Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Taif Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Taif

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,141 in Taif.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,606 in Taif.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,070 in Taif.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 118% more expensive than in Taif, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Taif is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$4.80 SAR 18.02

283.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$37.99 SAR 143

82.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$6.72 SAR 25.25

109.08%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 SAR 7.06

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.95

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$2.90 SAR 10.89

7.24%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$0.66 SAR 2.46

348.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.21 SAR 0.79

828.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.44 SAR 5.40

-8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.28 SAR 1.06

653.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.42 SAR 9.07

-24.38%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$2.54 SAR 9.54

103.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$7.07 SAR 26.55

148.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$6.44 SAR 24.17

47.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$10.69 SAR 40.16

86.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$2.27 SAR 8.53

39.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.74 SAR 6.55

27.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.77 SAR 6.65

47.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.83 SAR 6.88

55.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.53 SAR 5.76

41.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.66 SAR 6.25

27.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.81 SAR 3.04

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.96 SAR 3.60

-8.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.77 SAR 10.39

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.87

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 SAR 5.59

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$6.55 SAR 24.60

9.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$1.09 SAR 4.09

188.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$35.74 SAR 134

-26.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$1.30 SAR 4.87

147.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$2.62 SAR 9.84

-42.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$13.45 SAR 50.5

162.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.61 SAR 2.28

186.89%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$45.9K SAR 172.5K

-20.17%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$18.4K SAR 69.2K

71.90%

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

$187 €161

$111 SAR 416

68.85%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$28.07 SAR 105

-46.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$88.0 SAR 330

-57.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$121 SAR 456

-54.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$30.91 SAR 116

-45.84%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$17.57 SAR 66.0

-33.35%

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

$1,011 €871

$244 SAR 915

315.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$4,392 SAR 16.5K

288.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$20.49 SAR 77.0

345.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$58.5 SAR 220

-29.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$94.6 SAR 355

16.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$46.62 SAR 175

170.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$1,204 SAR 4,523

41.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$341 SAR 1,281

280.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$870 SAR 3,267

197.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$337 SAR 1,264

472.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$2,402 SAR 9,022

221.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$1,363 SAR 5,119

294.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$1,801 SAR 6,763

31.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.6

-12.22%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Taif: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $1,204 in Taif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 32% 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 $38.00 in Taif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $183 per month, with Taif 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 Taif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Taif differ by about 118% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,141 including rent). Taif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 32% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $1,204 in Taif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $244 in Taif. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,141 in Taif versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taif but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Taif 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 Taif 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 Taif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.