Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Qatif and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Qatif: $1,102 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Qatif, Saudi Arabia
Barcelona, Spain
Qatif
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,102
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Qatif and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Qatif and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,102 in Qatif versus $2,453 in Barcelona.

  • Qatif $1,102
  • Barcelona $2,453

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,640 in Qatif versus $3,509 in Barcelona.

  • Qatif $1,640
  • Barcelona $3,509

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,178 in Qatif versus $4,564 in Barcelona.

  • Qatif $2,178
  • Barcelona $4,564

Living in Qatif costs roughly 55% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Qatif is 19% below, Barcelona is 80% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Qatif
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.50 SAR 13.15
$17.59 €15.75
-80.10%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.91 SAR 131
$67.5 €60.5
-48.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.52 SAR 24.48
$13.53 €12.12
-51.81%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.88 SAR 7.04
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.24 SAR 8.39
-
-
Cappuccino
$3.10 SAR 11.62
$3.19 €2.86
-2.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.77 SAR 2.89
$2.91 €2.61
-73.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.19 SAR 0.72
$1.89 €1.70
-89.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$4.01 €3.59
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.53 €4.06
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Qatif
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.78 SAR 6.68
$1.31 €1.17
35.88%
White Bread (500g)
$0.91 SAR 3.42
$2.02 €1.81
-54.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.92 SAR 7.20
$1.85 €1.66
3.78%
Eggs
$2.10 SAR 7.89
$4.83 €4.33
-56.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.90 SAR 22.14
$16.74 €14.99
-64.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 SAR 29.64
$9.12 €8.17
-13.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.64 SAR 47.44
$19.64 €17.59
-35.64%
Apples (1kg)
$2.29 SAR 8.58
$2.98 €2.67
-23.15%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 SAR 6.41
$2.02 €1.81
-15.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.59 SAR 5.95
$2.70 €2.42
-41.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.67 SAR 2.52
$2.80 €2.51
-76.07%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 SAR 4.05
$2.09 €1.87
-48.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.13 SAR 4.26
$2.07 €1.85
-45.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.95 SAR 3.58
$1.46 €1.31
-34.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 SAR 2.07
$0.94 €0.84
-41.49%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$2.60 SAR 9.77
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.50 SAR 5.64
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 SAR 8.31
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.26 SAR 23.48
$6.87 €6.15
-8.88%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$7.89 €7.06
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.41 €1.26
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.54 €2.27
-
🚌 Getting Around
Qatif
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.09 SAR 4.09
$3.14 €2.82
-65.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$36.50 SAR 137
$25.45 €22.79
43.42%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.46 SAR 9.22
$2.99 €2.68
-17.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.55 SAR 2.07
$1.49 €1.34
-63.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.24 SAR 49.70
$33.37 €29.89
-60.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.61 SAR 2.29
$1.80 €1.61
-66.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.1K SAR 109.1K
$33.2K €29.7K
-12.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.3K SAR 76.3K
$31.7K €28.4K
-35.87%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Qatif
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$104 SAR 388
$180 €162
-42.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.15 SAR 121
$13.84 €12.39
132.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$59.3 SAR 222
$33.70 €30.18
75.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Qatif
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$79.4 SAR 298
$51.5 €46.13
54.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.38 SAR 80.2
$15.96 €14.29
33.96%
Cinema Ticket
$13.07 SAR 49.03
$10.99 €9.85
18.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Qatif
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$264 SAR 992
$917 €821
-71.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,860 SAR 29.5K
$16.5K €14.8K
-52.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Qatif
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$32.16 SAR 121
$87.0 €77.9
-63.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$21.10 SAR 79.2
$38.51 €34.49
-45.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.5 SAR 358
$106 €94.8
-9.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.7 SAR 340
$120 €107
-24.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Qatif
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$586 SAR 2,199
$1,699 €1,522
-65.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$374 SAR 1,402
$1,355 €1,214
-72.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$807 SAR 3,029
$2,603 €2,331
-68.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$578 SAR 2,171
$2,062 €1,847
-71.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$943 SAR 3,537
$6,915 €6,193
-86.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$796 SAR 2,987
$5,128 €4,592
-84.48%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Qatif
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,257 SAR 8,471
$2,211 €1,980
2.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.5
3.28
67.68%

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

Last update for Qatif: October 27, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Qatif
$374
Barcelona
$1.4K 263% $982
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Qatif
$195
Barcelona
$228 17% $33
Groceries & Markets
Qatif
$185
Barcelona
$322 73.6% $136
Clothing & Footwear
Qatif
$108
Barcelona
$158 46.6% $50
Sport & Entertainment
Qatif
$106
Barcelona
$74 30.4% $32
Eating Out
Qatif
$89
Barcelona
$268 202% $179
Getting Around
Qatif
$46
Barcelona
$48 5.2% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $586 in Qatif and $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35 in Qatif vs $67 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $185 vs $322 per month, with Qatif cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇸🇦 Qatif
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
00:16 12:16 AM
22:16 10:16 PM
2 h behind Qatif
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
87,332
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.19 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Qatif Barcelona 4,640 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Qatif
  • Barcelona

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Qatif and in Barcelona?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,102 in Qatif and $2,453 in Barcelona, so Qatif is about 55% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Qatif compared to Barcelona?
You’d need roughly $1,653 in Qatif and $3,679 in Barcelona to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Qatif and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $586 in Qatif versus $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Qatif and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $264 in Qatif versus $917 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,102 in Qatif versus $2,453 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.
How does quality of life compare between Qatif and Barcelona?
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.
Is Qatif or Barcelona safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Qatif and Barcelona are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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