Cost of Living Comparison Between Sohar and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Sohar and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,428 in Sohar versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,124 in Sohar versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,820 in Sohar versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Sohar costs roughly 38% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sohar 7% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.65 OMR 2.56

$17.66 €15.45

-62.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.08 OMR 8.11

$69.7 €61.0

-69.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.12 OMR 3.51

$14.16 €12.39

-35.59%

Cappuccino

$7.01 OMR 2.70

$2.80 €2.45

150.36%

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

$0.64 OMR 0.25

$2.81 €2.46

-77.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 OMR 0.10

$2.06 €1.81

-87.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.09 OMR 5.04

$4.60 €4.02

184.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.16 OMR 5.45

$4.69 €4.10

201.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 OMR 0.87

$1.23 €1.08

84.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 OMR 0.41

$2.03 €1.78

-47.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 OMR 1.28

$1.98 €1.73

68.18%

Eggs

$2.73 OMR 1.05

$3.49 €3.05

-21.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 OMR 5.26

$18.33 €16.04

-25.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 OMR 3.42

$9.83 €8.60

-9.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 OMR 5.41

$19.13 €16.73

-26.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 OMR 1.27

$2.73 €2.38

20.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 OMR 0.81

$2.38 €2.09

-11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 OMR 0.99

$2.08 €1.82

24.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 OMR 0.45

$2.75 €2.41

-57.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 OMR 0.67

$1.96 €1.72

-10.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 OMR 0.71

$1.79 €1.57

2.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 OMR 0.67

$1.48 €1.29

17.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 OMR 0.38

$0.91 €0.80

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 OMR 2.25

$7.13 €6.24

-17.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.86 OMR 9.95

$7.88 €6.89

228.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.96 OMR 1.52

$1.38 €1.21

186.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.79 OMR 3.38

$2.39 €2.09

267.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 OMR 1.01

$3.01 €2.63

-12.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.3 OMR 19.74

$29.35 €25.68

74.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 OMR 1.28

$4.36 €3.82

-23.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 OMR 0.62

$2.13 €1.86

-24.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.37 OMR 3.99

$29.60 €25.90

-64.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 OMR 0.23

$1.82 €1.59

-67.03%

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

$18.2K OMR 7,016

$37.9K €33.1K

-51.89%

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

$20.6K OMR 7,923

$32.4K €28.3K

-36.43%

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

$102 OMR 39.11

$189 €165

-46.25%

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

$29.28 OMR 11.27

$22.29 €19.50

31.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.1 OMR 33.53

$37.16 €32.51

134.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.4 OMR 20.15

$58.0 €50.8

-9.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

Cinema Ticket

$11.69 OMR 4.50

$10.87 €9.51

7.54%

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

$267 OMR 103

$706 €618

-62.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,155 OMR 2,754

$14.9K €13.0K

-51.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 OMR 19.48

$89.4 €78.3

-43.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.88 OMR 16.89

$36.60 €32.02

19.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 OMR 30.88

$104 €91.0

-22.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.41 OMR 17.86

$119 €104

-61.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 OMR 191

$1,579 €1,381

-68.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 OMR 148

$1,238 €1,083

-69.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$780 OMR 300

$2,712 €2,373

-71.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$683 OMR 263

$2,039 €1,784

-66.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,184 OMR 456

$7,527 €6,585

-84.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$775 OMR 298

$5,239 €4,584

-85.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,506 OMR 965

$2,364 €2,068

6.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.62

3.39

65.78%

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

Last update for Sohar: July 14, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $497 in Sohar and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sohar pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $21.00 in Sohar vs $70.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $347 vs $320, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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

Sohar vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sohar and Barcelona differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($1,428 vs $2,320 including rent). Sohar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Sohar, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $497 in Sohar versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $267 in Sohar versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,428 in Sohar versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sohar but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sohar 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, Sohar 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 Sohar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.