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: $1,059 in Qatif versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,673 in Qatif versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,288 in Qatif versus $4,599 in Barcelona.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Qatif is 21% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.41 SAR 12.81

$17.08 €14.72

-80.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.01 SAR 176

$69.2 €59.7

-32.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 SAR 29.55

$13.78 €11.87

-42.89%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 SAR 6.96

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 SAR 7.11

Cappuccino

$3.55 SAR 13.31

$2.76 €2.37

28.62%

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

$0.82 SAR 3.07

$2.79 €2.40

-70.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.98

$1.99 €1.72

-86.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SAR 6.47

$1.29 €1.11

34.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 SAR 3.02

$2.05 €1.77

-60.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 SAR 7.53

$1.99 €1.71

1.01%

Eggs

$2.33 SAR 8.73

$3.39 €2.92

-31.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.30 SAR 23.62

$18.81 €16.21

-66.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.15 SAR 26.82

$9.36 €8.07

-23.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.02 SAR 37.61

$19.12 €16.48

-47.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 SAR 7.83

$2.70 €2.32

-22.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 SAR 5.51

$2.34 €2.02

-37.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 SAR 5.27

$2.12 €1.83

-33.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 SAR 2.64

$2.85 €2.46

-75.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.80

$1.97 €1.70

-35.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 SAR 5.16

$1.80 €1.55

-23.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 SAR 4.30

$1.45 €1.25

-20.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 SAR 1.90

$0.86 €0.74

-40.70%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.65 SAR 9.93

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SAR 5.80

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 SAR 7.24

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SAR 29.33

$6.78 €5.84

15.34%

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)

$1.08 SAR 4.06

$2.92 €2.52

-63.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.34 SAR 148

$28.69 €24.72

37.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 SAR 12.24

$4.46 €3.84

-26.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 SAR 6.06

$2.05 €1.77

-21.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.20 SAR 49.52

$29.55 €25.46

-55.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.26

$1.82 €1.56

-67.03%

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

$22.2K SAR 83.5K

$38.8K €33.5K

-42.70%

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

$19.8K SAR 74.2K

$33.1K €28.5K

-40.30%

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

$105 SAR 396

$189 €163

-44.29%

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

$36.22 SAR 136

$22.80 €19.65

58.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.0 SAR 229

$37.59 €32.39

62.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.3 SAR 358

$57.7 €49.75

65.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.3 SAR 215

$20.74 €17.87

176.04%

Cinema Ticket

$15.49 SAR 58.1

$10.82 €9.33

43.16%

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

$393 SAR 1,476

$728 €628

-46.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,396 SAR 31.5K

$14.8K €12.7K

-43.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 SAR 198

$88.6 €76.4

-40.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 SAR 192

$36.85 €31.75

38.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 SAR 343

$102 €87.9

-10.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.2 SAR 323

$116 €100

-25.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$361 SAR 1,355

$1,569 €1,352

-76.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 SAR 1,088

$1,218 €1,050

-76.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 SAR 2,606

$2,795 €2,409

-75.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 SAR 1,811

$1,975 €1,702

-75.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$963 SAR 3,612

$7,754 €6,680

-87.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$780 SAR 2,927

$5,176 €4,460

-84.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,308 SAR 8,661

$2,343 €2,019

-1.50%

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 6, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $361 in Qatif and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 2% 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: $47.00 in Qatif vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $173 vs $319 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 121% in total monthly costs ($1,059 vs $2,337 including rent). Qatif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 2% 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: $361 in Qatif versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $393 in Qatif 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 84% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,059 in Qatif versus $2,337 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 121% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.