Cost of Living Comparison Between Sakakah and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Sakakah and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,159 in Sakakah versus $2,359 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,646 in Sakakah versus $3,498 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,134 in Sakakah versus $4,638 in Barcelona.

Living in Sakakah costs roughly 51% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sakakah is 13% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.82 SAR 21.87

$17.15 €14.86

-66.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.09 SAR 169

$68.1 €58.9

-33.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 SAR 29.64

$13.64 €11.82

-42.16%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 SAR 8.12

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 SAR 6.07

Cappuccino

$3.67 SAR 13.78

$2.78 €2.41

32.01%

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

$0.65 SAR 2.44

$2.82 €2.44

-76.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 SAR 1.18

$1.96 €1.70

-83.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 SAR 6.23

$1.27 €1.10

30.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 SAR 3.48

$2.13 €1.85

-56.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 SAR 8.94

$1.99 €1.72

19.60%

Eggs

$2.40 SAR 9.01

$3.37 €2.92

-28.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.02 SAR 26.35

$18.96 €16.42

-62.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.57 SAR 28.42

$9.53 €8.26

-20.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 SAR 48.06

$18.73 €16.22

-31.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 SAR 8.24

$2.65 €2.29

-17.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.91

$2.35 €2.04

-33.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

$2.09 €1.81

-18.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.14

$2.73 €2.37

-39.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 SAR 4.65

$1.96 €1.70

-36.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 SAR 4.98

$1.81 €1.56

-26.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 SAR 4.46

$1.51 €1.31

-21.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 SAR 2.04

$0.89 €0.77

-39.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.18 SAR 11.95

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 SAR 6.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.82

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.09 SAR 26.61

$6.78 €5.87

4.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 SAR 3.91

$2.91 €2.52

-64.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.00 SAR 150

$28.66 €24.82

39.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 SAR 9.72

$4.58 €3.96

-43.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 SAR 7.23

$2.04 €1.77

-5.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.22 SAR 49.64

$28.72 €24.87

-53.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 SAR 2.30

$1.82 €1.58

-66.48%

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

$26.9K SAR 101.2K

$39.3K €34.0K

-31.46%

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

$22.4K SAR 84.2K

$32.5K €28.1K

-30.97%

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

$104 SAR 391

$187 €162

-44.24%

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

$34.12 SAR 128

$22.29 €19.30

53.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.1 SAR 275

$36.37 €31.50

101.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.7 SAR 224

$57.5 €49.82

3.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.17 SAR 132

$20.74 €17.96

69.58%

Cinema Ticket

$15.58 SAR 58.5

$10.77 €9.33

44.66%

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

$359 SAR 1,347

$725 €628

-50.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,946 SAR 26.1K

$15.2K €13.1K

-54.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 SAR 222

$87.9 €76.1

-32.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.7 SAR 224

$36.81 €31.88

62.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 SAR 303

$103 €89.6

-21.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.6 SAR 307

$119 €103

-31.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$226 SAR 850

$1,524 €1,319

-85.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$377 SAR 1,416

$1,227 €1,062

-69.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$344 SAR 1,293

$2,727 €2,362

-87.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 SAR 1,156

$1,984 €1,718

-84.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,298 SAR 8,629

$7,469 €6,468

-69.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,294 SAR 4,859

$5,243 €4,541

-75.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$922 SAR 3,464

$2,393 €2,072

-61.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

3.39

30.38%

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

Last update for Sakakah: July 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $226 in Sakakah and $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 159% 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: $45.00 in Sakakah vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $319 per month, with Sakakah 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

Sakakah vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sakakah and Barcelona differ by about 104% in total monthly costs ($1,159 vs $2,359 including rent). Sakakah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 159% 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: $226 in Sakakah versus $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $359 in Sakakah versus $725 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,159 in Sakakah versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sakakah but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sakakah 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, Sakakah 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 Sakakah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 104% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.