Cost of Living Comparison Between Yanbu and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Yanbu and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,038 in Yanbu versus $2,476 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,626 in Yanbu versus $3,545 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,214 in Yanbu versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Yanbu costs roughly 58% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Yanbu is 24% below, Barcelona is 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.51 SAR 24.47

$18.74 €16.33

-65.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.19 SAR 140

$69.5 €60.6

-46.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.85 SAR 25.73

$13.77 €12.00

-50.25%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.63 SAR 6.12

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.96

Cappuccino

$3.57 SAR 13.40

$3.10 €2.70

15.16%

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

$0.79 SAR 2.97

$2.83 €2.47

-72.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 SAR 0.77

$1.88 €1.64

-89.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 SAR 6.40

$1.27 €1.11

33.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 SAR 3.32

$2.16 €1.88

-59.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 SAR 8.10

$1.76 €1.53

22.73%

Eggs

$2.39 SAR 8.97

$5.13 €4.47

-53.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.34 SAR 23.82

$17.88 €15.59

-64.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 SAR 30.98

$9.65 €8.41

-14.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 SAR 49.97

$20.15 €17.56

-34.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 SAR 7.86

$3.25 €2.84

-35.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$2.23 €1.94

-22.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 SAR 5.67

$2.60 €2.27

-41.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 SAR 6.29

$2.76 €2.40

-39.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 SAR 4.38

$2.21 €1.93

-47.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 SAR 4.11

$2.12 €1.85

-48.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 SAR 3.92

$1.55 €1.35

-32.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 SAR 2.00

$0.95 €0.83

-44.21%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.36 SAR 5.12

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 SAR 5.10

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.93

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.72 SAR 25.24

$7.34 €6.40

-8.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 SAR 3.92

$3.11 €2.71

-66.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.14 SAR 98.2

$25.86 €22.54

1.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 SAR 12.07

$3.27 €2.85

-1.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 SAR 2.93

$1.48 €1.29

-47.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.61 SAR 51.1

$34.27 €29.88

-60.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.62 SAR 2.33

$1.73 €1.51

-64.16%

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

$46.4K SAR 174.3K

$36.4K €31.7K

27.62%

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

$21.4K SAR 80.6K

$30.5K €26.6K

-29.78%

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

$102 SAR 384

$187 €163

-45.38%

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

$22.45 SAR 84.3

$15.14 €13.20

48.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.4 SAR 253

$37.69 €32.85

78.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.1 SAR 357

$55.9 €48.76

70.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.16 SAR 98.2

$17.08 €14.89

53.16%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 SAR 44.91

$11.41 €9.95

4.82%

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

$266 SAR 998

$997 €869

-73.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,837 SAR 14.4K

$16.5K €14.4K

-76.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.1 SAR 252

$92.6 €80.8

-27.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.9 SAR 229

$41.22 €35.93

47.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 SAR 368

$111 €96.9

-12.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 SAR 368

$125 €109

-21.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$313 SAR 1,176

$1,707 €1,488

-81.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$210 SAR 790

$1,286 €1,121

-83.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$595 SAR 2,234

$2,565 €2,236

-76.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$425 SAR 1,597

$1,942 €1,693

-78.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,470 SAR 13.0K

$2,348 €2,047

47.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

3.16

70.57%

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

Last update for Yanbu: September 14, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $313 in Yanbu and $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yanbu pays 48% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Yanbu vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $336 per month, with Yanbu 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

Yanbu vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yanbu and Barcelona differ by about 139% in total monthly costs ($1,038 vs $2,476 including rent). Yanbu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 48% higher in Yanbu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $313 in Yanbu versus $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $266 in Yanbu versus $997 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,038 in Yanbu versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yanbu but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Yanbu 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, Yanbu 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 Yanbu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 139% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.