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: $1,736 in Riyadh versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,592 in Riyadh versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,447 in Riyadh versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Riyadh costs roughly 30% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Riyadh 26% above, Barcelona 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.72 SAR 28.99

$18.39 €15.87

-58.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.3 SAR 241

$69.2 €59.7

-7.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.39 SAR 31.49

$14.13 €12.19

-40.62%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 SAR 6.79

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 SAR 10.67

Cappuccino

$4.38 SAR 16.44

$3.13 €2.70

39.94%

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

$0.86 SAR 3.23

$3.02 €2.60

-71.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 SAR 1.28

$1.96 €1.69

-82.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.45

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.11

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 SAR 6.40

$1.25 €1.08

36.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 SAR 4.95

$2.16 €1.87

-38.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 SAR 9.07

$1.69 €1.45

43.20%

Eggs

$3.27 SAR 12.29

$4.93 €4.26

-33.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.55 SAR 35.87

$17.88 €15.43

-46.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.80 SAR 36.81

$9.61 €8.29

1.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 SAR 56.3

$19.34 €16.69

-22.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 SAR 10.13

$3.24 €2.79

-16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 SAR 7.14

$2.18 €1.88

-12.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 SAR 8.72

$2.67 €2.30

-13.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.44

$2.77 €2.39

-37.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 SAR 4.16

$2.21 €1.91

-49.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 SAR 5.21

$2.19 €1.89

-36.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

$1.52 €1.31

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.22

$0.92 €0.80

-35.87%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.02 SAR 30.12

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 SAR 6.77

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 SAR 9.24

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.29 SAR 27.38

$7.12 €6.14

2.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.02

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.40

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.94

$3.15 €2.72

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.11 SAR 139

$26.99 €23.29

37.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 SAR 12.25

$3.25 €2.80

0.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 SAR 6.89

$1.50 €1.30

22.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.30 SAR 49.94

$34.89 €30.11

-61.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.20

$1.75 €1.51

-66.29%

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

$35.4K SAR 133.0K

$36.7K €31.6K

-3.41%

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

$22.3K SAR 83.8K

$30.9K €26.7K

-27.87%

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

$95.6 SAR 359

$188 €162

-49.04%

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

$31.83 SAR 120

$15.44 €13.32

106.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.0 SAR 263

$37.80 €32.61

85.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.6 SAR 344

$57.2 €49.34

60.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.8 SAR 206

$16.80 €14.49

226.25%

Cinema Ticket

$13.76 SAR 51.7

$11.58 €9.99

18.83%

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

$539 SAR 2,023

$1,003 €865

-46.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K SAR 41.8K

$17.0K €14.7K

-34.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 SAR 225

$89.2 €77.0

-32.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.4 SAR 219

$40.87 €35.27

42.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 SAR 415

$110 €94.9

0.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 SAR 391

$123 €106

-15.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,189 SAR 4,464

$1,673 €1,444

-28.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$851 SAR 3,195

$1,331 €1,149

-36.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,177 SAR 8,174

$2,596 €2,240

-16.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 SAR 4,782

$1,950 €1,683

-34.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,947 SAR 11.1K

$7,573 €6,535

-61.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,891 SAR 7,100

$5,370 €4,634

-64.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,104 SAR 7,902

$2,402 €2,073

-12.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

3.16

75.32%

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

Last update for Riyadh: August 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,189 in Riyadh and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 14% 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: $64.0 in Riyadh vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $332 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 44% in total monthly costs ($1,736 vs $2,495 including rent). Riyadh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 14% 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: $1,189 in Riyadh versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $539 in Riyadh versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,736 in Riyadh versus $2,495 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 44% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.