Cost of Living Comparison Between Jubail and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Jubail and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,051 in Jubail versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,666 in Jubail versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,282 in Jubail versus $4,599 in Barcelona.

Living in Jubail costs roughly 55% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Jubail is 22% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.65 SAR 24.94

$17.08 €14.72

-61.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.62 SAR 149

$69.2 €59.7

-42.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 SAR 33.88

$13.78 €11.87

-34.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 SAR 6.94

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 SAR 10.82

Cappuccino

$3.37 SAR 12.63

$2.76 €2.37

22.10%

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

$0.84 SAR 3.14

$2.79 €2.40

-69.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 SAR 1.06

$1.99 €1.72

-85.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 SAR 6.89

$1.29 €1.11

42.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 SAR 3.72

$2.05 €1.77

-51.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.08

$1.99 €1.71

-18.59%

Eggs

$2.45 SAR 9.19

$3.39 €2.92

-27.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.89 SAR 29.61

$18.81 €16.21

-58.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.04 SAR 26.44

$9.36 €8.07

-24.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.93 SAR 41.00

$19.12 €16.48

-42.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 SAR 8.88

$2.70 €2.32

-12.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 SAR 6.50

$2.34 €2.02

-26.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 SAR 6.17

$2.12 €1.83

-22.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 SAR 5.30

$2.85 €2.46

-50.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 SAR 4.39

$1.97 €1.70

-40.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 SAR 5.03

$1.80 €1.55

-25.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 SAR 5.12

$1.45 €1.25

-6.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$0.86 €0.74

-31.40%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.99 SAR 11.23

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 SAR 7.26

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 SAR 9.21

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 SAR 26.65

$6.78 €5.84

4.72%

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)

$0.89 SAR 3.35

$2.92 €2.52

-69.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.52 SAR 95.8

$28.69 €24.72

-11.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.92 SAR 14.70

$4.46 €3.84

-12.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 SAR 6.89

$2.05 €1.77

-10.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.24 SAR 64.7

$29.55 €25.46

-41.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.41

$1.82 €1.56

-64.84%

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

$20.1K SAR 75.4K

$38.8K €33.5K

-48.28%

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

$24.0K SAR 90.1K

$33.1K €28.5K

-27.50%

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

$99.1 SAR 372

$189 €163

-47.65%

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

$31.64 SAR 119

$22.80 €19.65

38.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.6 SAR 239

$37.59 €32.39

69.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.7 SAR 333

$57.7 €49.75

53.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 SAR 133

$20.74 €17.87

70.54%

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 SAR 51.8

$10.82 €9.33

27.54%

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

$203 SAR 762

$728 €628

-72.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,380 SAR 31.4K

$14.8K €12.7K

-43.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.05 SAR 143

$88.6 €76.4

-57.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 SAR 231

$36.85 €31.75

67.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.1 SAR 316

$102 €87.9

-17.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.0 SAR 300

$116 €100

-31.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 SAR 1,519

$1,569 €1,352

-74.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 SAR 1,055

$1,218 €1,050

-76.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 SAR 2,425

$2,795 €2,409

-76.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$504 SAR 1,891

$1,975 €1,702

-74.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,551 SAR 9,573

$7,754 €6,680

-67.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,285 SAR 4,821

$5,176 €4,460

-75.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,598 SAR 5,997

$2,343 €2,019

-31.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.39

57.23%

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

Last update for Jubail: June 6, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $405 in Jubail and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 47% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Jubail vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $319 per month, with Jubail 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

Jubail vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jubail and Barcelona differ by about 122% in total monthly costs ($1,051 vs $2,337 including rent). Jubail is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 47% 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: $405 in Jubail versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $203 in Jubail versus $728 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,051 in Jubail versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jubail but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Jubail 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, Jubail 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 Jubail gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.