Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sohar Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sohar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,441 in Sohar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,151 in Sohar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,862 in Sohar.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 64% more expensive than Sohar, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Sohar 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$6.53 OMR 2.51

169.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$21.05 OMR 8.10

225.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$8.87 OMR 3.41

58.51%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$6.62 OMR 2.55

-58.01%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.65 OMR 0.25

330.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.27 OMR 0.10

662.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$12.74 OMR 4.91

-64.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$14.10 OMR 5.43

-67.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.24 OMR 0.86

-44.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.11 OMR 0.43

82.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.22 OMR 1.24

-40.37%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.82 OMR 1.09

17.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$13.59 OMR 5.23

35.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$9.31 OMR 3.58

1.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$14.40 OMR 5.54

33.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.21 OMR 1.24

-17.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.11 OMR 0.81

16.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.55 OMR 0.98

-16.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.18 OMR 0.46

141.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.74 OMR 0.67

17.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.86 OMR 0.72

-0.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.72 OMR 0.66

-14.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.99 OMR 0.38

-15.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$6.14 OMR 2.36

16.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$26.43 OMR 10.18

-70.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$4.00 OMR 1.54

-65.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$8.47 OMR 3.26

-72.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$2.66 OMR 1.02

12.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$51.9 OMR 20.00

-43.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$3.16 OMR 1.21

45.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.53 OMR 0.59

35.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$10.51 OMR 4.05

177.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.60 OMR 0.23

206.67%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$18.1K OMR 6,963

115.71%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$20.8K OMR 8,000

57.36%

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

$188 €162

$101 OMR 38.93

85.74%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$29.04 OMR 11.18

-21.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$87.4 OMR 33.63

-57.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$51.6 OMR 19.86

11.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$11.78 OMR 4.54

-5.01%

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

$721 €620

$269 OMR 104

168.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$7,119 OMR 2,741

111.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$51.6 OMR 19.88

66.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$43.42 OMR 16.72

-14.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$78.3 OMR 30.14

30.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$46.95 OMR 18.08

146.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$485 OMR 187

216.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$388 OMR 149

214.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$753 OMR 290

257.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$669 OMR 257

201.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$1,154 OMR 444

525.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$774 OMR 298

570.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$2,455 OMR 945

-3.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.62

-39.68%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Sohar: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $485 in Sohar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sohar pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $21.00 in Sohar. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $351, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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 Sohar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sohar differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,441 including rent). Sohar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Sohar earns 4% 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 $485 in Sohar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $269 in Sohar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,441 in Sohar versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sohar but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sohar 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 Sohar 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 Sohar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.