Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Umm As-summaq Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Umm As-summaq

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $728 in Umm As-summaq.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,356 in Umm As-summaq.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,985 in Umm As-summaq.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 224% more expensive than in Umm As-summaq, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Umm As-summaq is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.90

$6.52 JOD 4.62

163.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.1

$49.19 JOD 34.82

38.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.85

$5.01 JOD 3.55

172.26%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$4.15 JOD 2.94

-33.01%

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

$2.82 €2.45

$0.52 JOD 0.37

442.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.37 JOD 0.26

429.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.85

$5.73 JOD 4.05

-22.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.00

$6.88 JOD 4.87

-32.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.28 JOD 0.91

-0.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.34 JOD 0.24

526.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$1.44 JOD 1.02

38.19%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.56 JOD 1.81

31.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.47

$2.74 JOD 1.94

591.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.28

$6.46 JOD 4.57

47.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.27

$11.19 JOD 7.92

67.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.30

$1.38 JOD 0.97

92.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$0.74 JOD 0.53

217.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.39 JOD 0.99

50.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$0.27 JOD 0.19

911.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.33 JOD 0.24

493.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.57

$0.29 JOD 0.21

524.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.61 JOD 0.43

147.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$0.63 JOD 0.45

41.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.89

$3.51 JOD 2.49

93.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.88

$16.85 JOD 11.93

-53.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$4.78 JOD 3.39

-71.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.09

$5.54 JOD 3.92

-56.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.53

$0.74 JOD 0.52

293.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.90

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.98

$0.68 JOD 0.48

573.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.29 JOD 0.21

603.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.95

$7.12 JOD 5.04

303.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.43 JOD 1.02

27.27%

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

$39.3K €34.2K

$26.8K JOD 19.0K

46.77%

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

$32.5K €28.2K

$31.6K JOD 22.4K

2.64%

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

$187 €162

$106 JOD 74.9

76.42%

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

$22.29 €19.37

$16.73 JOD 11.84

33.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.60

$31.46 JOD 22.27

15.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.98

$40.43 JOD 28.62

42.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.02

$34.91 JOD 24.71

-40.59%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.36

$11.15 JOD 7.89

-3.41%

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

$725 €630

$271 JOD 192

167.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.2K

$5,400 JOD 3,822

180.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.3

$62.0 JOD 43.87

41.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.98

$56.5 JOD 39.99

-34.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.8

$116 JOD 81.8

-10.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$79.8 JOD 56.5

48.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,324

$380 JOD 269

301.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,066

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,370

$459 JOD 325

493.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,724

$356 JOD 252

458.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,489

$1,675 JOD 1,186

345.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,555

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,079

$855 JOD 605

179.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.67

-49.18%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Umm As-summaq: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $380 in Umm As-summaq. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 180% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $49.00 in Umm As-summaq for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $205 per month, with Umm As-summaq 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 Umm As-summaq: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Umm As-summaq differ by about 224% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $728 including rent). Umm As-summaq is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 180% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $380 in Umm As-summaq. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $271 in Umm As-summaq. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Umm As-summaq – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $728 in Umm As-summaq versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Umm As-summaq but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Umm As-summaq 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 Umm As-summaq 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 Umm As-summaq gentler on the wallet – expenses run 224% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.