Cost of Living Comparison Between Umm As-summaq and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Umm As-summaq and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $728 in Umm As-summaq versus $2,359 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,356 in Umm As-summaq versus $3,498 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,985 in Umm As-summaq versus $4,638 in Barcelona.

Living in Umm As-summaq costs roughly 69% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Umm As-summaq is 45% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.52 JOD 4.62

$17.15 €14.86

-61.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.19 JOD 34.82

$68.1 €58.9

-27.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 JOD 3.55

$13.64 €11.82

-63.27%

Cappuccino

$4.15 JOD 2.94

$2.78 €2.41

49.28%

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

$0.52 JOD 0.37

$2.82 €2.44

-81.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 JOD 0.26

$1.96 €1.70

-81.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 JOD 4.06

$4.43 €3.84

29.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 JOD 4.87

$4.61 €3.99

49.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 JOD 0.91

$1.27 €1.10

0.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.34 JOD 0.24

$2.13 €1.85

-84.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 JOD 1.02

$1.99 €1.72

-27.64%

Eggs

$2.56 JOD 1.81

$3.37 €2.92

-24.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.74 JOD 1.94

$18.96 €16.42

-85.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.46 JOD 4.57

$9.53 €8.26

-32.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 JOD 7.92

$18.73 €16.22

-40.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 JOD 0.97

$2.65 €2.29

-47.92%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 JOD 0.53

$2.35 €2.04

-68.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 JOD 0.99

$2.09 €1.81

-33.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.27 JOD 0.19

$2.73 €2.37

-90.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 JOD 0.24

$1.96 €1.70

-83.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.29 JOD 0.21

$1.81 €1.56

-83.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 JOD 0.43

$1.51 €1.31

-59.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 JOD 0.45

$0.89 €0.77

-29.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 JOD 2.49

$6.78 €5.87

-48.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.85 JOD 11.93

$7.92 €6.86

112.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.78 JOD 3.39

$1.37 €1.19

248.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 JOD 3.92

$2.40 €2.08

130.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 JOD 0.52

$2.91 €2.52

-74.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 JOD 0.48

$4.58 €3.96

-85.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 JOD 0.21

$2.04 €1.77

-85.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.12 JOD 5.04

$28.72 €24.87

-75.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 JOD 1.02

$1.82 €1.58

-21.43%

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

$26.8K JOD 19.0K

$39.3K €34.0K

-31.86%

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

$31.6K JOD 22.4K

$32.5K €28.1K

-2.57%

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

$106 JOD 74.9

$187 €162

-43.32%

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

$16.73 JOD 11.85

$22.29 €19.30

-24.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.46 JOD 22.28

$36.37 €31.50

-13.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.43 JOD 28.62

$57.5 €49.82

-29.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 JOD 24.72

$20.74 €17.96

68.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 JOD 7.89

$10.77 €9.33

3.53%

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

$271 JOD 192

$725 €628

-62.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,400 JOD 3,823

$15.2K €13.1K

-64.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 JOD 43.88

$87.9 €76.1

-29.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 JOD 40.00

$36.81 €31.88

53.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 JOD 81.8

$103 €89.6

11.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.8 JOD 56.5

$119 €103

-32.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 JOD 269

$1,524 €1,319

-75.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 JOD 325

$2,727 €2,362

-83.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 JOD 252

$1,984 €1,718

-82.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,675 JOD 1,186

$7,469 €6,468

-77.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$855 JOD 606

$2,393 €2,072

-64.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

3.39

96.76%

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

Last update for Umm As-summaq: July 25, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $380 in Umm As-summaq and $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 180% 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: $49.00 in Umm As-summaq vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $319 per month, with Umm As-summaq 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

Umm As-summaq vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Umm As-summaq and Barcelona differ by about 224% in total monthly costs ($728 vs $2,359 including rent). Umm As-summaq is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 180% 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: $380 in Umm As-summaq versus $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $271 in Umm As-summaq versus $725 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Umm As-summaq – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $728 in Umm As-summaq versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Umm As-summaq but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Umm As-summaq 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, Umm As-summaq 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 Umm As-summaq gentler on the wallet – expenses run 224% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.