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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,203 in Umluj.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,846 in Umluj.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,489 in Umluj.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 96% more expensive than in Umluj, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Umluj is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$6.57 SAR 24.67

161.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$44.50 SAR 167

52.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$7.94 SAR 29.83

71.79%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 SAR 6.36

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.85

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.74 SAR 14.03

-25.67%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.80 SAR 3.00

252.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.29 SAR 1.07

575.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.71 SAR 6.41

-25.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.94 SAR 3.51

126.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.28 SAR 8.56

-12.72%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.44 SAR 9.16

38.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$6.84 SAR 25.67

177.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$7.63 SAR 28.65

24.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$12.88 SAR 48.37

45.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.25 SAR 8.46

17.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.65 SAR 6.21

42.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.72 SAR 6.47

21.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.55 SAR 5.81

76.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.25 SAR 4.69

56.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.28 SAR 4.81

41.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.19 SAR 4.49

26.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.56 SAR 2.10

58.93%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.73 SAR 10.24

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.44

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 SAR 7.51

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$7.06 SAR 26.51

-3.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.08 SAR 4.06

169.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$40.31 SAR 151

-28.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$2.69 SAR 10.11

70.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.88 SAR 7.07

8.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$13.34 SAR 50.1

115.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$0.65 SAR 2.44

180.00%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$26.5K SAR 99.4K

48.49%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$21.9K SAR 82.4K

48.00%

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

$187 €162

$107 SAR 402

74.52%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$34.12 SAR 128

-34.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$71.5 SAR 269

-49.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$87.1 SAR 327

-33.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$36.17 SAR 136

-42.66%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$15.56 SAR 58.4

-30.78%

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

$725 €628

$353 SAR 1,324

105.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$6,914 SAR 26.0K

119.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$60.0 SAR 225

46.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$59.7 SAR 224

-38.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$79.9 SAR 300

29.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$82.1 SAR 308

44.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$438 SAR 1,644

247.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$380 SAR 1,428

222.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$836 SAR 3,139

226.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$621 SAR 2,331

219.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$2,392 SAR 8,983

212.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,226 SAR 4,605

327.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$4,239 SAR 15.9K

-43.55%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Umluj: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $438 in Umluj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umluj pays 77% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $44.00 in Umluj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 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 96% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,203 including rent). Umluj is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 77% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $438 in Umluj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $353 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 $1,203 in Umluj versus $2,359 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 96% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.