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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $922 in Taif.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,467 in Taif.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,011 in Taif.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 157% more expensive than Taif, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Taif is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$5.25 SAR 19.69

234.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$40.17 SAR 151

70.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$6.71 SAR 25.18

109.54%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 SAR 7.72

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.92 SAR 10.96

-4.79%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.72 SAR 2.70

288.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.26 SAR 0.97

692.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.37 SAR 5.14

-9.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.26 SAR 0.96

680.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.36 SAR 8.88

-18.64%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.56 SAR 9.61

29.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$7.38 SAR 27.70

149.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$5.99 SAR 22.49

58.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$10.73 SAR 40.25

78.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.28 SAR 8.55

15.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.59 SAR 5.96

54.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.02 SAR 7.59

4.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.92 SAR 7.19

48.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.46 SAR 5.48

39.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.56 SAR 5.87

18.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.85 SAR 3.19

72.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.97 SAR 3.65

-13.40%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.88 SAR 10.81

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 SAR 7.20

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 SAR 6.14

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$6.55 SAR 24.56

9.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$1.08 SAR 4.07

175.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$40.19 SAR 151

-27.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$2.72 SAR 10.21

69.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.04 SAR 7.67

1.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$13.18 SAR 49.45

121.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.60 SAR 2.26

206.67%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$19.7K SAR 74.0K

97.82%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$20.0K SAR 75.0K

63.61%

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

$188 €162

$73.2 SAR 275

156.55%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$28.41 SAR 107

-19.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$88.5 SAR 332

-58.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$76.0 SAR 285

-24.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$37.04 SAR 139

-44.11%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$17.58 SAR 66.0

-36.35%

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

$721 €620

$264 SAR 991

172.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$5,548 SAR 20.8K

171.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$38.85 SAR 146

121.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$42.12 SAR 158

-11.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$79.9 SAR 300

27.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$46.88 SAR 176

147.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$214 SAR 804

615.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$173 SAR 649

605.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$433 SAR 1,626

522.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$349 SAR 1,309

477.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$2,130 SAR 7,993

239.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$1,248 SAR 4,685

315.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$2,031 SAR 7,622

16.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.6

-26.30%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Taif: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $214 in Taif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 16% 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 $40.00 in Taif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $181 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 157% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $922 including rent). Taif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 16% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $214 in Taif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $264 in Taif. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $922 in Taif versus $2,367 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 157% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.