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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,331 in Muscat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,982 in Muscat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,633 in Muscat.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 78% more expensive than Muscat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Muscat is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$5.29 OMR 2.04

232.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$26.39 OMR 10.16

159.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$7.84 OMR 3.02

79.34%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.95 OMR 1.90

-43.84%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.02 OMR 0.39

174.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.34 OMR 0.13

505.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$12.16 OMR 4.68

-63.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$11.87 OMR 4.57

-61.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.00 OMR 0.77

-38.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.20 OMR 0.46

69.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.70 OMR 0.65

12.94%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.45 OMR 0.94

35.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$3.84 OMR 1.48

379.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$5.16 OMR 1.98

83.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$8.46 OMR 3.26

126.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.54 OMR 0.98

3.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.72 OMR 0.66

42.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.77 OMR 0.68

19.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.13 OMR 0.44

152.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.00 OMR 0.38

104.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.02 OMR 0.39

81.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.03 OMR 0.40

42.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.56 OMR 0.22

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$6.22 OMR 2.39

14.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$15.55 OMR 5.99

-49.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$4.25 OMR 1.64

-67.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$7.90 OMR 3.04

-70.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$1.27 OMR 0.49

134.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$62.3 OMR 23.99

-53.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$3.16 OMR 1.22

45.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.80 OMR 0.31

158.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$10.34 OMR 3.98

182.21%

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

$22.8K OMR 8,778

71.12%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$21.8K OMR 8,405

49.77%

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

$188 €162

$107 OMR 41.32

74.99%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$40.60 OMR 15.63

-43.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$70.5 OMR 27.13

-47.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$47.24 OMR 18.19

21.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$22.99 OMR 8.85

-9.96%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$10.47 OMR 4.03

6.88%

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

$721 €620

$192 OMR 74.1

274.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$9,757 OMR 3,756

54.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$50.7 OMR 19.53

69.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$39.51 OMR 15.21

-6.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$79.4 OMR 30.56

28.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$90.0 OMR 34.66

28.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$619 OMR 238

147.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$410 OMR 158

197.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$1,222 OMR 470

120.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$730 OMR 281

175.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$2,666 OMR 1,026

170.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$1,552 OMR 597

234.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$1,654 OMR 637

42.66%

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 Muscat: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $619 in Muscat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 43% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $26.00 in Muscat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $231 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 78% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,331 including rent). Muscat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 43% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $619 in Muscat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $192 in Muscat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,331 in Muscat versus $2,367 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 78% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.