Cost of Living Comparison Between Qatif and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Qatif and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,057 in Qatif versus $2,399 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,683 in Qatif versus $3,496 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,308 in Qatif versus $4,592 in Barcelona.

Living in Qatif costs roughly 56% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Qatif is 21% below, Barcelona is 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.41 SAR 12.78

$17.68 €15.22

-80.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.84 SAR 183

$70.1 €60.3

-30.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.03 SAR 30.13

$13.66 €11.76

-41.22%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 SAR 7.20

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.82

Cappuccino

$3.57 SAR 13.40

$2.74 €2.36

30.29%

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

$0.76 SAR 2.87

$2.79 €2.40

-72.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.97

$1.96 €1.69

-86.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SAR 6.44

$1.29 €1.11

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 SAR 3.11

$2.05 €1.77

-59.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 SAR 7.93

$1.98 €1.71

6.57%

Eggs

$2.23 SAR 8.35

$3.39 €2.92

-34.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.30 SAR 23.63

$18.64 €16.05

-66.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.33 SAR 27.52

$9.56 €8.23

-23.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.15 SAR 38.08

$18.83 €16.22

-46.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 SAR 7.83

$2.75 €2.37

-24.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 SAR 5.57

$2.47 €2.13

-40.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 SAR 5.40

$2.10 €1.80

-31.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 SAR 2.65

$2.82 €2.43

-74.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.81

$2.02 €1.74

-36.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 SAR 5.18

$1.85 €1.59

-25.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 SAR 4.13

$1.51 €1.30

-27.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 SAR 1.91

$0.90 €0.77

-43.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.68 SAR 10.07

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SAR 6.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 SAR 7.31

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.84 SAR 29.43

$7.06 €6.08

11.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.11

$2.88 €2.48

-62.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.62 SAR 149

$28.39 €24.45

39.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 SAR 11.84

$4.38 €3.77

-28.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 SAR 5.85

$2.14 €1.84

-27.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.37 SAR 50.2

$29.15 €25.10

-54.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.37

$1.86 €1.61

-66.13%

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

$22.6K SAR 84.9K

$39.0K €33.6K

-41.96%

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

$20.2K SAR 75.7K

$32.7K €28.2K

-38.30%

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

$106 SAR 396

$189 €163

-44.16%

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

$36.23 SAR 136

$22.71 €19.56

59.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.2 SAR 222

$36.51 €31.43

62.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.6 SAR 355

$57.6 €49.59

64.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.5 SAR 216

$21.37 €18.40

169.21%

Cinema Ticket

$15.54 SAR 58.3

$10.81 €9.31

43.76%

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

$401 SAR 1,505

$726 €625

-44.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,166 SAR 30.6K

$15.1K €13.0K

-45.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 SAR 194

$87.7 €75.5

-41.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 SAR 191

$36.89 €31.77

37.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 SAR 338

$104 €89.2

-13.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 SAR 326

$116 €100

-25.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$356 SAR 1,336

$1,573 €1,355

-77.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 SAR 1,070

$1,220 €1,050

-76.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$703 SAR 2,639

$2,711 €2,335

-74.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 SAR 1,856

$1,966 €1,693

-74.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$970 SAR 3,639

$7,811 €6,726

-87.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$795 SAR 2,983

$5,267 €4,535

-84.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,237 SAR 8,396

$2,375 €2,045

-5.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

3.39

27.73%

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

Last update for Qatif: June 14, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $356 in Qatif and $1,573 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 6% 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: $49.00 in Qatif vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $321 per month, with Qatif 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

Qatif vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qatif and Barcelona differ by about 127% in total monthly costs ($1,057 vs $2,399 including rent). Qatif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 6% 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: $356 in Qatif versus $1,573 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $401 in Qatif 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 84% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,057 in Qatif versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Qatif but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Qatif 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, Qatif 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 Qatif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.