Cost of Living Comparison Between Dammam and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Dammam and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Dammam versus $2,359 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,861 in Dammam versus $3,498 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,490 in Dammam versus $4,638 in Barcelona.

Living in Dammam costs roughly 48% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dammam is 7% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.52 SAR 24.47

$17.15 €14.86

-61.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.70 SAR 153

$68.1 €58.9

-40.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.97 SAR 29.91

$13.64 €11.82

-41.57%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 SAR 6.90

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.70

Cappuccino

$3.60 SAR 13.52

$2.78 €2.41

29.50%

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

$0.75 SAR 2.80

$2.82 €2.44

-73.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 SAR 1.03

$1.96 €1.70

-85.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$1.27 €1.10

35.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 SAR 3.93

$2.13 €1.85

-50.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 SAR 8.60

$1.99 €1.72

15.08%

Eggs

$2.58 SAR 9.69

$3.37 €2.92

-23.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.81 SAR 25.56

$18.96 €16.42

-64.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.69 SAR 28.88

$9.53 €8.26

-19.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.16 SAR 49.40

$18.73 €16.22

-29.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 SAR 8.55

$2.65 €2.29

-13.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 SAR 6.03

$2.35 €2.04

-31.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.86

$2.09 €1.81

-25.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 SAR 6.11

$2.73 €2.37

-40.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 SAR 4.62

$1.96 €1.70

-37.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 SAR 5.16

$1.81 €1.56

-24.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 SAR 5.04

$1.51 €1.31

-11.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.22

$0.89 €0.77

-33.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.82 SAR 10.59

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.42

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.04 SAR 26.45

$6.78 €5.87

3.83%

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)

$1.05 SAR 3.92

$2.91 €2.52

-63.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.75 SAR 153

$28.66 €24.82

42.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 SAR 9.93

$4.58 €3.96

-42.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 SAR 6.81

$2.04 €1.77

-11.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.55 SAR 50.9

$28.72 €24.87

-52.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$1.82 €1.58

-67.58%

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

$27.1K SAR 101.7K

$39.3K €34.0K

-31.10%

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

$23.3K SAR 87.7K

$32.5K €28.1K

-28.11%

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

$105 SAR 395

$187 €162

-43.57%

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

$34.28 SAR 129

$22.29 €19.30

53.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.2 SAR 271

$36.37 €31.50

98.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$93.5 SAR 351

$57.5 €49.82

62.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.34 SAR 136

$20.74 €17.96

75.22%

Cinema Ticket

$14.47 SAR 54.3

$10.77 €9.33

34.35%

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

$353 SAR 1,327

$725 €628

-51.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,445 SAR 28.0K

$15.2K €13.1K

-50.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.2 SAR 207

$87.9 €76.1

-37.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.8 SAR 236

$36.81 €31.88

70.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.7 SAR 314

$103 €89.6

-19.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.0 SAR 304

$119 €103

-31.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 SAR 1,615

$1,524 €1,319

-71.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 SAR 1,450

$1,227 €1,062

-68.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$864 SAR 3,245

$2,727 €2,362

-68.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 SAR 2,374

$1,984 €1,718

-68.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,761 SAR 6,612

$7,469 €6,468

-76.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,102 SAR 4,139

$5,243 €4,541

-78.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

3.39

30.38%

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

Last update for Dammam: July 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Dammam and $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $41.00 in Dammam vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $319 per month, with Dammam 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

Dammam vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dammam and Barcelona differ by about 91% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $2,359 including rent). Dammam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,849 in Dammam and $3,539 in Barcelona to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $430 in Dammam versus $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $353 in Dammam versus $725 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Dammam versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dammam but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Dammam 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, Dammam and Barcelona 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 Dammam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 91% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.