Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tabuk Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tabuk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,244 in Tabuk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,848 in Tabuk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,453 in Tabuk.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 99% more expensive than in Tabuk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Tabuk is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.32

$7.55 SAR 28.33

148.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$32.11 SAR 121

116.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.99

$7.70 SAR 28.92

78.83%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 SAR 5.14

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.97

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.13 SAR 11.76

-0.96%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.72 SAR 2.72

293.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.26 SAR 0.97

623.08%

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

$1.98 SAR 7.44

-35.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.92 SAR 3.46

134.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.71 SAR 10.18

-35.06%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.82 SAR 10.60

81.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.58

$12.47 SAR 46.83

43.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$6.82 SAR 25.62

41.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.55

$13.20 SAR 49.57

52.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$1.95 SAR 7.31

66.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.66 SAR 6.24

34.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.74 SAR 6.53

49.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.24 SAR 8.40

23.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.75 SAR 6.57

26.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.06 SAR 7.72

2.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.92 SAR 7.21

-19.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.55 SAR 2.08

72.73%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.72 SAR 10.21

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 SAR 6.35

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 SAR 7.86

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$6.73 SAR 25.29

9.06%

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

$1.10 SAR 4.12

182.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.53

$35.75 SAR 134

-27.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.98 SAR 11.20

9.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.76 SAR 6.61

-15.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.86

$13.11 SAR 49.22

161.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.66 SAR 2.49

162.12%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$45.7K SAR 171.8K

-20.49%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$21.7K SAR 81.5K

40.80%

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

$187 €163

$101 SAR 379

85.47%

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

$15.14 €13.19

$36.18 SAR 136

-58.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.83

$76.6 SAR 288

-50.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.73

$84.8 SAR 319

-34.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

$37.50 SAR 141

-54.45%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.94

$13.26 SAR 49.78

-13.95%

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

$997 €868

$351 SAR 1,316

184.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$8,364 SAR 31.4K

97.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.7

$50.7 SAR 190

82.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.91

$57.1 SAR 214

-27.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$95.7 SAR 359

16.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$87.0 SAR 327

43.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,487

$337 SAR 1,267

406.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,120

$371 SAR 1,392

246.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,235

$631 SAR 2,368

306.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,692

$610 SAR 2,289

218.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,662

$2,335 SAR 8,768

227.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,501

$1,399 SAR 5,254

269.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,046

$1,697 SAR 6,372

38.41%

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 Tabuk: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $337 in Tabuk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 38% 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 $32.00 in Tabuk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $224 per month, with Tabuk 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 Tabuk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Tabuk differ by about 99% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,244 including rent). Tabuk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 38% 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 $337 in Tabuk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $351 in Tabuk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,244 in Tabuk versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tabuk but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Tabuk 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 Tabuk 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 Tabuk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.