20.8K SAR 78.2K

46.69%

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

$187 €163

$103 SAR 388

81.19%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$33.42 SAR 126

-54.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$58.3 SAR 219

-35.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$82.7 SAR 311

-32.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$37.55 SAR 141

-54.51%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$13.21 SAR 49.60

-13.63%

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

$997 €869

$270 SAR 1,015

268.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$7,795 SAR 29.3K

112.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$31.48 SAR 118

194.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$20.90 SAR 78.5

97.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$94.6 SAR 355

17.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$90.4 SAR 340

38.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$574 SAR 2,157

197.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$346 SAR 1,298

272.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$873 SAR 3,281

193.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$547 SAR 2,055

254.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$951 SAR 3,573

703.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$783 SAR 2,942

559.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$2,249 SAR 8,448

4.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.5

-42.55%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Qatif: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $574 in Qatif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 4% 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 $35.00 in Qatif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $184 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 129% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,080 including rent). Qatif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 4% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $574 in Qatif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $270 in Qatif. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,080 in Qatif versus $2,476 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 129% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.