Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sur

For one person, living is cheaper in Sur: $1,149 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Sur, Oman
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Sur
🇴🇲 Oman
$1,149
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Sur

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Sur actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $1,149 in Sur.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Sur $1,149

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $1,653 in Sur.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Sur $1,653

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $2,156 in Sur.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Sur $2,156

Living in Barcelona is roughly 113% more expensive than in Sur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Sur
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.80
$3.88 OMR 1.49
353.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.6
$25.96 OMR 9.99
159.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.15
$7.63 OMR 2.94
77.33%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.87
$5.05 OMR 1.94
-36.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.62
$0.73 OMR 0.28
298.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$0.27 OMR 0.10
600.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.60
$12.80 OMR 4.93
-68.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.07
$12.79 OMR 4.92
-64.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Sur
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.59 OMR 0.61
-17.61%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.23 OMR 0.48
64.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$1.73 OMR 0.66
6.94%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.34
$1.95 OMR 0.75
147.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €15.03
$7.19 OMR 2.77
132.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.19
$6.81 OMR 2.62
33.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.64
$8.99 OMR 3.46
118.46%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.68
$2.35 OMR 0.91
26.81%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.28 OMR 0.49
57.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.43
$1.06 OMR 0.41
154.72%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.52
$0.80 OMR 0.31
250.00%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$0.76 OMR 0.29
175.00%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.86
$0.54 OMR 0.21
283.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$1.55 OMR 0.60
-5.81%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$0.53 OMR 0.21
77.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.17
$6.38 OMR 2.45
7.68%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.08
$15.86 OMR 6.11
-50.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$6.10 OMR 2.35
-76.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.28
$10.30 OMR 3.96
-75.34%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Sur
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.86
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.69
$3.32 OMR 1.28
-9.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$2.61 OMR 1.01
-42.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.98
$7.74 OMR 2.98
331.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$0.53 OMR 0.20
239.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.8K
$24.7K OMR 9,491
34.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.5K
$20.7K OMR 7,965
53.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Sur
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$77.7 OMR 29.90
132.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.43
$23.09 OMR 8.89
-40.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.27
$69.7 OMR 26.85
-51.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Sur
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.27
$86.3 OMR 33.21
-40.29%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.34
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.88
$10.25 OMR 3.95
7.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Sur
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €823
$502 OMR 193
82.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
$6,458 OMR 2,486
155.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Sur
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €78.2
$56.9 OMR 21.89
53.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.59
$44.07 OMR 16.97
-12.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €95.1
$88.9 OMR 34.23
19.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €108
$88.4 OMR 34.01
35.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Sur
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,527
$257 OMR 99.0
560.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,217
$271 OMR 104
400.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,338
$467 OMR 180
457.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,853
$385 OMR 148
436.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,211
$583 OMR 224
1086.35%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,606
$515 OMR 198
896.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Sur
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,986
$2,660 OMR 1,024
-16.87%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
5.25
-37.52%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sur: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Sur
$271 80% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Sur
$252 21.7% $70
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Sur
$208 22.3% $60
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Sur
$170 25.2% $57
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Sur
$125 20.8% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Sur
$107 45.3% $33
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Sur
$16 * 66.2% $32

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $257 in Sur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sur pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $26 in Sur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $252 per month, with Sur cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇴🇲 Sur
🕒 Local time
23:54 11:54 PM
02:54 2:54 AM
3 h ahead of Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
120,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.
Exchange rates and currency converter

OMR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.429 OMR (1 OMR = 2.33 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Sur 5,690 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Sur

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Sur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Sur?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $1,149 in Sur, so Sur is about 53% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Barcelona. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Sur?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $257 in Sur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Sur?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $502 in Sur. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Sur – a meal for two runs $26 versus $67 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,149 in Sur versus $2,453 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sur but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sur the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Sur?
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.
Is Barcelona or Sur safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Sur are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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