Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Madinat As Sultan Qaboos Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $816 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,207 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,597 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 184% more expensive than in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Madinat As Sultan Qaboos is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.48

$5.07 OMR 1.95

248.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.1

$26.53 OMR 10.21

162.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.42

$7.83 OMR 3.01

80.84%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$5.02 OMR 1.93

-44.22%

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

$2.81 €2.47

$1.06 OMR 0.41

165.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.32 OMR 0.12

543.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$12.50 OMR 4.81

-63.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$11.84 OMR 4.56

-60.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.98 OMR 0.76

-37.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.22 OMR 0.47

66.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.73 OMR 0.67

14.45%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.06

$2.35 OMR 0.91

48.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.07

$3.69 OMR 1.42

396.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.62

$4.91 OMR 1.89

100.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.77

$8.28 OMR 3.19

131.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.52 OMR 0.97

8.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.68 OMR 0.65

41.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.83

$1.85 OMR 0.71

12.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.17 OMR 0.45

135.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.95 OMR 0.36

106.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.97 OMR 0.37

84.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.07 OMR 0.41

38.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.53 OMR 0.20

71.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.26

$6.25 OMR 2.41

14.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.91

$15.81 OMR 6.09

-50.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$4.39 OMR 1.69

-68.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.10

$7.68 OMR 2.96

-68.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.74

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$3.03 OMR 1.17

43.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.87

$0.75 OMR 0.29

184.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.96

$10.57 OMR 4.07

180.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$0.65 OMR 0.25

180.00%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$23.1K OMR 8,895

63.95%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$21.4K OMR 8,228

51.48%

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

$189 €166

$107 OMR 41.13

76.90%

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

$22.29 €19.55

$40.73 OMR 15.68

-45.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.58

$70.9 OMR 27.28

-47.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.9

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.12

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.53

$10.28 OMR 3.96

5.74%

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

$706 €619

$189 OMR 72.9

272.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$10.0K OMR 3,868

47.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.4

$49.39 OMR 19.01

81.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.09

$39.11 OMR 15.05

-6.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.2

$78.7 OMR 30.31

32.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$87.3 OMR 33.60

36.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,384

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,086

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,378

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,788

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,599

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,594

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,073

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.15

-34.17%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Madinat As Sultan Qaboos: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $27.00 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $229 per month, with Madinat As Sultan Qaboos 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

Barcelona vs Madinat As Sultan Qaboos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Madinat As Sultan Qaboos differ by about 184% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $816 including rent). Madinat As Sultan Qaboos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,480 in Barcelona and $1,225 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $189 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $816 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Madinat As Sultan Qaboos 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, Barcelona and Madinat As Sultan Qaboos 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 Madinat As Sultan Qaboos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 184% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.