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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,457 in Sohar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,102 in Sohar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,747 in Sohar.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 70% more expensive than in Sohar, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Sohar 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$6.66 OMR 2.56

181.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$21.02 OMR 8.09

230.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$9.29 OMR 3.58

48.22%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.94 OMR 1.90

-37.25%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.65 OMR 0.25

335.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.30 OMR 0.12

526.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$12.96 OMR 4.99

-69.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$14.14 OMR 5.45

-67.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$2.13 OMR 0.82

-40.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.07 OMR 0.41

101.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$3.31 OMR 1.27

-46.83%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.81 OMR 1.08

82.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$13.29 OMR 5.12

34.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$9.17 OMR 3.53

5.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$14.54 OMR 5.60

38.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$3.32 OMR 1.28

-2.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.12 OMR 0.82

5.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.58 OMR 0.99

0.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.17 OMR 0.45

135.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.77 OMR 0.68

24.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.81 OMR 0.70

17.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.64 OMR 0.63

-5.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.97 OMR 0.37

-2.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$5.82 OMR 2.24

26.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$26.21 OMR 10.09

-69.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$3.92 OMR 1.51

-60.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$8.62 OMR 3.32

-67.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$2.62 OMR 1.01

18.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$52.3 OMR 20.15

-50.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$3.16 OMR 1.22

3.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.58 OMR 0.61

-6.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$10.43 OMR 4.02

228.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.64 OMR 0.25

170.31%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$18.5K OMR 7,141

96.07%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$20.2K OMR 7,791

50.92%

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

$187 €163

$104 OMR 40.10

79.61%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$29.82 OMR 11.48

-49.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$87.4 OMR 33.64

-56.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$49.20 OMR 18.94

13.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$11.48 OMR 4.42

-0.61%

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

$997 €869

$296 OMR 114

236.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$7,085 OMR 2,728

133.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$52.0 OMR 20.02

78.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$43.88 OMR 16.89

-6.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$80.1 OMR 30.84

38.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$46.55 OMR 17.92

168.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$494 OMR 190

245.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$377 OMR 145

241.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$798 OMR 307

221.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$680 OMR 262

185.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$1,157 OMR 445

561.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$789 OMR 304

554.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$2,428 OMR 935

-3.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.33

-50.08%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Sohar: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $494 in Sohar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sohar pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $21.00 in Sohar. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $348, 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 70% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,457 including rent). Sohar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Sohar. 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $494 in Sohar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $296 in Sohar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,457 in Sohar versus $2,476 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 70% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.