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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,311 in Tabuk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,991 in Tabuk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,672 in Tabuk.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 77% more expensive than in Tabuk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Tabuk is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$8.51 SAR 31.96

107.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$27.73 SAR 104

151.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$7.36 SAR 27.65

92.39%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 SAR 5.84

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 SAR 6.92

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.05 SAR 11.44

-8.20%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.75 SAR 2.80

274.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.26 SAR 0.97

692.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.91 SAR 7.17

-35.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.56 SAR 2.09

262.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.71 SAR 10.17

-26.94%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.62 SAR 9.85

33.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$12.54 SAR 47.08

46.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$6.59 SAR 24.75

49.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$13.09 SAR 49.14

46.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.00 SAR 7.52

36.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.61 SAR 6.04

47.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.79 SAR 6.74

16.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.13 SAR 8.00

29.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.70 SAR 6.40

15.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.09 SAR 7.84

-14.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.94 SAR 7.27

-23.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.62 SAR 2.32

46.77%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.86 SAR 10.74

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.82

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$7.63 SAR 28.65

-6.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.08 SAR 4.07

178.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$39.43 SAR 148

-25.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$2.70 SAR 10.14

61.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.82 SAR 6.82

17.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$13.49 SAR 50.6

119.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$0.65 SAR 2.45

180.00%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$26.7K SAR 100.4K

41.73%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$22.4K SAR 84.2K

44.32%

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

$189 €166

$161 SAR 604

17.58%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$37.11 SAR 139

-39.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$104 SAR 391

-64.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$88.5 SAR 332

-34.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$35.85 SAR 135

-42.37%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$25.80 SAR 96.9

-57.87%

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

$706 €618

$352 SAR 1,321

100.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$8,390 SAR 31.5K

77.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$58.9 SAR 221

51.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$59.2 SAR 222

-38.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$78.5 SAR 295

32.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$82.4 SAR 309

44.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$336 SAR 1,263

369.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$366 SAR 1,375

238.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$812 SAR 3,049

233.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$737 SAR 2,769

176.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$2,566 SAR 9,636

193.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,533 SAR 5,755

241.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,762 SAR 6,616

34.15%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Tabuk: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $336 in Tabuk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 34% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $28.00 in Tabuk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $218 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 77% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,311 including rent). Tabuk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 34% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $336 in Tabuk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $352 in Tabuk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,311 in Tabuk versus $2,320 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 77% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.