Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,739 in Riyadh versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,521 in Riyadh versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,304 in Riyadh versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Riyadh costs roughly 27% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Riyadh 30% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.21 SAR 30.82

$17.58 €15.14

-53.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.0 SAR 199

$68.4 €58.9

-22.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 SAR 30.45

$14.06 €12.10

-42.32%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 SAR 8.37

Cappuccino

$4.09 SAR 15.34

$2.78 €2.39

47.12%

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

$0.71 SAR 2.66

$2.80 €2.41

-74.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 SAR 1.07

$2.06 €1.78

-85.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SAR 6.30

$1.24 €1.07

35.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 SAR 4.79

$2.03 €1.75

-36.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 SAR 8.83

$1.92 €1.65

22.40%

Eggs

$2.73 SAR 10.24

$3.31 €2.85

-17.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 SAR 32.44

$18.43 €15.87

-53.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.02 SAR 37.62

$9.49 €8.17

5.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.57 SAR 54.7

$19.16 €16.49

-23.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 SAR 8.82

$2.64 €2.27

-10.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 SAR 6.56

$2.45 €2.11

-28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 SAR 6.93

$2.12 €1.83

-12.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 SAR 5.73

$2.85 €2.45

-46.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.82

$2.04 €1.75

-36.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 SAR 5.50

$1.85 €1.59

-20.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 SAR 5.44

$1.47 €1.27

-1.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 SAR 1.99

$0.84 €0.73

-36.90%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.16 SAR 30.62

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.42

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SAR 8.94

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.54 SAR 28.29

$7.14 €6.15

5.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.09

$2.98 €2.57

-63.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.73 SAR 138

$29.26 €25.19

25.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 SAR 12.29

$4.60 €3.96

-28.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 SAR 6.95

$2.07 €1.78

-10.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.49 SAR 50.6

$29.18 €25.12

-53.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.36

$1.84 €1.58

-65.76%

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

$34.1K SAR 128.1K

$39.0K €33.6K

-12.55%

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

$23.4K SAR 87.9K

$32.7K €28.1K

-28.37%

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

$104 SAR 391

$188 €162

-44.53%

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

$34.25 SAR 129

$22.93 €19.74

49.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.0 SAR 289

$36.71 €31.61

109.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$105 SAR 394

$57.4 €49.39

82.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.3 SAR 219

$20.70 €17.82

181.59%

Cinema Ticket

$16.17 SAR 60.7

$11.19 €9.64

44.50%

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

$457 SAR 1,716

$721 €621

-36.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,739 SAR 36.6K

$15.0K €13.0K

-35.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 SAR 223

$86.2 €74.2

-30.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.1 SAR 241

$37.07 €31.92

72.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 SAR 400

$102 €87.8

4.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 SAR 376

$116 €99.8

-13.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,072 SAR 4,024

$1,534 €1,320

-30.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$841 SAR 3,158

$1,220 €1,051

-31.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 SAR 7,608

$2,696 €2,321

-24.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 SAR 4,093

$2,013 €1,733

-45.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,075 SAR 11.5K

$7,220 €6,216

-57.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,931 SAR 7,247

$5,189 €4,467

-62.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,252 SAR 8,453

$2,359 €2,031

-4.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

3.39

56.64%

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

Last update for Riyadh: June 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,072 in Riyadh and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 5% 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: $53.0 in Riyadh vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $318 per month, with Riyadh 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

Riyadh vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Riyadh and Barcelona differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($1,739 vs $2,367 including rent). Riyadh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 5% 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: $1,072 in Riyadh versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $457 in Riyadh versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,739 in Riyadh versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Riyadh but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Riyadh 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, Riyadh 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 Riyadh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.