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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,237 in Umluj.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,848 in Umluj.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,460 in Umluj.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 89% more expensive than Umluj, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Umluj is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$6.58 SAR 24.68

167.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$45.36 SAR 170

51.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$8.21 SAR 30.78

67.48%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 SAR 6.60

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 SAR 6.71

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$3.75 SAR 14.08

-26.40%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.80 SAR 2.99

247.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.31 SAR 1.18

561.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.70 SAR 6.37

-24.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.95 SAR 3.55

122.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.36 SAR 8.86

-16.53%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.48 SAR 9.31

38.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$6.76 SAR 25.35

178.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$7.32 SAR 27.44

29.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$13.24 SAR 49.64

43.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.27 SAR 8.51

19.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.62 SAR 6.08

46.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.67 SAR 6.28

24.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.61 SAR 6.03

71.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.28 SAR 4.81

53.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.28 SAR 4.81

39.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.17 SAR 4.40

29.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.55 SAR 2.07

63.64%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.22 SAR 12.07

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 SAR 6.36

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.87

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$7.13 SAR 26.75

-5.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$1.06 SAR 3.97

185.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$39.24 SAR 147

-27.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$2.69 SAR 10.10

64.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.90 SAR 7.13

7.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$13.40 SAR 50.3

118.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$0.60 SAR 2.24

215.00%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$26.3K SAR 98.7K

47.26%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$22.7K SAR 85.1K

42.59%

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

$189 €161

$106 SAR 398

77.55%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$33.78 SAR 127

-34.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$72.8 SAR 273

-49.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$88.6 SAR 332

-34.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$36.32 SAR 136

-42.21%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$15.81 SAR 59.3

-30.11%

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

$726 €622

$350 SAR 1,312

107.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$6,866 SAR 25.7K

121.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$58.5 SAR 219

51.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$59.9 SAR 225

-38.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$80.6 SAR 302

27.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$81.3 SAR 305

46.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$440 SAR 1,649

247.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$388 SAR 1,456

213.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$861 SAR 3,229

224.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$633 SAR 2,372

220.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$2,328 SAR 8,731

204.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,358 SAR 5,093

257.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$4,303 SAR 16.1K

-44.12%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Umluj: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $440 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 $45.00 in Umluj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $196 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 89% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,237 including rent). Umluj is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Umluj earns 79% less. 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $440 in Umluj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $350 in Umluj. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,237 in Umluj versus $2,341 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 89% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.