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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,159 in Sakakah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,646 in Sakakah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,134 in Sakakah.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 104% more expensive than in Sakakah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Sakakah is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$5.82 SAR 21.87

194.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$45.09 SAR 169

50.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$7.89 SAR 29.64

72.88%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 SAR 8.12

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 SAR 6.07

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.67 SAR 13.78

-24.25%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.65 SAR 2.44

333.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.32 SAR 1.18

512.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.66 SAR 6.23

-23.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.93 SAR 3.48

129.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.38 SAR 8.94

-16.39%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.40 SAR 9.01

40.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$7.02 SAR 26.35

170.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$7.57 SAR 28.42

25.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$12.80 SAR 48.06

46.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.19 SAR 8.24

21.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.57 SAR 5.91

49.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.70 SAR 6.38

22.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.64 SAR 6.14

66.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.24 SAR 4.65

58.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.33 SAR 4.98

36.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.19 SAR 4.46

26.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.54 SAR 2.04

64.81%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.18 SAR 11.95

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 SAR 6.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.82

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$7.09 SAR 26.61

-4.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.04 SAR 3.91

179.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$40.00 SAR 150

-28.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$2.59 SAR 9.72

76.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.92 SAR 7.23

6.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$13.22 SAR 49.64

117.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$0.61 SAR 2.30

198.36%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$26.9K SAR 101.2K

45.90%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$22.4K SAR 84.2K

44.87%

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

$187 €162

$104 SAR 391

79.33%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$34.12 SAR 128

-34.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$73.1 SAR 275

-50.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$59.7 SAR 224

-3.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$35.17 SAR 132

-41.03%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$15.58 SAR 58.5

-30.87%

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

$725 €628

$359 SAR 1,347

102.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$6,946 SAR 26.1K

118.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$59.0 SAR 222

48.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$59.7 SAR 224

-38.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$80.7 SAR 303

28.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$81.6 SAR 307

45.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$226 SAR 850

573.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$377 SAR 1,416

225.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$344 SAR 1,293

692.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$308 SAR 1,156

544.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$2,298 SAR 8,629

225.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,294 SAR 4,859

305.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$922 SAR 3,464

159.40%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sakakah: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $226 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $45.00 in Sakakah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $195 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 104% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,159 including rent). Sakakah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 159% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $226 in Sakakah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $359 in Sakakah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,159 in Sakakah versus $2,359 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 104% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.