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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $916 in Taif.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,470 in Taif.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,023 in Taif.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 153% more expensive than in Taif, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Taif is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$5.30 SAR 19.91

233.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$40.54 SAR 152

71.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$6.80 SAR 25.53

108.24%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 SAR 7.35

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 SAR 5.95

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.94 SAR 11.04

-4.76%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.77 SAR 2.91

264.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.28 SAR 1.06

635.71%

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

$1.36 SAR 5.10

-9.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.28 SAR 1.05

625.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.29 SAR 8.59

-13.54%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.58 SAR 9.70

35.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$7.26 SAR 27.28

152.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$6.23 SAR 23.38

57.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$10.61 SAR 39.86

80.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.28 SAR 8.57

19.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.62 SAR 6.09

46.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.98 SAR 7.45

5.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.83 SAR 6.88

50.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.44 SAR 5.40

36.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.62 SAR 6.07

10.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.93 SAR 3.48

59.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.03 SAR 3.87

-11.65%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.87 SAR 10.79

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 SAR 7.23

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 SAR 6.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$6.73 SAR 25.26

5.94%

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

$1.09 SAR 4.08

176.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$39.58 SAR 149

-25.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$2.62 SAR 9.85

66.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.02 SAR 7.58

5.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$13.06 SAR 49.03

126.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$0.63 SAR 2.37

188.89%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$20.0K SAR 75.0K

89.58%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$20.6K SAR 77.2K

57.47%

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

$189 €166

$75.3 SAR 283

151.17%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$28.59 SAR 107

-22.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$85.9 SAR 323

-56.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$76.7 SAR 288

-24.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$37.83 SAR 142

-45.39%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$17.16 SAR 64.4

-36.66%

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

$706 €618

$263 SAR 986

168.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$5,622 SAR 21.1K

164.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$39.70 SAR 149

125.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$41.96 SAR 158

-12.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$77.7 SAR 292

33.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$47.39 SAR 178

151.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$215 SAR 808

633.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$172 SAR 644

621.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$437 SAR 1,642

520.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$347 SAR 1,301

488.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$2,332 SAR 8,755

222.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,352 SAR 5,076

287.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,814 SAR 6,811

30.32%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Taif: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $215 in Taif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 30% 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 $41.00 in Taif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $182 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 153% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $916 including rent). Taif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 30% 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 $215 in Taif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $263 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 $916 in Taif versus $2,320 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 153% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.