Cost of Living Comparison Between Muscat and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Muscat and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,525 in Muscat versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,272 in Muscat versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,019 in Muscat versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Muscat costs roughly 39% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Muscat 11% above, Barcelona 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 OMR 2.06

$18.39 €15.81

-70.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.00 OMR 13.09

$69.2 €59.5

-50.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.74 OMR 2.98

$14.13 €12.15

-45.22%

Cappuccino

$4.73 OMR 1.82

$3.13 €2.69

51.12%

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

$0.86 OMR 0.33

$3.02 €2.59

-71.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 OMR 0.11

$1.96 €1.69

-85.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.07 OMR 5.03

$4.00 €3.44

226.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.79 OMR 4.92

$4.76 €4.09

168.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 OMR 0.87

$1.25 €1.07

80.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 OMR 0.48

$2.16 €1.86

-42.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 OMR 0.73

$1.69 €1.45

12.43%

Eggs

$2.94 OMR 1.13

$4.93 €4.24

-40.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.65 OMR 2.94

$17.88 €15.37

-57.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.57 OMR 2.53

$9.61 €8.26

-31.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.54 OMR 4.06

$19.34 €16.63

-45.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 OMR 1.31

$3.24 €2.78

5.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 OMR 0.77

$2.18 €1.87

-8.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 OMR 0.89

$2.67 €2.30

-13.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 OMR 0.46

$2.77 €2.38

-56.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 OMR 0.47

$2.21 €1.90

-44.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 OMR 0.50

$2.19 €1.88

-41.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 OMR 0.69

$1.52 €1.31

18.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 OMR 0.26

$0.92 €0.79

-27.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.30 OMR 2.43

$7.12 €6.12

-11.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.43 OMR 5.94

$8.14 €6.99

89.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.68 OMR 2.19

$1.50 €1.29

278.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.72 OMR 3.36

$2.78 €2.39

213.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 OMR 0.49

$3.15 €2.71

-59.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.7 OMR 29.52

$26.99 €23.21

184.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 OMR 1.24

$3.25 €2.79

-1.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.59 OMR 1.00

$1.50 €1.29

72.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.82 OMR 3.01

$34.89 €30.00

-77.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 OMR 0.23

$1.75 €1.50

-65.14%

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

$25.1K OMR 9,665

$36.7K €31.5K

-31.52%

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

$22.2K OMR 8,564

$30.9K €26.6K

-28.10%

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

$170 OMR 65.5

$188 €161

-9.40%

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

$30.94 OMR 11.91

$15.44 €13.27

100.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 OMR 26.92

$37.80 €32.49

85.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.7 OMR 24.14

$57.2 €49.16

9.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.20 OMR 11.24

$16.80 €14.44

73.81%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 OMR 3.98

$11.58 €9.95

-10.71%

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

$289 OMR 111

$1,003 €862

-71.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K OMR 4,110

$17.0K €14.6K

-37.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 OMR 21.42

$89.2 €76.7

-37.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.19 OMR 16.63

$40.87 €35.14

5.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 OMR 35.43

$110 €94.5

-16.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.0 OMR 36.95

$123 €105

-21.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 OMR 259

$1,673 €1,438

-59.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 OMR 175

$1,331 €1,145

-65.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,366 OMR 526

$2,596 €2,232

-47.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$857 OMR 330

$1,950 €1,676

-56.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,835 OMR 1,092

$7,573 €6,511

-62.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,595 OMR 614

$5,370 €4,617

-70.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,660 OMR 639

$2,402 €2,065

-30.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

3.16

66.14%

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

Last update for Muscat: September 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Muscat and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 45% 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: $34.00 in Muscat vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $332 per month, with Muscat 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

Muscat vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Muscat and Barcelona differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($1,525 vs $2,495 including rent). Muscat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 45% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $673 in Muscat versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $289 in Muscat versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,525 in Muscat versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Muscat but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Muscat 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, Muscat and Barcelona 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 Muscat 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.