Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Salalah Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Salalah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,088 in Salalah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,665 in Salalah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,241 in Salalah.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 117% more expensive than in Salalah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Salalah is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$5.34 OMR 2.06

221.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$25.64 OMR 9.87

165.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$12.90 OMR 4.97

5.74%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$6.04 OMR 2.32

-53.97%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.67 OMR 0.26

320.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.27 OMR 0.10

625.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$9.21 OMR 3.55

-51.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$10.24 OMR 3.94

-54.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.69 OMR 0.65

-24.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.22 OMR 0.47

74.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.12 OMR 0.82

-6.13%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.96 OMR 0.76

71.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$7.02 OMR 2.70

170.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$4.63 OMR 1.78

105.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$9.07 OMR 3.49

106.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.13 OMR 0.82

24.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.11 OMR 0.43

111.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.59 OMR 0.61

31.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.19 OMR 0.46

129.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.12 OMR 0.43

75.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.78 OMR 0.30

132.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.50 OMR 0.19

202.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.55 OMR 0.21

61.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$5.78 OMR 2.23

17.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$19.81 OMR 7.63

-60.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$3.87 OMR 1.49

-64.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$4.78 OMR 1.84

-49.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.31 OMR 0.50

122.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$55.7 OMR 21.43

-48.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$2.27 OMR 0.87

101.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.32 OMR 0.51

54.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$11.71 OMR 4.51

145.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$0.64 OMR 0.25

184.38%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$21.1K OMR 8,116

86.47%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$18.2K OMR 7,004

78.48%

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

$187 €162

$64.8 OMR 24.95

187.96%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$48.09 OMR 18.51

-53.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$76.0 OMR 29.25

-52.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$94.5 OMR 36.38

-39.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$25.73 OMR 9.90

-19.39%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$7.82 OMR 3.01

37.72%

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

$725 €628

$110 OMR 42.52

556.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$2,384 OMR 917

535.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$27.27 OMR 10.50

222.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$30.97 OMR 11.92

18.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$62.5 OMR 24.06

65.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$43.59 OMR 16.78

171.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$261 OMR 100

484.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$211 OMR 81.2

481.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$485 OMR 187

462.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$380 OMR 146

422.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$2,012 OMR 774

271.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,237 OMR 476

323.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$1,771 OMR 682

35.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.58

-25.98%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Salalah: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $261 in Salalah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 35% 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 Salalah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $229 per month, with Salalah 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 Salalah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Salalah differ by about 117% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,088 including rent). Salalah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 35% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $261 in Salalah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $110 in Salalah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,088 in Salalah versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Salalah but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Salalah 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 Salalah 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 Salalah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.