Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Unaizah Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Unaizah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,101 in Unaizah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,694 in Unaizah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,286 in Unaizah.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 125% more expensive than in Unaizah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Unaizah is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$6.62 SAR 24.85

183.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$39.80 SAR 149

74.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$6.98 SAR 26.23

97.28%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.65 SAR 6.19

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 SAR 5.13

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.99 SAR 14.99

-22.31%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.74 SAR 2.77

282.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.28 SAR 1.06

571.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.47 SAR 5.54

-13.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.31 SAR 1.17

596.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.14 SAR 8.03

-17.76%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.40 SAR 9.02

113.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$5.92 SAR 22.23

202.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$4.60 SAR 17.26

109.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$12.73 SAR 47.81

58.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.15 SAR 8.08

51.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.58 SAR 5.95

41.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.54 SAR 5.80

68.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.68 SAR 6.33

64.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.18 SAR 4.44

87.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.62 SAR 9.85

-19.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.14 SAR 4.27

35.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.64 SAR 2.42

48.44%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.84 SAR 10.66

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 SAR 6.35

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 SAR 8.14

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$6.56 SAR 24.63

11.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.06 SAR 3.98

193.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$36.06 SAR 135

-28.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.86 SAR 10.72

14.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.81 SAR 6.80

-18.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$13.51 SAR 50.7

153.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.64 SAR 2.42

170.31%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$46.3K SAR 174.1K

-21.52%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$21.5K SAR 80.9K

41.83%

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

$187 €163

$99.6 SAR 374

87.83%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$31.98 SAR 120

-52.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$68.1 SAR 256

-44.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$53.8 SAR 202

3.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$36.87 SAR 139

-53.68%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$13.10 SAR 49.22

-12.90%

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

$997 €869

$347 SAR 1,303

187.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$6,702 SAR 25.2K

146.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$50.7 SAR 190

82.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$59.1 SAR 222

-30.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$96.8 SAR 364

14.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$89.2 SAR 335

40.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$576 SAR 2,163

196.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$339 SAR 1,275

278.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$893 SAR 3,353

187.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$556 SAR 2,087

249.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$2,401 SAR 9,020

218.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,380 SAR 5,182

274.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$2,517 SAR 9,453

-6.68%

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 Unaizah: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $576 in Unaizah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Unaizah pays 7% 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 $40.00 in Unaizah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $171 per month, with Unaizah 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 Unaizah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Unaizah differ by about 125% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,101 including rent). Unaizah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Unaizah. 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 $576 in Unaizah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $347 in Unaizah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 97% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,101 in Unaizah versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Unaizah but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Unaizah 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 Unaizah 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 Unaizah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 125% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.