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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,000 in Yanbu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,512 in Yanbu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,023 in Yanbu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 134% more expensive than Yanbu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Yanbu is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$6.59 SAR 24.73

159.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$37.96 SAR 142

82.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$6.49 SAR 24.34

112.33%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 SAR 7.56

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.95

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$3.74 SAR 14.05

-26.20%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.70 SAR 2.62

298.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.23 SAR 0.86

765.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.72 SAR 6.44

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.87 SAR 3.28

135.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.20 SAR 8.24

-9.55%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.64 SAR 9.90

28.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$5.85 SAR 21.96

221.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$7.92 SAR 29.72

18.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$12.20 SAR 45.78

56.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.16 SAR 8.11

25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.56 SAR 5.87

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.46 SAR 5.46

45.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.54 SAR 5.80

85.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.26 SAR 4.71

56.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.97 SAR 3.62

85.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.10 SAR 4.12

31.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.55 SAR 2.08

56.36%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.30 SAR 4.87

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 SAR 4.94

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 SAR 6.61

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$6.24 SAR 23.41

8.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$1.08 SAR 4.05

170.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$33.86 SAR 127

-15.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.26 SAR 12.23

36.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.78 SAR 2.92

162.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$15.35 SAR 57.6

92.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$0.57 SAR 2.14

219.30%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$25.9K SAR 97.2K

49.88%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$21.9K SAR 82.0K

51.43%

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

$189 €163

$106 SAR 398

78.49%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$22.79 SAR 85.5

0.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$68.7 SAR 258

-45.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$97.5 SAR 366

-40.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$35.04 SAR 132

-40.81%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$13.12 SAR 49.23

-17.53%

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

$728 €628

$315 SAR 1,181

131.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$3,765 SAR 14.1K

292.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$23.07 SAR 86.6

284.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$20.91 SAR 78.5

76.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$66.3 SAR 249

53.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$48.58 SAR 182

138.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$316 SAR 1,185

396.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$244 SAR 914

400.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$606 SAR 2,274

361.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$410 SAR 1,539

381.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$3,532 SAR 13.3K

-33.66%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Yanbu: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $316 in Yanbu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yanbu pays 51% 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 $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 134% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,000 including rent). Yanbu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Yanbu earns 51% less. 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $316 in Yanbu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $315 in Yanbu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,000 in Yanbu versus $2,337 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 134% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.