Cost of Living Comparison Between Salalah and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Salalah and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,088 in Salalah versus $2,359 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,665 in Salalah versus $3,498 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,241 in Salalah versus $4,638 in Barcelona.

Living in Salalah costs roughly 54% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Salalah is 18% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 OMR 2.06

$17.15 €14.86

-68.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.64 OMR 9.87

$68.1 €58.9

-62.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.90 OMR 4.97

$13.64 €11.82

-5.43%

Cappuccino

$6.04 OMR 2.32

$2.78 €2.41

117.27%

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

$0.67 OMR 0.26

$2.82 €2.44

-76.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

$1.96 €1.70

-86.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.21 OMR 3.55

$4.43 €3.84

107.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.24 OMR 3.94

$4.61 €3.99

122.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 OMR 0.65

$1.27 €1.10

33.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 OMR 0.47

$2.13 €1.85

-42.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 OMR 0.82

$1.99 €1.72

6.53%

Eggs

$1.96 OMR 0.76

$3.37 €2.92

-41.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.02 OMR 2.70

$18.96 €16.42

-62.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 OMR 1.78

$9.53 €8.26

-51.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.07 OMR 3.49

$18.73 €16.22

-51.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 OMR 0.82

$2.65 €2.29

-19.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 OMR 0.43

$2.35 €2.04

-52.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 OMR 0.61

$2.09 €1.81

-23.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 OMR 0.46

$2.73 €2.37

-56.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 OMR 0.43

$1.96 €1.70

-42.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 OMR 0.30

$1.81 €1.56

-56.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.50 OMR 0.19

$1.51 €1.31

-66.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 OMR 0.21

$0.89 €0.77

-38.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.78 OMR 2.23

$6.78 €5.87

-14.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.81 OMR 7.63

$7.92 €6.86

150.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.87 OMR 1.49

$1.37 €1.19

182.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 OMR 1.84

$2.40 €2.08

99.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 OMR 0.50

$2.91 €2.52

-54.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.7 OMR 21.43

$28.66 €24.82

94.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.27 OMR 0.87

$4.58 €3.96

-50.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 OMR 0.51

$2.04 €1.77

-35.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.71 OMR 4.51

$28.72 €24.87

-59.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 OMR 0.25

$1.82 €1.58

-64.84%

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

$21.1K OMR 8,116

$39.3K €34.0K

-46.37%

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

$18.2K OMR 7,004

$32.5K €28.1K

-43.97%

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

$64.8 OMR 24.95

$187 €162

-65.27%

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

$48.09 OMR 18.51

$22.29 €19.30

115.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.0 OMR 29.25

$36.37 €31.50

108.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.5 OMR 36.38

$57.5 €49.82

64.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.73 OMR 9.90

$20.74 €17.96

24.06%

Cinema Ticket

$7.82 OMR 3.01

$10.77 €9.33

-27.39%

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

$110 OMR 42.52

$725 €628

-84.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,384 OMR 917

$15.2K €13.1K

-84.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.27 OMR 10.50

$87.9 €76.1

-68.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.97 OMR 11.92

$36.81 €31.88

-15.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.5 OMR 24.06

$103 €89.6

-39.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.59 OMR 16.78

$119 €103

-63.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 OMR 100

$1,524 €1,319

-82.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$211 OMR 81.2

$1,227 €1,062

-82.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 OMR 187

$2,727 €2,362

-82.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$380 OMR 146

$1,984 €1,718

-80.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,012 OMR 774

$7,469 €6,468

-73.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,237 OMR 476

$5,243 €4,541

-76.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,771 OMR 682

$2,393 €2,072

-26.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.58

3.39

35.10%

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

Last update for Salalah: July 25, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $261 in Salalah and $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 35% 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 Salalah vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $229 vs $319 per month, with Salalah 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

Salalah vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Salalah and Barcelona differ by about 117% in total monthly costs ($1,088 vs $2,359 including rent). Salalah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 35% 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: $261 in Salalah versus $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $110 in Salalah versus $725 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,088 in Salalah versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Salalah but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Salalah 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, Salalah 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 Salalah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.