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: $1,441 in Sohar versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,151 in Sohar versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,862 in Sohar versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Sohar costs roughly 39% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sohar 8% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.53 OMR 2.51

$17.58 €15.12

-62.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.05 OMR 8.10

$68.4 €58.9

-69.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.87 OMR 3.41

$14.06 €12.09

-36.91%

Cappuccino

$6.62 OMR 2.55

$2.78 €2.39

138.13%

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

$0.65 OMR 0.25

$2.80 €2.41

-76.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

$2.06 €1.78

-86.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.74 OMR 4.91

$4.46 €3.84

185.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.10 OMR 5.43

$4.61 €3.96

205.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 OMR 0.86

$1.24 €1.07

80.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 OMR 0.43

$2.03 €1.74

-45.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.22 OMR 1.24

$1.92 €1.65

67.71%

Eggs

$2.82 OMR 1.09

$3.31 €2.85

-14.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.59 OMR 5.23

$18.43 €15.85

-26.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 OMR 3.58

$9.49 €8.16

-1.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.40 OMR 5.54

$19.16 €16.48

-24.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 OMR 1.24

$2.64 €2.27

21.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 OMR 0.81

$2.45 €2.11

-13.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 OMR 0.98

$2.12 €1.82

20.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 OMR 0.46

$2.85 €2.45

-58.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 OMR 0.67

$2.04 €1.75

-14.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 OMR 0.72

$1.85 €1.59

0.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 OMR 0.66

$1.47 €1.26

17.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 OMR 0.38

$0.84 €0.73

17.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 OMR 2.36

$7.14 €6.14

-14.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$26.43 OMR 10.18

$7.88 €6.78

235.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.00 OMR 1.54

$1.38 €1.19

189.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.47 OMR 3.26

$2.31 €1.99

266.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 OMR 1.02

$2.98 €2.56

-10.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.9 OMR 20.00

$29.26 €25.17

77.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 OMR 1.21

$4.60 €3.95

-31.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 OMR 0.59

$2.07 €1.78

-26.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.51 OMR 4.05

$29.18 €25.10

-63.98%

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)

$18.1K OMR 6,963

$39.0K €33.6K

-53.64%

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

$20.8K OMR 8,000

$32.7K €28.1K

-36.45%

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

$101 OMR 38.93

$188 €162

-46.16%

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

$29.04 OMR 11.18

$22.93 €19.73

26.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.4 OMR 33.63

$36.71 €31.58

137.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 OMR 19.86

$57.4 €49.35

-10.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

Cinema Ticket

$11.78 OMR 4.54

$11.19 €9.63

5.27%

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

$269 OMR 104

$721 €620

-62.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,119 OMR 2,741

$15.0K €12.9K

-52.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 OMR 19.88

$86.2 €74.2

-40.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.42 OMR 16.72

$37.07 €31.89

17.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 OMR 30.14

$102 €87.8

-23.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.95 OMR 18.08

$116 €99.7

-59.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 OMR 187

$1,534 €1,319

-68.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$388 OMR 149

$1,220 €1,050

-68.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 OMR 290

$2,696 €2,319

-72.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 OMR 257

$2,013 €1,732

-66.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,154 OMR 444

$7,220 €6,211

-84.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$774 OMR 298

$5,189 €4,463

-85.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,455 OMR 945

$2,359 €2,029

4.06%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Sohar and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sohar pays 4% 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 $68.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $351 vs $318, 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 64% in total monthly costs ($1,441 vs $2,367 including rent). Sohar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Sohar pays 4% more on average, 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: $485 in Sohar versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $269 in Sohar versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,441 in Sohar versus $2,367 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 64% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.