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: $1,111 in Salalah versus $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,643 in Salalah versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,175 in Salalah versus $4,582 in Barcelona.

Living in Salalah costs roughly 53% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Salalah is 17% below, Barcelona is 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.22 OMR 2.00

$17.61 €15.04

-70.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.83 OMR 9.92

$68.7 €58.7

-62.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.07 OMR 5.02

$13.75 €11.74

-4.95%

Cappuccino

$6.04 OMR 2.32

$2.76 €2.36

118.84%

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

$0.67 OMR 0.26

$2.78 €2.38

-75.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 OMR 0.10

$2.05 €1.75

-87.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.22 OMR 3.54

$4.61 €3.93

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.60 OMR 4.07

$4.59 €3.92

130.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 OMR 0.66

$1.28 €1.09

33.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 OMR 0.48

$2.11 €1.80

-40.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 OMR 0.81

$1.97 €1.68

7.61%

Eggs

$1.96 OMR 0.75

$3.44 €2.94

-43.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.72 OMR 2.58

$18.83 €16.08

-64.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 OMR 1.76

$9.45 €8.07

-51.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 OMR 3.56

$19.01 €16.24

-51.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 OMR 0.82

$2.72 €2.32

-21.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 OMR 0.42

$2.37 €2.03

-53.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 OMR 0.60

$2.08 €1.77

-24.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 OMR 0.44

$2.76 €2.36

-57.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 OMR 0.44

$1.97 €1.68

-42.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 OMR 0.32

$1.79 €1.53

-53.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 OMR 0.20

$1.51 €1.29

-64.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 OMR 0.21

$0.90 €0.77

-41.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.68 OMR 2.18

$6.76 €5.77

-15.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.62 OMR 7.53

$7.55 €6.44

159.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.01 OMR 1.54

$1.44 €1.23

178.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 OMR 1.78

$2.41 €2.06

92.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 OMR 0.51

$3.03 €2.59

-56.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 OMR 20.65

$28.39 €24.25

89.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 OMR 0.85

$4.43 €3.78

-50.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 OMR 0.49

$2.05 €1.75

-37.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.76 OMR 4.52

$29.33 €25.05

-59.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 OMR 0.23

$1.89 €1.61

-68.78%

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

$20.7K OMR 7,952

$38.7K €33.1K

-46.55%

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

$18.2K OMR 6,994

$32.4K €27.6K

-43.72%

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

$64.4 OMR 24.71

$189 €161

-65.88%

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

$49.60 OMR 19.05

$22.21 €18.96

123.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.5 OMR 29.75

$36.82 €31.44

110.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.7 OMR 36.37

$58.0 €49.52

63.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.51 OMR 10.18

$20.99 €17.93

26.30%

Cinema Ticket

$7.66 OMR 2.94

$11.05 €9.44

-30.68%

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

$111 OMR 42.80

$726 €620

-84.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,402 OMR 922

$15.2K €13.0K

-84.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.22 OMR 10.45

$88.3 €75.4

-69.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.71 OMR 12.17

$36.98 €31.58

-14.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.3 OMR 24.29

$103 €87.6

-38.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.40 OMR 16.66

$119 €102

-63.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$253 OMR 97.3

$1,526 €1,304

-83.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$209 OMR 80.4

$1,218 €1,040

-82.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 OMR 193

$2,794 €2,386

-82.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 OMR 144

$2,027 €1,731

-81.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,015 OMR 774

$7,094 €6,058

-71.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,232 OMR 473

$4,849 €4,141

-74.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,743 OMR 669

$2,404 €2,053

-27.51%

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $253 in Salalah and $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 38% 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 $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $229 vs $320 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 111% in total monthly costs ($1,111 vs $2,341 including rent). Salalah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 38% 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: $253 in Salalah versus $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $111 in Salalah versus $726 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 $1,111 in Salalah versus $2,341 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 111% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.