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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,197 in Sakakah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,662 in Sakakah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,128 in Sakakah.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 95% more expensive than Sakakah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Sakakah is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$6.02 SAR 22.58

183.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$44.16 SAR 166

56.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$7.81 SAR 29.31

76.44%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 SAR 7.79

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 SAR 5.89

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$3.55 SAR 13.33

-22.25%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.64 SAR 2.40

335.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.34 SAR 1.28

485.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.66 SAR 6.21

-22.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.01 SAR 3.80

102.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.40 SAR 9.00

-17.08%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.45 SAR 9.19

38.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$6.68 SAR 25.08

181.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$7.55 SAR 28.33

23.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$13.22 SAR 49.59

44.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.17 SAR 8.15

24.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.62 SAR 6.08

44.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.74 SAR 6.53

21.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.56 SAR 5.84

82.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.28 SAR 4.80

53.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.28 SAR 4.79

40.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.24 SAR 4.67

16.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.55 SAR 2.07

56.36%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.64 SAR 9.89

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.89

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$6.81 SAR 25.55

-0.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$1.09 SAR 4.09

167.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$39.20 SAR 147

-26.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.67 SAR 10.03

67.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.92 SAR 7.19

6.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$13.16 SAR 49.39

124.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$0.57 SAR 2.15

219.30%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$26.7K SAR 100.1K

45.59%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$22.5K SAR 84.4K

47.20%

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

$189 €163

$105 SAR 393

80.48%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$33.95 SAR 127

-32.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$72.6 SAR 272

-48.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$59.7 SAR 224

-3.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$34.94 SAR 131

-40.64%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$15.79 SAR 59.3

-31.48%

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

$728 €628

$355 SAR 1,332

105.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$7,103 SAR 26.7K

107.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$58.7 SAR 220

51.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$60.3 SAR 226

-38.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$78.0 SAR 293

30.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$82.3 SAR 309

41.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$222 SAR 835

605.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$377 SAR 1,414

223.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$342 SAR 1,285

716.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$310 SAR 1,163

537.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$2,343 SAR 8,794

230.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$1,358 SAR 5,097

281.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$931 SAR 3,495

151.57%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sakakah: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $222 in Sakakah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 152% 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 $44.00 in Sakakah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $197 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 95% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,197 including rent). Sakakah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 152% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $222 in Sakakah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $355 in Sakakah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,197 in Sakakah versus $2,337 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 95% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.