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: $1,331 in Muscat versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,982 in Muscat versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,633 in Muscat versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Muscat costs roughly 44% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Muscat is 1% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.29 OMR 2.04

$17.58 €15.12

-69.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.39 OMR 10.16

$68.4 €58.9

-61.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.84 OMR 3.02

$14.06 €12.09

-44.24%

Cappuccino

$4.95 OMR 1.90

$2.78 €2.39

78.06%

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

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$2.80 €2.41

-63.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 OMR 0.13

$2.06 €1.78

-83.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.16 OMR 4.68

$4.46 €3.84

172.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.87 OMR 4.57

$4.61 €3.96

157.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 OMR 0.77

$1.24 €1.07

61.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 OMR 0.46

$2.03 €1.74

-40.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 OMR 0.65

$1.92 €1.65

-11.46%

Eggs

$2.45 OMR 0.94

$3.31 €2.85

-25.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.84 OMR 1.48

$18.43 €15.85

-79.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.16 OMR 1.98

$9.49 €8.16

-45.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.46 OMR 3.26

$19.16 €16.48

-55.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 OMR 0.98

$2.64 €2.27

-3.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 OMR 0.66

$2.45 €2.11

-29.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 OMR 0.68

$2.12 €1.82

-16.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 OMR 0.44

$2.85 €2.45

-60.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 OMR 0.38

$2.04 €1.75

-50.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$1.85 €1.59

-44.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 OMR 0.40

$1.47 €1.26

-29.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 OMR 0.22

$0.84 €0.73

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.22 OMR 2.39

$7.14 €6.14

-12.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.55 OMR 5.99

$7.88 €6.78

97.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.25 OMR 1.64

$1.38 €1.19

207.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.90 OMR 3.04

$2.31 €1.99

241.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 OMR 0.49

$2.98 €2.56

-57.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.3 OMR 23.99

$29.26 €25.17

112.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 OMR 1.22

$4.60 €3.95

-31.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 OMR 0.31

$2.07 €1.78

-61.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.34 OMR 3.98

$29.18 €25.10

-64.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 OMR 0.23

$1.84 €1.58

-67.39%

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

$22.8K OMR 8,778

$39.0K €33.6K

-41.56%

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

$21.8K OMR 8,405

$32.7K €28.1K

-33.23%

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

$107 OMR 41.32

$188 €162

-42.85%

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

$40.60 OMR 15.63

$22.93 €19.73

77.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 OMR 27.13

$36.71 €31.58

91.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.24 OMR 18.19

$57.4 €49.35

-17.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.99 OMR 8.85

$20.70 €17.80

11.06%

Cinema Ticket

$10.47 OMR 4.03

$11.19 €9.63

-6.43%

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

$192 OMR 74.1

$721 €620

-73.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,757 OMR 3,756

$15.0K €12.9K

-35.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 OMR 19.53

$86.2 €74.2

-41.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.51 OMR 15.21

$37.07 €31.89

6.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 OMR 30.56

$102 €87.8

-22.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 OMR 34.66

$116 €99.7

-22.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 OMR 238

$1,534 €1,319

-59.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 OMR 158

$1,220 €1,050

-66.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 OMR 470

$2,696 €2,319

-54.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 OMR 281

$2,013 €1,732

-63.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,666 OMR 1,026

$7,220 €6,211

-63.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,552 OMR 597

$5,189 €4,463

-70.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,654 OMR 637

$2,359 €2,029

-29.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.15

3.39

51.92%

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

Last update for Muscat: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Muscat and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 43% 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: $26.00 in Muscat vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $318 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 78% in total monthly costs ($1,331 vs $2,367 including rent). Muscat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 43% 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: $619 in Muscat versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $192 in Muscat versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,331 in Muscat versus $2,367 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 78% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.