Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sakakah Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sakakah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,137 in Sakakah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,769 in Sakakah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,400 in Sakakah.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 118% more expensive than in Sakakah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Sakakah is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$5.76 SAR 21.64

225.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$37.38 SAR 140

85.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$8.12 SAR 30.50

69.58%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 SAR 8.09

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 SAR 5.89

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.53 SAR 13.25

-12.18%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.70 SAR 2.64

304.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.31 SAR 1.18

506.45%

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

$1.72 SAR 6.47

-26.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.11 SAR 4.16

94.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.21 SAR 8.32

-20.36%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.35 SAR 8.83

118.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$7.58 SAR 28.47

135.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$7.88 SAR 29.59

22.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$12.71 SAR 47.75

58.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.19 SAR 8.23

48.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.69 SAR 6.34

31.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.60 SAR 6.02

62.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.68 SAR 6.32

64.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.13 SAR 4.23

95.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.32 SAR 4.96

60.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.14 SAR 4.30

35.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.56 SAR 2.10

69.64%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.77 SAR 10.39

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 SAR 6.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SAR 8.21

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$6.53 SAR 24.54

12.40%

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

$1.08 SAR 4.07

187.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$35.35 SAR 133

-26.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.96 SAR 11.10

10.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.78 SAR 6.68

-16.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$13.12 SAR 49.28

161.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.62 SAR 2.34

179.03%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$45.4K SAR 170.6K

-19.91%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$21.2K SAR 79.7K

43.97%

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

$187 €163

$102 SAR 383

83.23%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$32.65 SAR 123

-53.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$66.4 SAR 249

-43.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$83.6 SAR 314

-33.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$36.48 SAR 137

-53.18%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$13.47 SAR 50.6

-15.29%

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

$997 €869

$343 SAR 1,286

190.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$6,627 SAR 24.9K

149.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$50.6 SAR 190

82.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$58.3 SAR 219

-29.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$96.8 SAR 364

14.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$90.3 SAR 339

38.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$586 SAR 2,201

191.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$340 SAR 1,276

278.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$867 SAR 3,257

195.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$541 SAR 2,034

258.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$2,314 SAR 8,693

230.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,398 SAR 5,249

269.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$934 SAR 3,508

151.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.47

-42.23%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Sakakah: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $586 in Sakakah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 151% 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 $37.00 in Sakakah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $200 per month, with Sakakah 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 Sakakah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sakakah differ by about 118% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,137 including rent). Sakakah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 151% 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 $586 in Sakakah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $343 in Sakakah. 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 $1,137 in Sakakah versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sakakah but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sakakah 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 Sakakah 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 Sakakah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.