Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Yanbu Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Yanbu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $994 in Yanbu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,525 in Yanbu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,056 in Yanbu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 137% more expensive than in Yanbu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Yanbu is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$6.51 SAR 24.44

163.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$37.99 SAR 143

79.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$6.51 SAR 24.46

109.52%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 SAR 7.64

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.59 SAR 13.49

-22.56%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.75 SAR 2.83

276.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.23 SAR 0.86

752.17%

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

$1.67 SAR 6.28

-23.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.87 SAR 3.28

144.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.24 SAR 8.42

-11.16%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.72 SAR 10.20

23.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$6.04 SAR 22.68

213.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$7.76 SAR 29.14

22.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$12.21 SAR 45.86

53.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.07 SAR 7.77

28.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.64 SAR 6.17

43.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.38 SAR 5.19

51.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.54 SAR 5.80

77.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.28 SAR 4.79

53.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.96 SAR 3.59

88.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.09 SAR 4.11

38.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.56 SAR 2.09

58.93%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.29 SAR 4.85

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 SAR 4.92

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 SAR 6.36

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$6.47 SAR 24.30

4.79%

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

$1.05 SAR 3.93

177.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$33.24 SAR 125

-13.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$3.28 SAR 12.31

39.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.78 SAR 2.94

161.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$15.10 SAR 56.7

90.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$0.62 SAR 2.31

193.55%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$26.2K SAR 98.3K

50.21%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$21.6K SAR 81.0K

50.50%

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

$187 €162

$105 SAR 396

76.95%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$22.77 SAR 85.5

-2.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$69.1 SAR 259

-47.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$95.9 SAR 360

-40.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$35.52 SAR 133

-41.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$13.30 SAR 49.95

-19.02%

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

$725 €628

$323 SAR 1,214

124.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$3,791 SAR 14.2K

299.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$22.81 SAR 85.6

285.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$21.00 SAR 78.9

75.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$66.3 SAR 249

55.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$47.66 SAR 179

148.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$314 SAR 1,177

385.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$244 SAR 915

403.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$585 SAR 2,198

365.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$412 SAR 1,546

381.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$3,487 SAR 13.1K

-31.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.3

2.73%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Yanbu: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $314 in Yanbu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yanbu pays 46% 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 $38.00 in Yanbu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $189 per month, with Yanbu 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 Yanbu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Yanbu differ by about 137% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $994 including rent). Yanbu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 46% lower in Yanbu. 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 $314 in Yanbu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $323 in Yanbu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $994 in Yanbu versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yanbu but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Yanbu 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 Yanbu 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 Yanbu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 137% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.