Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Umluj Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Umluj

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,168 in Umluj.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,752 in Umluj.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,336 in Umluj.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 112% more expensive than in Umluj, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Umluj is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.31

$6.71 SAR 25.22

179.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$36.73 SAR 138

89.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.98

$8.07 SAR 30.30

70.63%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 SAR 6.94

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 SAR 7.87

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.48 SAR 13.06

-10.92%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.90 SAR 3.38

214.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.26 SAR 0.98

623.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.94

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.67 SAR 6.26

-23.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.16 SAR 4.34

86.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.16 SAR 8.11

-18.52%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.46

$2.39 SAR 8.97

114.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.56

$7.34 SAR 27.58

143.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.40

$7.99 SAR 30.01

20.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.54

$12.98 SAR 48.77

55.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$2.08 SAR 7.82

56.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.71 SAR 6.40

30.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$1.57 SAR 5.89

65.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.63 SAR 6.14

69.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$1.14 SAR 4.28

93.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.30 SAR 4.88

63.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.14 SAR 4.27

35.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.55 SAR 2.06

72.73%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.87 SAR 10.80

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 SAR 6.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.81

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.39

$6.47 SAR 24.30

13.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.00

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.34

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.70

$1.05 SAR 3.96

196.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.51

$35.76 SAR 134

-27.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.96 SAR 11.14

10.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.83 SAR 6.86

-19.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.83

$13.29 SAR 49.91

157.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$0.65 SAR 2.44

166.15%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$45.8K SAR 172.1K

-20.63%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$21.7K SAR 81.5K

40.81%

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

$187 €163

$98.6 SAR 371

89.66%

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

$15.14 €13.18

$32.02 SAR 120

-52.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.80

$68.1 SAR 256

-44.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.69

$84.1 SAR 316

-33.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.87

$37.21 SAR 140

-54.10%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.93

$13.07 SAR 49.10

-12.70%

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

$997 €867

$341 SAR 1,279

192.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$6,614 SAR 24.8K

149.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.6

$49.91 SAR 187

85.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.88

$58.3 SAR 219

-29.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.8

$97.0 SAR 364

14.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$87.9 SAR 330

42.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,486

$588 SAR 2,210

190.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,119

$349 SAR 1,311

268.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,233

$883 SAR 3,315

190.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,690

$553 SAR 2,078

251.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,656

$2,391 SAR 8,982

219.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,497

$1,395 SAR 5,240

270.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,044

$4,205 SAR 15.8K

-44.15%

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 Umluj: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $588 in Umluj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umluj pays 79% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $37.00 in Umluj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $200 per month, with Umluj 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 Umluj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Umluj differ by about 112% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,168 including rent). Umluj is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 79% lower in Umluj. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $588 in Umluj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $341 in Umluj. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,168 in Umluj versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Umluj but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Umluj 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 Umluj 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 Umluj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 112% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.