Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ruwi Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ruwi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $493 in Ruwi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $753 in Ruwi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,013 in Ruwi.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 380% more expensive than Ruwi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Ruwi is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

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

$2.80 €2.41

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.97 OMR 0.76

-37.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.01 OMR 0.77

1.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.02 OMR 0.39

88.24%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.22 OMR 0.47

171.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$2.05 OMR 0.79

799.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$1.96 OMR 0.76

384.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$4.92 OMR 1.90

289.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.01 OMR 0.39

161.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$0.97 OMR 0.37

152.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.98 OMR 0.38

116.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.02 OMR 0.39

179.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.99 OMR 0.38

106.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.98 OMR 0.38

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.02 OMR 0.39

-17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

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

$39.0K €33.6K

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

$32.7K €28.2K

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

$188 €162

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

$22.93 €19.75

$26.00 OMR 10.01

-11.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$77.2 OMR 29.71

-52.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$9.25 OMR 3.56

20.97%

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

$721 €621

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$13.2K OMR 5,080

14.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$391 OMR 151

291.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$255 OMR 98.2

378.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$920 OMR 354

192.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$573 OMR 221

251.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$2,566 OMR 988

-8.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ruwi: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $391 in Ruwi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ruwi pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

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 Ruwi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ruwi differ by about 380% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $493 including rent). Ruwi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Ruwi earns 9% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $391 in Ruwi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 168% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,367 per month in Barcelona versus $493 in Ruwi – a 380% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $493 in Ruwi versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ruwi but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ruwi 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 Ruwi 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 Ruwi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 380% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.