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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,163 in Rabigh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,703 in Rabigh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,243 in Rabigh.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 101% more expensive than Rabigh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Rabigh is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$4.10 SAR 15.36

329.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$20.94 SAR 78.5

228.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$7.16 SAR 26.84

92.04%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.35 SAR 5.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 SAR 3.10

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.47 SAR 9.26

11.74%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.69 SAR 2.57

302.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.12 SAR 0.46

1608.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.37 SAR 5.13

-6.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.28 SAR 1.06

653.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.31 SAR 8.65

-14.72%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.21 SAR 8.29

55.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$5.49 SAR 20.57

242.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$4.83 SAR 18.11

95.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$12.63 SAR 47.36

50.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.16 SAR 8.12

25.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.58 SAR 5.91

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.62 SAR 6.08

28.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.30 SAR 4.88

112.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.32 SAR 4.96

49.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.24 SAR 4.65

44.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.06 SAR 3.96

42.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.60 SAR 2.23

50.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.08 SAR 15.29

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 SAR 7.29

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 SAR 9.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$2.60 SAR 9.75

160.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

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

$1.10 SAR 4.11

175.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$39.46 SAR 148

-28.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$3.19 SAR 11.96

38.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.90 SAR 7.12

7.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$15.28 SAR 57.3

91.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$0.63 SAR 2.37

200.00%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$26.4K SAR 99.1K

46.59%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$21.7K SAR 81.3K

49.24%

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

$189 €161

$104 SAR 392

80.62%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$31.74 SAR 119

-30.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$69.4 SAR 260

-46.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$89.3 SAR 335

-35.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$35.21 SAR 132

-40.39%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$13.26 SAR 49.72

-16.67%

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

$726 €622

$408 SAR 1,531

77.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$6,568 SAR 24.6K

131.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$63.9 SAR 240

38.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$57.7 SAR 216

-35.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$95.2 SAR 357

7.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$82.3 SAR 309

44.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$278 SAR 1,041

449.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$383 SAR 1,437

217.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$531 SAR 1,990

426.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$626 SAR 2,347

223.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$2,387 SAR 8,952

197.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,325 SAR 4,969

265.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.5

-24.67%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Rabigh: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $278 in Rabigh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $21.00 in Rabigh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $164 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 101% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,163 including rent). Rabigh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,512 in Barcelona and $1,745 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $278 in Rabigh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $408 in Rabigh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 95% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,163 in Rabigh versus $2,341 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 101% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.