Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Riyadh Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Riyadh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,734 in Riyadh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $2,582 in Riyadh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,429 in Riyadh.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 43% more expensive than in Riyadh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Riyadh 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$7.79 SAR 29.24

136.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$64.8 SAR 243

7.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$8.87 SAR 33.31

58.40%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 SAR 7.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 SAR 11.14

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$4.23 SAR 15.87

-26.48%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$0.85 SAR 3.19

248.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.32 SAR 1.22

509.38%

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

$1.68 SAR 6.32

-21.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.25 SAR 4.70

68.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.45 SAR 9.21

-25.31%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$3.19 SAR 11.98

61.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$9.69 SAR 36.38

81.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$9.95 SAR 37.36

-4.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$15.17 SAR 57.0

31.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$2.62 SAR 9.84

20.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.95 SAR 7.31

13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.36 SAR 8.87

10.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.73 SAR 6.51

64.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.20 SAR 4.50

80.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.43 SAR 5.37

47.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.71 SAR 6.43

-5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.59 SAR 2.21

49.15%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$7.75 SAR 29.11

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.93

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 SAR 9.29

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$7.51 SAR 28.19

-4.53%

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

$1.09 SAR 4.08

188.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$37.56 SAR 141

-30.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$3.28 SAR 12.33

-1.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.89 SAR 7.09

-20.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$13.13 SAR 49.32

168.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.59 SAR 2.23

196.61%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$35.9K SAR 134.7K

2.18%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$22.4K SAR 84.1K

41.44%

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

$187 €161

$97.0 SAR 364

92.93%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$32.37 SAR 122

-53.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$68.6 SAR 258

-45.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$89.7 SAR 337

-38.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$54.9 SAR 206

-69.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$13.29 SAR 49.89

-11.89%

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

$1,011 €871

$533 SAR 2,000

89.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$11.3K SAR 42.6K

50.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$58.9 SAR 221

55.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$56.1 SAR 211

-26.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$106 SAR 398

4.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$104 SAR 392

20.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$1,174 SAR 4,408

45.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$830 SAR 3,117

56.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$2,205 SAR 8,280

17.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$1,223 SAR 4,595

57.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$2,935 SAR 11.0K

163.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$1,962 SAR 7,367

174.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$2,052 SAR 7,705

15.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.54

-42.96%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $1,174 in Riyadh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 16% 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 $65.0 in Riyadh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $240 per month, with Riyadh 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 Riyadh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Riyadh differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,734 including rent). Riyadh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 16% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $1,174 in Riyadh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $533 in Riyadh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,734 in Riyadh versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Riyadh but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Riyadh 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 Riyadh 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 Riyadh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.