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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,192 in Sakakah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,646 in Sakakah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,100 in Sakakah.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 97% more expensive than Sakakah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Sakakah is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$5.98 SAR 22.41

194.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$45.23 SAR 170

51.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$7.98 SAR 29.92

72.31%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 SAR 7.77

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$3.62 SAR 13.57

-23.76%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.65 SAR 2.43

327.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.34 SAR 1.28

502.94%

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

$1.69 SAR 6.36

-24.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.96 SAR 3.58

119.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.29 SAR 8.58

-13.97%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.50 SAR 9.38

37.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$6.82 SAR 25.59

176.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$7.51 SAR 28.18

25.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$13.00 SAR 48.76

46.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.18 SAR 8.18

24.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.60 SAR 5.98

48.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.67 SAR 6.27

24.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.61 SAR 6.04

71.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.30 SAR 4.87

51.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.33 SAR 4.99

34.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.18 SAR 4.43

27.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.54 SAR 2.03

66.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.64 SAR 9.89

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.67

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 SAR 7.57

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$7.21 SAR 27.03

-6.24%

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

$1.06 SAR 3.97

185.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$40.48 SAR 152

-29.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$2.62 SAR 9.84

69.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.85 SAR 6.93

10.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$13.21 SAR 49.52

122.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$0.58 SAR 2.16

225.86%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$26.3K SAR 98.8K

47.09%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$22.5K SAR 84.4K

43.82%

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

$189 €161

$107 SAR 401

76.24%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$33.51 SAR 126

-33.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$71.6 SAR 268

-48.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$59.1 SAR 222

-1.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$36.11 SAR 135

-41.87%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$15.56 SAR 58.3

-28.98%

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

$726 €622

$352 SAR 1,320

106.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$6,865 SAR 25.7K

121.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$59.7 SAR 224

47.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$61.3 SAR 230

-39.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$78.2 SAR 293

31.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$82.1 SAR 308

45.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$223 SAR 835

585.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$383 SAR 1,437

217.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$341 SAR 1,278

719.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$300 SAR 1,126

574.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$2,346 SAR 8,796

202.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,535 SAR 5,755

216.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$928 SAR 3,480

159.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.42

-23.30%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Sakakah: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $223 in Sakakah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 159% 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 $45.00 in Sakakah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $196 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 97% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,192 including rent). Sakakah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 159% more on average, 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $223 in Sakakah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $352 in Sakakah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,192 in Sakakah versus $2,341 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 97% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.