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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,322 in Muscat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,928 in Muscat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,533 in Muscat.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 75% more expensive than in Muscat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Muscat is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$5.29 OMR 2.04

233.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$25.50 OMR 9.81

173.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$7.99 OMR 3.07

77.22%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$4.86 OMR 1.87

-42.39%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.01 OMR 0.39

178.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.34 OMR 0.13

505.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$12.41 OMR 4.78

-62.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$11.66 OMR 4.49

-59.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.98 OMR 0.76

-37.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.23 OMR 0.47

65.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.70 OMR 0.66

16.47%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.42 OMR 0.93

44.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$3.71 OMR 1.43

394.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$4.89 OMR 1.88

101.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$8.27 OMR 3.18

131.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.51 OMR 0.97

8.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.72 OMR 0.66

38.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.78 OMR 0.69

16.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.14 OMR 0.44

141.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.02 OMR 0.39

92.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.98 OMR 0.38

82.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.09 OMR 0.42

35.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.52 OMR 0.20

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$6.28 OMR 2.42

13.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$15.71 OMR 6.05

-49.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$4.38 OMR 1.68

-68.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$8.02 OMR 3.09

-70.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.27 OMR 0.49

137.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$63.0 OMR 24.25

-53.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$3.16 OMR 1.22

37.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.80 OMR 0.31

166.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$10.20 OMR 3.92

190.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$0.64 OMR 0.25

184.38%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$22.5K OMR 8,652

68.51%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$21.5K OMR 8,277

50.54%

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

$189 €166

$109 OMR 41.77

74.12%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$40.41 OMR 15.55

-44.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$68.5 OMR 26.37

-45.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$48.75 OMR 18.76

19.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$23.23 OMR 8.94

-11.06%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$10.28 OMR 3.96

5.74%

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

$706 €618

$190 OMR 73.0

272.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$10.0K OMR 3,860

48.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$51.0 OMR 19.62

75.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$39.14 OMR 15.06

-6.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$77.6 OMR 29.86

34.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$87.6 OMR 33.71

36.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$616 OMR 237

156.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$407 OMR 157

204.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,243 OMR 478

118.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$714 OMR 275

185.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$2,866 OMR 1,103

162.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,593 OMR 613

228.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,576 OMR 607

49.96%

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 Muscat: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $616 in Muscat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 50% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $26.00 in Muscat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $230 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 75% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,322 including rent). Muscat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 50% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $616 in Muscat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $190 in Muscat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,322 in Muscat versus $2,320 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 75% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.