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: $1,107 in Jubail versus $2,482 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,711 in Jubail versus $3,548 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,316 in Jubail versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Jubail costs roughly 55% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Jubail is 20% below, Barcelona is 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.81 SAR 25.59

$18.42 €15.88

-63.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.68 SAR 153

$69.4 €59.8

-41.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 SAR 33.67

$14.05 €12.11

-36.23%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 SAR 6.88

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 SAR 8.70

Cappuccino

$3.96 SAR 14.85

$3.11 €2.68

27.33%

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

$1.01 SAR 3.79

$2.96 €2.55

-65.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.96

$1.95 €1.69

-86.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

$1.32 €1.14

18.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 SAR 5.37

$2.11 €1.82

-32.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 SAR 6.03

$1.83 €1.57

-12.02%

Eggs

$2.14 SAR 8.03

$5.16 €4.45

-58.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 SAR 32.47

$17.56 €15.14

-50.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 SAR 23.31

$9.50 €8.19

-34.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 SAR 40.44

$19.93 €17.18

-45.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 SAR 8.13

$3.17 €2.73

-31.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 SAR 6.70

$2.21 €1.91

-19.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.92

$2.61 €2.25

-39.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 SAR 6.23

$2.85 €2.46

-41.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.84

$2.17 €1.87

-40.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 SAR 5.17

$2.11 €1.81

-34.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 SAR 6.31

$1.62 €1.39

3.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 SAR 1.93

$0.88 €0.76

-42.05%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.91 SAR 10.91

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 SAR 8.12

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 SAR 7.73

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 SAR 25.63

$7.17 €6.18

-4.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 SAR 4.90

$3.14 €2.70

-58.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.02 SAR 90.2

$26.25 €22.63

-8.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 SAR 12.84

$3.22 €2.78

6.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.73 SAR 10.24

$1.51 €1.30

80.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.12 SAR 49.27

$35.26 €30.39

-62.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.24

$1.75 €1.51

-65.71%

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

$45.4K SAR 170.7K

$36.7K €31.6K

23.95%

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

$20.8K SAR 78.3K

$31.7K €27.3K

-34.21%

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

$81.1 SAR 305

$187 €161

-56.64%

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

$27.49 SAR 103

$15.10 €13.01

82.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.4 SAR 249

$37.60 €32.41

76.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 SAR 384

$55.5 €47.83

84.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.95 SAR 150

$16.74 €14.43

138.65%

Cinema Ticket

$13.45 SAR 50.5

$11.71 €10.09

14.86%

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

$177 SAR 666

$1,011 €871

-82.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,825 SAR 29.4K

$17.1K €14.7K

-54.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.23 SAR 155

$91.4 €78.8

-54.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.6 SAR 224

$41.00 €35.34

45.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.4 SAR 306

$111 €95.3

-26.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.6 SAR 321

$126 €109

-32.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 SAR 1,595

$1,704 €1,469

-75.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$293 SAR 1,100

$1,299 €1,120

-77.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 SAR 2,424

$2,588 €2,231

-75.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 SAR 1,974

$1,929 €1,663

-72.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,706 SAR 10.2K

$7,732 €6,665

-64.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,386 SAR 5,205

$5,384 €4,641

-74.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 SAR 6,016

$2,374 €2,046

-32.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.62

3.16

77.85%

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

Last update for Jubail: September 5, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $425 in Jubail and $1,704 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 48% 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: $41.00 in Jubail vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $333 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 124% in total monthly costs ($1,107 vs $2,482 including rent). Jubail is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 48% lower in Barcelona. 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: $425 in Jubail versus $1,704 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $177 in Jubail versus $1,011 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,107 in Jubail versus $2,482 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 124% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.