Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ruwi

For one person, living is cheaper in Ruwi: $637 a month against $2,381 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,381

/mo nomad

Ruwi

🇴🇲 Oman

$637

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Ruwi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Ruwi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,381 in Barcelona versus $637 in Ruwi.

Barcelona $2,381
Ruwi $637

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,406 in Barcelona versus $830 in Ruwi.

Barcelona $3,406
Ruwi $830

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,431 in Barcelona versus $1,023 in Ruwi.

Barcelona $4,431
Ruwi $1,023

Living in Barcelona is roughly 274% more expensive than in Ruwi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 76% above, Ruwi is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 €15.92

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €58.9

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.69 €12.18

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

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

$3.07 €2.73

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.73

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.87 €3.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.10

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.98 OMR 0.76

-34.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.98 OMR 0.76

6.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.62

$0.98 OMR 0.38

86.73%

Eggs

$4.62 €4.11

$1.23 OMR 0.47

275.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.36 €15.44

$1.96 OMR 0.75

785.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 €8.25

$1.98 OMR 0.76

368.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.83 €17.64

$4.87 OMR 1.87

307.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.68

$1.02 OMR 0.39

195.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$0.99 OMR 0.38

105.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$0.98 OMR 0.38

170.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 €2.55

$1.01 OMR 0.39

184.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$0.99 OMR 0.38

118.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$0.97 OMR 0.37

51.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$1.02 OMR 0.39

-13.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.93 €6.16

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 €6.96

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.24

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.34

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.59

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.46 €22.64

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 €2.66

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.20 €29.53

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.65

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

$32.3K €28.8K

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

$31.7K €28.2K

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

$183 €163

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

$13.61 €12.11

$25.58 OMR 9.85

-46.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.93 €29.29

$77.8 OMR 29.95

-57.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 €48.65

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 €14.70

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

$9.35 OMR 3.60

20.11%

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

$954 €849

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.0 €76.5

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.11 €34.78

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.2

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €106

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 €1,508

$394 OMR 152

329.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 €1,135

$397 OMR 153

221.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,576 €2,291

$897 OMR 346

187.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 €1,710

$579 OMR 223

232.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,281 €6,477

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 €4,456

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,227 €1,981

$4,466 OMR 1,719

-50.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Last update for Ruwi: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 53.6%

Ruwi

–

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$325 13.7%

Ruwi

–

Eating Out

Barcelona

$270 11.3%

Ruwi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$229 9.6%

Ruwi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$156 6.6%

Ruwi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$77 3.2%

Ruwi

–

Getting Around

Barcelona

$47 2%

Ruwi

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,695 in Barcelona and $394 in Ruwi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ruwi pays 101% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇴🇲 Ruwi

🕒 Local time

12:48 12:48 PM

14:48 2:48 PM

2 h ahead of Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.31 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Barcelona Ruwi 5,540 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Ruwi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 274% in total monthly costs ($2,381 vs $637 including rent). Ruwi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 101% lower in Ruwi. 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: $1,695 in Barcelona versus $394 in Ruwi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 176% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,381 per month in Barcelona versus $637 in Ruwi – a 274% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $637 in Ruwi versus $2,381 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 274% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.