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: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $1,117 in Salalah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $1,684 in Salalah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $2,251 in Salalah.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 115% more expensive than in Salalah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Salalah is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.42

$5.35 OMR 2.06

230.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €61.1

$26.02 OMR 10.02

169.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.91

$12.74 OMR 4.91

7.22%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.39

$5.96 OMR 2.30

-54.03%

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

$2.79 €2.43

$0.68 OMR 0.26

310.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.27 OMR 0.10

625.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.81

$9.19 OMR 3.54

-52.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.99

$10.22 OMR 3.94

-55.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.68 OMR 0.65

-23.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.21 OMR 0.47

69.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.12 OMR 0.82

-6.60%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.96

$1.96 OMR 0.75

72.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.26

$7.00 OMR 2.70

166.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.34

$4.74 OMR 1.82

101.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.43

$9.15 OMR 3.52

105.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.40

$2.04 OMR 0.79

34.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$1.10 OMR 0.42

124.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.59 OMR 0.61

32.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.46

$1.15 OMR 0.44

145.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.09 OMR 0.42

85.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$0.85 OMR 0.33

117.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$0.50 OMR 0.19

202.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.78

$0.54 OMR 0.21

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.16

$5.71 OMR 2.20

23.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.96

$19.59 OMR 7.54

-59.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$3.91 OMR 1.51

-63.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.00

$4.60 OMR 1.77

-50.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.51

$1.32 OMR 0.51

118.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.77

$54.3 OMR 20.90

-47.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.82

$2.34 OMR 0.90

87.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.32 OMR 0.51

62.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.44

$11.47 OMR 4.42

154.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.63

$0.64 OMR 0.25

190.63%

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

$39.0K €34.0K

$21.1K OMR 8,138

84.39%

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

$32.7K €28.5K

$18.1K OMR 6,965

80.74%

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

$189 €165

$63.8 OMR 24.55

196.58%

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

$22.71 €19.82

$49.08 OMR 18.90

-53.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.85

$75.7 OMR 29.14

-51.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €50.3

$93.1 OMR 35.85

-38.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.64

$25.83 OMR 9.94

-17.27%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.43

$8.00 OMR 3.08

35.13%

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

$726 €634

$113 OMR 43.64

540.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.2K

$2,353 OMR 906

541.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €76.5

$27.72 OMR 10.67

216.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €32.19

$30.59 OMR 11.78

20.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.3

$62.8 OMR 24.18

64.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €102

$42.62 OMR 16.41

173.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,373

$257 OMR 99.1

511.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,064

$209 OMR 80.4

484.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,366

$491 OMR 189

451.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,716

$371 OMR 143

430.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,815

$1,998 OMR 769

290.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,595

$1,228 OMR 473

329.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,072

$1,779 OMR 685

33.48%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Salalah: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $257 in Salalah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 33% 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 Salalah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $228 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 115% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $1,117 including rent). Salalah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 33% 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $257 in Salalah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $113 in Salalah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,117 in Salalah versus $2,399 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 115% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.