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: $1,332 in Dhahran versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,029 in Dhahran versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,725 in Dhahran versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Dhahran costs roughly 44% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dhahran is 1% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.23 SAR 19.64

$17.58 €15.12

-70.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.50 SAR 152

$68.4 €58.9

-40.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.14 SAR 26.78

$14.06 €12.09

-49.22%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 SAR 7.68

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 SAR 6.06

Cappuccino

$3.77 SAR 14.14

$2.78 €2.39

35.61%

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

$0.74 SAR 2.78

$2.80 €2.41

-73.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 SAR 0.63

$2.06 €1.78

-91.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 SAR 5.60

$1.24 €1.07

20.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 SAR 4.39

$2.03 €1.74

-42.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 SAR 8.18

$1.92 €1.65

13.54%

Eggs

$2.39 SAR 8.98

$3.31 €2.85

-27.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.83 SAR 25.62

$18.43 €15.85

-62.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.84 SAR 33.18

$9.49 €8.16

-6.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.50 SAR 50.7

$19.16 €16.48

-29.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 SAR 8.41

$2.64 €2.27

-15.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 SAR 5.20

$2.45 €2.11

-43.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 SAR 6.11

$2.12 €1.82

-23.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 SAR 5.13

$2.85 €2.45

-51.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 SAR 4.63

$2.04 €1.75

-39.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 SAR 3.34

$1.85 €1.59

-51.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 SAR 4.14

$1.47 €1.26

-25.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 SAR 2.15

$0.84 €0.73

-32.14%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.84 SAR 18.16

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 SAR 7.43

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 SAR 5.86

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.52 SAR 35.72

$7.14 €6.14

33.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.93

$2.98 €2.56

-64.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.72 SAR 153

$29.26 €25.17

39.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 SAR 5.08

$4.60 €3.95

-70.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 SAR 9.18

$2.07 €1.78

18.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.53 SAR 50.8

$29.18 €25.10

-53.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.43

$1.84 €1.58

-64.67%

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

$32.4K SAR 121.8K

$39.0K €33.6K

-16.83%

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

$24.3K SAR 91.1K

$32.7K €28.1K

-25.78%

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

$104 SAR 391

$188 €162

-44.56%

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

$36.18 SAR 136

$22.93 €19.73

57.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.6 SAR 276

$36.71 €31.58

100.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$183 SAR 688

$57.4 €49.35

219.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.00 SAR 135

$20.70 €17.80

73.91%

Cinema Ticket

$11.90 SAR 44.66

$11.19 €9.63

6.34%

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

$414 SAR 1,553

$721 €620

-42.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,909 SAR 37.2K

$15.0K €12.9K

-34.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 SAR 223

$86.2 €74.2

-31.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.7 SAR 288

$37.07 €31.89

107.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.4 SAR 317

$102 €87.8

-17.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.8 SAR 367

$116 €99.7

-15.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 SAR 1,648

$1,534 €1,319

-71.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 SAR 1,436

$1,220 €1,050

-68.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 SAR 3,138

$2,696 €2,319

-68.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 SAR 2,308

$2,013 €1,732

-69.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,110 SAR 4,166

$7,220 €6,211

-84.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,066 SAR 3,999

$5,189 €4,463

-79.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,893 SAR 10.9K

$2,359 €2,029

22.63%

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 Dhahran: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $439 in Dhahran and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dhahran pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $41.00 in Dhahran vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $318 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 78% in total monthly costs ($1,332 vs $2,367 including rent). Dhahran is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Dhahran pays 23% more on average, 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: $439 in Dhahran versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $414 in Dhahran versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,332 in Dhahran versus $2,367 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 78% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.