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: $1,238 in Dammam versus $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,848 in Dammam versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,458 in Dammam versus $4,582 in Barcelona.

Living in Dammam costs roughly 47% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dammam is 8% below, Barcelona is 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.82 SAR 25.59

$17.61 €15.04

-61.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.14 SAR 151

$68.7 €58.7

-41.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 SAR 30.25

$13.75 €11.74

-41.31%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 SAR 6.62

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.82

Cappuccino

$3.63 SAR 13.63

$2.76 €2.36

31.52%

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

$0.81 SAR 3.04

$2.78 €2.38

-70.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 SAR 1.14

$2.05 €1.75

-85.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.93

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.92

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 SAR 6.16

$1.28 €1.09

28.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 SAR 3.77

$2.11 €1.80

-52.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 SAR 8.90

$1.97 €1.68

20.30%

Eggs

$2.44 SAR 9.17

$3.44 €2.94

-29.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.07 SAR 26.50

$18.83 €16.08

-62.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.41 SAR 27.79

$9.45 €8.07

-21.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.20 SAR 49.50

$19.01 €16.24

-30.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 SAR 8.55

$2.72 €2.32

-16.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 SAR 6.03

$2.37 €2.03

-32.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.93

$2.08 €1.77

-24.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 SAR 6.01

$2.76 €2.36

-42.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 SAR 4.77

$1.97 €1.68

-35.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 SAR 4.96

$1.79 €1.53

-26.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 SAR 4.92

$1.51 €1.29

-13.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 SAR 2.34

$0.90 €0.77

-31.11%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.81 SAR 10.54

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SAR 6.54

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.81

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.31 SAR 27.40

$6.76 €5.77

8.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.44

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 SAR 4.05

$3.03 €2.59

-64.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.21 SAR 151

$28.39 €24.25

41.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 SAR 9.90

$4.43 €3.78

-40.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 SAR 6.89

$2.05 €1.75

-10.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.08 SAR 49.05

$29.33 €25.05

-55.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.39

$1.89 €1.61

-66.14%

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

$26.3K SAR 98.8K

$38.7K €33.1K

-31.99%

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

$22.7K SAR 85.2K

$32.4K €27.6K

-29.82%

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

$105 SAR 393

$189 €161

-44.50%

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

$34.19 SAR 128

$22.21 €18.96

53.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.3 SAR 267

$36.82 €31.44

93.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.2 SAR 357

$58.0 €49.52

64.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 SAR 133

$20.99 €17.93

68.84%

Cinema Ticket

$14.61 SAR 54.8

$11.05 €9.44

32.22%

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

$353 SAR 1,324

$726 €620

-51.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,486 SAR 28.1K

$15.2K €13.0K

-50.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 SAR 206

$88.3 €75.4

-37.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.1 SAR 240

$36.98 €31.58

73.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.2 SAR 320

$103 €87.6

-16.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.0 SAR 307

$119 €102

-31.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 SAR 1,627

$1,526 €1,304

-71.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 SAR 1,417

$1,218 €1,040

-68.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$867 SAR 3,251

$2,794 €2,386

-68.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 SAR 2,346

$2,027 €1,731

-69.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,757 SAR 6,588

$7,094 €6,058

-75.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,095 SAR 4,107

$4,849 €4,141

-77.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,053

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $434 in Dammam and $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in Dammam vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $320 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 89% in total monthly costs ($1,238 vs $2,341 including rent). Dammam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,857 in Dammam and $3,512 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: $434 in Dammam versus $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $353 in Dammam versus $726 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,238 in Dammam versus $2,341 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 89% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.