Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Umluj

For one person, living is cheaper in Umluj: $1,230 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Umluj, Saudi Arabia
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,443
/mo nomad
Umluj
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,230
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Umluj

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Umluj actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $1,230 in Umluj.

  • Barcelona $2,443
  • Umluj $1,230

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $1,824 in Umluj.

  • Barcelona $3,519
  • Umluj $1,824

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $2,418 in Umluj.

  • Barcelona $4,595
  • Umluj $2,418

Living in Barcelona is roughly 99% more expensive than in Umluj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Umluj is 9% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Umluj
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.66 €15.79
$6.59 SAR 24.75
167.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.3
$39.59 SAR 149
70.42%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.61 €12.17
$8.45 SAR 31.71
61.07%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.68 SAR 6.30
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.54 SAR 9.55
-
Cappuccino
$3.10 €2.77
$3.45 SAR 12.96
-10.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 €2.68
$0.83 SAR 3.12
261.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 €1.72
$0.27 SAR 1.03
614.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.84 €3.44
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36 €3.90
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Umluj
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 €1.11
$1.92 SAR 7.21
-34.90%
White Bread (500g)
$2.12 €1.90
$1.12 SAR 4.21
89.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$2.03 SAR 7.60
-2.96%
Eggs
$4.76 €4.26
$2.48 SAR 9.30
91.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.07 €15.26
$6.36 SAR 23.88
168.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.96 €8.01
$8.73 SAR 32.75
2.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.65 €18.46
$14.21 SAR 53.3
45.32%
Apples (1kg)
$3.16 €2.83
$2.30 SAR 8.62
37.39%
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.96 SAR 7.35
0.51%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 €2.37
$1.37 SAR 5.16
93.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.88 €2.58
$1.40 SAR 5.26
105.71%
Potato (1kg)
$2.06 €1.84
$1.08 SAR 4.04
90.74%
Onion (1kg)
$2.18 €1.95
$1.27 SAR 4.78
71.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.53 €1.37
$1.41 SAR 5.28
8.51%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 €0.87
$0.48 SAR 1.82
102.08%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$2.56 SAR 9.61
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.55 SAR 5.83
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.97 SAR 7.40
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.97 €6.23
$5.89 SAR 22.10
18.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.05
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 €1.27
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 €2.40
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Umluj
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.31 €2.96
$1.19 SAR 4.48
178.15%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.61 €22.90
$39.20 SAR 147
-34.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.08 €2.76
$2.96 SAR 11.11
4.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 €1.33
$1.57 SAR 5.90
-5.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.87 €29.40
$15.82 SAR 59.4
107.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.87 €1.67
$0.53 SAR 1.99
252.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.0K €29.5K
$33.3K SAR 125.1K
-1.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K €28.6K
$21.3K SAR 79.8K
50.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Umluj
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 €164
$95.4 SAR 358
91.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.24 €12.73
$35.71 SAR 134
-60.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.56 €30.91
$69.3 SAR 260
-50.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Umluj
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.4 €45.98
$80.5 SAR 302
-36.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.38 €14.65
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.06 €9.89
$13.83 SAR 51.9
-20.03%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Umluj
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$944 €844
$378 SAR 1,420
149.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.3K €19.9K
$11.6K SAR 43.4K
92.59%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Umluj
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.7 €78.4
$43.21 SAR 162
102.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.77 €34.67
$62.5 SAR 234
-37.94%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.5
$92.6 SAR 348
12.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 €105
$87.8 SAR 330
33.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Umluj
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,697 €1,517
$558 SAR 2,093
204.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,337 €1,195
$407 SAR 1,528
228.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,692 €2,407
$875 SAR 3,286
207.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,077 €1,857
$611 SAR 2,292
240.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,155 €6,398
$2,201 SAR 8,261
225.09%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,079 €4,542
$1,179 SAR 4,426
330.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Umluj
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,241 €2,004
$4,181 SAR 15.7K
-46.39%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.19
5.54
-42.42%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Umluj: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.3K
Umluj
$407 69.6% $930
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$328
Umluj
$207 36.9% $121
Eating Out
Barcelona
$267
Umluj
$124 53.6% $143
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$232
Umluj
$200 13.5% $31
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$157
Umluj
$129 17.9% $28
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Umluj
$108 47.1% $35
Getting Around
Barcelona
$49
Umluj
$55 11% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $558 in Umluj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umluj pays 87% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $40 in Umluj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $207 per month, with Umluj cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇸🇦 Umluj
🕒 Local time
04:26 4:26 AM
06:26 6:26 AM
2 h ahead of Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
37,757
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.894 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.2 SAR (1 SAR = 0.238 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Umluj 3,700 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Umluj

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Umluj?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $1,230 in Umluj, so Umluj is about 50% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 46% lower in Barcelona. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Umluj?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $558 in Umluj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Umluj?
Childcare runs $944 in Barcelona versus $378 in Umluj. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,230 in Umluj versus $2,443 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.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Umluj?
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.
Is Barcelona or Umluj safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Umluj are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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