Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Rabigh Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Rabigh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,090 in Rabigh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,731 in Rabigh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,372 in Rabigh.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 128% more expensive than in Rabigh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$6.63 SAR 24.91

177.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$54.0 SAR 203

28.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$8.49 SAR 31.87

65.49%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 SAR 9.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 SAR 9.72

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$3.70 SAR 13.91

-15.95%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$1.04 SAR 3.89

184.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.24 SAR 0.90

712.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.75 SAR 6.57

-24.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.28 SAR 4.80

64.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.23 SAR 8.38

-17.94%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$2.40 SAR 9.01

115.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$6.27 SAR 23.56

180.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$8.03 SAR 30.15

18.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$13.15 SAR 49.40

51.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$2.03 SAR 7.63

56.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.69 SAR 6.33

30.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.57 SAR 5.90

66.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.62 SAR 6.10

75.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.12 SAR 4.21

93.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.34 SAR 5.04

57.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.07 SAR 4.02

51.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.50 SAR 1.89

76.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.21 SAR 15.82

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.95

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 SAR 9.78

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$6.52 SAR 24.48

9.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$1.00 SAR 3.77

214.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$30.97 SAR 116

-15.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$3.16 SAR 11.86

1.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.69 SAR 6.34

-10.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$13.67 SAR 51.4

157.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.64 SAR 2.40

173.44%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$48.0K SAR 180.2K

-23.59%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$21.8K SAR 81.8K

45.36%

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

$187 €161

$100 SAR 376

86.97%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$38.76 SAR 146

-61.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$67.2 SAR 252

-44.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$79.9 SAR 300

-30.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$32.10 SAR 121

-47.85%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$12.12 SAR 45.50

-3.38%

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

$1,011 €871

$730 SAR 2,740

38.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$16.2K SAR 60.7K

5.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$68.9 SAR 259

32.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$59.1 SAR 222

-30.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$96.8 SAR 364

14.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$98.1 SAR 368

28.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$327 SAR 1,227

421.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$240 SAR 902

440.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$609 SAR 2,287

325.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$424 SAR 1,592

355.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$2,584 SAR 9,704

199.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$1,180 SAR 4,430

356.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.39

-41.37%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Rabigh: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $327 in Rabigh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $54.0 in Rabigh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $198 per month, with Rabigh 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 Rabigh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Rabigh differ by about 128% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,090 including rent). Rabigh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,724 in Barcelona and $1,635 in Rabigh to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $327 in Rabigh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $730 in Rabigh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,090 in Rabigh versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Rabigh but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Rabigh 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 Rabigh 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 Rabigh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.