Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhahran and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhahran and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,300 in Dhahran versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,659 in Dhahran versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,017 in Dhahran versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Dhahran is 5% below, Barcelona is 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.42 SAR 20.34

$18.39 €15.87

-70.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.08 SAR 151

$69.2 €59.7

-42.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.04 SAR 22.70

$14.13 €12.19

-57.25%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 SAR 7.12

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 SAR 6.05

Cappuccino

$3.99 SAR 14.97

$3.13 €2.70

27.48%

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

$0.70 SAR 2.62

$3.02 €2.60

-76.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 SAR 0.75

$1.96 €1.69

-89.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.45

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.11

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 SAR 5.93

$1.25 €1.08

26.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 SAR 3.54

$2.16 €1.87

-56.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 SAR 7.50

$1.69 €1.45

18.34%

Eggs

$3.90 SAR 14.64

$4.93 €4.26

-20.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 SAR 33.05

$17.88 €15.43

-50.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.16 SAR 41.92

$9.61 €8.29

16.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.73 SAR 51.6

$19.34 €16.69

-29.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 SAR 7.91

$3.24 €2.79

-34.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 SAR 5.19

$2.18 €1.88

-36.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 SAR 6.78

$2.67 €2.30

-32.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 SAR 6.50

$2.77 €2.39

-37.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 SAR 5.71

$2.21 €1.91

-31.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 SAR 3.54

$2.19 €1.89

-57.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 SAR 7.38

$1.52 €1.31

29.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 SAR 3.46

$0.92 €0.80

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.81 SAR 18.05

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 SAR 6.14

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 SAR 8.97

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.64 SAR 21.17

$7.12 €6.14

-20.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.02

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.40

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 SAR 2.89

$3.15 €2.72

-75.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.29

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 SAR 4.91

$3.25 €2.80

-59.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.35 SAR 12.57

$1.50 €1.30

123.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.45 SAR 35.48

$34.89 €30.11

-72.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.37

$1.75 €1.51

-64.00%

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

$53.4K SAR 200.5K

$36.7K €31.6K

45.67%

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

$20.4K SAR 76.8K

$30.9K €26.7K

-33.90%

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

$60.2 SAR 226

$188 €162

-67.91%

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

$43.47 SAR 163

$15.44 €13.32

181.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 SAR 243

$37.80 €32.61

71.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$195 SAR 731

$57.2 €49.34

240.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$91.4 SAR 343

$16.80 €14.49

443.81%

Cinema Ticket

$10.61 SAR 39.82

$11.58 €9.99

-8.38%

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

$65.8 SAR 247

$1,003 €865

-93.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K SAR 49.5K

$17.0K €14.7K

-22.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.3 SAR 189

$89.2 €77.0

-43.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.32 SAR 159

$40.87 €35.27

3.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 SAR 285

$110 €94.9

-30.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 SAR 333

$123 €106

-27.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$354 SAR 1,330

$1,673 €1,444

-78.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 SAR 1,678

$1,331 €1,149

-66.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,240

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,683

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,535

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,634

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,854 SAR 10.7K

$2,402 €2,073

18.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

3.16

42.41%

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

Last update for Dhahran: September 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $354 in Dhahran and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dhahran pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Dhahran vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $332 per month, with Dhahran 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

Dhahran vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhahran and Barcelona differ by about 92% in total monthly costs ($1,300 vs $2,495 including rent). Dhahran is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Dhahran, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $354 in Dhahran versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $65.8 in Dhahran versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Dhahran – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,300 in Dhahran versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Dhahran but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Dhahran 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, Dhahran 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 Dhahran gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.