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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $796 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,214 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,632 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 197% more expensive than Madinat As Sultan Qaboos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Madinat As Sultan Qaboos is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$5.05 OMR 1.94

248.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$25.54 OMR 9.83

167.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$7.94 OMR 3.06

77.08%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.84 OMR 1.86

-42.56%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.04 OMR 0.40

169.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.31 OMR 0.12

564.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$12.20 OMR 4.70

-63.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$11.72 OMR 4.51

-60.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.90 OMR 0.73

-34.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.20 OMR 0.46

69.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.72 OMR 0.66

11.63%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.37 OMR 0.91

39.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$3.82 OMR 1.47

382.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$5.05 OMR 1.94

87.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$8.72 OMR 3.36

119.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.58 OMR 0.99

2.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.69 OMR 0.65

44.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.85 OMR 0.71

14.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.12 OMR 0.43

154.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.96 OMR 0.37

112.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.99 OMR 0.38

86.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.09 OMR 0.42

34.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.52 OMR 0.20

61.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$6.29 OMR 2.42

13.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$15.55 OMR 5.99

-49.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$4.27 OMR 1.65

-67.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$7.84 OMR 3.02

-70.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$3.10 OMR 1.20

48.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.75 OMR 0.29

176.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$10.31 OMR 3.97

183.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.60 OMR 0.23

206.67%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$22.9K OMR 8,823

70.24%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$21.6K OMR 8,308

51.53%

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

$188 €162

$109 OMR 41.88

72.68%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$40.91 OMR 15.75

-43.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$70.8 OMR 27.26

-48.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$10.28 OMR 3.96

8.85%

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

$721 €621

$194 OMR 74.7

271.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$9,991 OMR 3,847

50.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$50.7 OMR 19.51

70.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$39.53 OMR 15.22

-6.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$80.1 OMR 30.84

27.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$88.4 OMR 34.04

31.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Madinat As Sultan Qaboos: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $26.00 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $230 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 197% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $796 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 $3,550 in Barcelona and $1,194 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 $721 in Barcelona versus $194 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 $26.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $796 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos versus $2,367 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 197% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.