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: $1,758 in Riyadh versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,475 in Riyadh versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,192 in Riyadh versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Riyadh costs roughly 24% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Riyadh 32% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.19 SAR 30.76

$17.66 €15.45

-53.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 SAR 202

$69.7 €61.0

-22.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.97 SAR 29.91

$14.16 €12.39

-43.71%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 SAR 6.33

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 SAR 8.68

Cappuccino

$3.98 SAR 14.94

$2.80 €2.45

42.14%

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

$0.77 SAR 2.88

$2.81 €2.46

-72.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 SAR 1.17

$2.06 €1.81

-84.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 SAR 6.34

$1.23 €1.08

37.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 SAR 4.98

$2.03 €1.78

-34.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 SAR 8.85

$1.98 €1.73

19.19%

Eggs

$2.69 SAR 10.10

$3.49 €3.05

-22.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.48 SAR 31.84

$18.33 €16.04

-53.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SAR 37.17

$9.83 €8.60

0.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.50 SAR 54.4

$19.13 €16.73

-24.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 SAR 8.73

$2.73 €2.38

-15.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 SAR 6.52

$2.38 €2.09

-26.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 SAR 7.06

$2.08 €1.82

-9.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.96

$2.75 €2.41

-42.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 SAR 4.68

$1.96 €1.72

-36.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 SAR 5.49

$1.79 €1.57

-18.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 SAR 5.38

$1.48 €1.29

-3.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 SAR 1.94

$0.91 €0.80

-42.86%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$7.87 SAR 29.54

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 SAR 6.70

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 SAR 9.06

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.41 SAR 27.83

$7.13 €6.24

3.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 SAR 4.07

$3.01 €2.63

-64.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.88 SAR 138

$29.35 €25.68

25.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 SAR 12.09

$4.36 €3.82

-26.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 SAR 6.93

$2.13 €1.86

-13.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.19 SAR 49.53

$29.60 €25.90

-55.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.39

$1.82 €1.59

-64.84%

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

$35.1K SAR 131.7K

$37.9K €33.1K

-7.41%

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

$23.4K SAR 88.0K

$32.4K €28.3K

-27.60%

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

$106 SAR 398

$189 €165

-43.99%

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

$35.14 SAR 132

$22.29 €19.50

57.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.9 SAR 289

$37.16 €32.51

107.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$106 SAR 399

$58.0 €50.8

83.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.9 SAR 225

$20.66 €18.08

189.98%

Cinema Ticket

$16.22 SAR 60.9

$10.87 €9.51

49.22%

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

$465 SAR 1,747

$706 €618

-34.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,542 SAR 35.8K

$14.9K €13.0K

-35.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 SAR 219

$89.4 €78.3

-34.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 SAR 244

$36.60 €32.02

77.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 SAR 413

$104 €91.0

5.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 SAR 378

$119 €104

-15.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 SAR 4,166

$1,579 €1,381

-29.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$843 SAR 3,164

$1,238 €1,083

-31.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,026 SAR 7,608

$2,712 €2,373

-25.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 SAR 4,233

$2,039 €1,784

-44.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,911 SAR 10.9K

$7,527 €6,585

-61.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,938 SAR 7,279

$5,239 €4,584

-63.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,020 SAR 7,587

$2,364 €2,068

-14.53%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,110 in Riyadh and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 17% 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: $54.0 in Riyadh vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $320 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 32% in total monthly costs ($1,758 vs $2,320 including rent). Riyadh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 17% 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: $1,110 in Riyadh versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Riyadh versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,758 in Riyadh versus $2,320 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 32% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.