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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,111 in Salalah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,643 in Salalah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,175 in Salalah.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 111% more expensive than Salalah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Salalah is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$5.22 OMR 2.00

237.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$25.83 OMR 9.92

165.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$13.07 OMR 5.02

5.20%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$6.04 OMR 2.32

-54.30%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.67 OMR 0.26

314.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.25 OMR 0.10

720.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$9.22 OMR 3.54

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$10.60 OMR 4.07

-56.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.71 OMR 0.66

-25.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.26 OMR 0.48

67.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.12 OMR 0.81

-7.08%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$1.96 OMR 0.75

75.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$6.72 OMR 2.58

180.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$4.59 OMR 1.76

105.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$9.26 OMR 3.56

105.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.14 OMR 0.82

27.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.10 OMR 0.42

115.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.58 OMR 0.60

31.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.16 OMR 0.44

137.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.13 OMR 0.44

74.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.84 OMR 0.32

113.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.53 OMR 0.20

184.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.53 OMR 0.21

69.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$5.68 OMR 2.18

19.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$19.62 OMR 7.53

-61.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$4.01 OMR 1.54

-64.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$4.63 OMR 1.78

-47.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$1.32 OMR 0.51

129.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$53.8 OMR 20.65

-47.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$2.21 OMR 0.85

100.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.28 OMR 0.49

60.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$11.76 OMR 4.52

149.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$0.59 OMR 0.23

220.34%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$20.7K OMR 7,952

87.09%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$18.2K OMR 6,994

77.69%

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

$189 €161

$64.4 OMR 24.71

193.07%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$49.60 OMR 19.05

-55.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$77.5 OMR 29.75

-52.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$94.7 OMR 36.37

-38.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$26.51 OMR 10.18

-20.82%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$7.66 OMR 2.94

44.26%

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

$726 €622

$111 OMR 42.80

551.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$2,402 OMR 922

533.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$27.22 OMR 10.45

224.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$31.71 OMR 12.17

16.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$63.3 OMR 24.29

62.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$43.40 OMR 16.66

174.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$253 OMR 97.3

502.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$209 OMR 80.4

481.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$502 OMR 193

456.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$374 OMR 144

441.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$2,015 OMR 774

252.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,232 OMR 473

293.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$1,743 OMR 669

37.95%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Salalah: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $253 in Salalah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 38% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $26.00 in Salalah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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 111% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,111 including rent). Salalah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 38% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $253 in Salalah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $111 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 $1,111 in Salalah versus $2,341 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 111% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.