Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Muscat Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Muscat

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,525 in Muscat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $2,272 in Muscat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $3,019 in Muscat.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 64% more expensive than in Muscat, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Muscat 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$5.34 OMR 2.06

244.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$34.00 OMR 13.09

103.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$7.74 OMR 2.98

82.56%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$4.73 OMR 1.82

-33.83%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$0.86 OMR 0.33

251.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.29 OMR 0.11

575.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$13.07 OMR 5.03

-69.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$12.79 OMR 4.92

-62.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$2.25 OMR 0.87

-44.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.25 OMR 0.48

72.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.90 OMR 0.73

-11.05%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$2.94 OMR 1.13

67.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$7.65 OMR 2.94

133.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$6.57 OMR 2.53

46.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$10.54 OMR 4.06

83.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$3.41 OMR 1.31

-4.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.00 OMR 0.77

9.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.32 OMR 0.89

15.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$1.20 OMR 0.46

130.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.22 OMR 0.47

81.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.29 OMR 0.50

69.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.80 OMR 0.69

-15.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.67 OMR 0.26

37.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$6.30 OMR 2.43

13.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$15.43 OMR 5.94

-47.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$5.68 OMR 2.19

-73.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$8.72 OMR 3.36

-68.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$1.29 OMR 0.49

144.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

$76.7 OMR 29.52

-64.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$3.21 OMR 1.24

1.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.59 OMR 1.00

-42.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$7.82 OMR 3.01

346.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$0.61 OMR 0.23

186.89%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$25.1K OMR 9,665

46.03%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$22.2K OMR 8,564

39.08%

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

$188 €161

$170 OMR 65.5

10.38%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$30.94 OMR 11.91

-50.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$69.9 OMR 26.92

-45.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$62.7 OMR 24.14

-8.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

$29.20 OMR 11.24

-42.47%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$10.34 OMR 3.98

11.99%

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

$1,003 €862

$289 OMR 111

246.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$10.7K OMR 4,110

59.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$55.7 OMR 21.42

60.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$43.19 OMR 16.63

-5.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$92.0 OMR 35.43

19.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$96.0 OMR 36.95

27.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$673 OMR 259

148.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$455 OMR 175

192.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$1,366 OMR 526

90.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$857 OMR 330

127.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$2,835 OMR 1,092

167.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$1,595 OMR 614

236.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$1,660 OMR 639

44.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.25

-39.81%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Muscat: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $673 in Muscat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 45% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $34.00 in Muscat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $284 per month, with Muscat 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 Muscat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Muscat differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,525 including rent). Muscat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 45% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $673 in Muscat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $289 in Muscat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,525 in Muscat versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Muscat but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Muscat 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 Muscat 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 Muscat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.