Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ar-rustaq and Muscat

For one person, living is cheaper in Ar-rustaq: $953 a month against $1,544 in Muscat, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Ar-rustaq
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Ar-rustaq Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Muscat
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Muscat Living Index

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Ar-rustaq

🇴🇲 Oman

$953

/mo nomad

Muscat

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,544

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ar-rustaq and in Muscat

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ar-rustaq and in Muscat actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $953 per month in Ar-rustaq vs $1,544 in Muscat, rent included.

Ar-rustaq $953
Muscat $1,544

A couple spends around $1,432 per month in Ar-rustaq vs $2,271 in Muscat, rent included.

Ar-rustaq $1,432
Muscat $2,271

A family of three spends $1,910 per month in Ar-rustaq vs $2,998 in Muscat, rent included.

Ar-rustaq $1,910
Muscat $2,998

Ar-rustaq is about 38% cheaper than Muscat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Ar-rustaq sits 30% below the global median, while Muscat is 13% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.33 OMR 2.05

$5.26 OMR 2.02

1.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.16 OMR 15.08

$39.02 OMR 15.02

0.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 OMR 3.01

$7.99 OMR 3.07

-2.13%

Cappuccino

$5.21 OMR 2.01

$5.17 OMR 1.99

0.77%

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

$0.84 OMR 0.32

$0.92 OMR 0.35

-8.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.78 OMR 4.92

$12.92 OMR 4.97

-1.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.19 OMR 5.08

$13.10 OMR 5.04

0.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 OMR 0.92

$2.36 OMR 0.91

1.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 OMR 0.46

$1.24 OMR 0.48

-3.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 OMR 0.75

$1.92 OMR 0.74

1.56%

Eggs

$3.08 OMR 1.19

$3.12 OMR 1.20

-1.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.11 OMR 2.74

$7.16 OMR 2.76

-0.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 OMR 2.68

$6.88 OMR 2.65

1.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.14 OMR 3.90

$10.22 OMR 3.94

-0.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 OMR 1.35

$3.65 OMR 1.41

-3.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 OMR 0.78

$2.01 OMR 0.78

1.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 OMR 0.92

$2.41 OMR 0.93

-0.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 OMR 0.49

$1.25 OMR 0.48

2.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 OMR 0.45

$1.21 OMR 0.47

-3.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 OMR 0.47

$1.24 OMR 0.48

-1.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 OMR 0.72

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 OMR 0.26

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 OMR 2.56

$6.39 OMR 2.46

4.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.55 OMR 5.99

$15.38 OMR 5.92

1.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.85 OMR 2.25

$6.06 OMR 2.33

-3.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.05 OMR 3.87

$10.29 OMR 3.96

-2.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 OMR 0.51

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 OMR 30.44

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 OMR 1.25

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.57 OMR 0.99

$2.62 OMR 1.01

-1.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.03 OMR 3.09

$7.89 OMR 3.04

1.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 OMR 0.23

$0.60 OMR 0.23

-1.67%

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

$25.4K OMR 9,784

$25.5K OMR 9,819

-0.35%

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

$20.9K OMR 8,060

$20.9K OMR 8,061

-0.01%

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

$177 OMR 68.3

$177 OMR 68.2

0.07%

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

$30.29 OMR 11.66

$30.23 OMR 11.64

0.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.6 OMR 27.58

$69.6 OMR 26.79

2.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 OMR 26.29

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.66 OMR 11.42

Cinema Ticket

$10.25 OMR 3.95

$10.56 OMR 4.06

-2.94%

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

$508 OMR 196

-0.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K OMR 4,030

$10.3K OMR 3,978

1.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 OMR 21.53

$57.2 OMR 22.03

-2.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.75 OMR 16.84

$43.63 OMR 16.80

0.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 OMR 34.12

$90.9 OMR 35.01

-2.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 OMR 33.26

$86.3 OMR 33.23

0.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$720 OMR 277

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 OMR 168

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 OMR 457

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$745 OMR 287

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,815 OMR 1,084

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,619 OMR 623

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,358 OMR 1,678

$1,682 OMR 647

159.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

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

Last update for Ar-rustaq: October 24, 2026

Last update for Muscat: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Ar-rustaq

$290 30.5%

Muscat

$292 18.9% 0.7% $2.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ar-rustaq

$279 29.3%

Muscat

$277 17.9% 0.8% $2.2

Eating Out

Ar-rustaq

$223 23.4%

Muscat

$224 14.5% 0.1% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Ar-rustaq

$124 13%

Muscat

$125 8.1% 1.3% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Ar-rustaq

$21 * 2.2%

Muscat

$89 5.8% 336% $69

Getting Around

Ar-rustaq

$16 * 1.7%

Muscat

$101 6.5% 526% $85

Accommodation & Living

Ar-rustaq

- * 0%

Muscat

$436 28.2%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Ar-rustaq are about 2.6 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Ar-rustaq versus $39 in Muscat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $292 – making Ar-rustaq the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Ar-rustaq

🇴🇲 Muscat

🕒 Local time

21:40 9:40 PM

Same time as Ar-rustaq

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

120,000

1,090,797 Capital

💱 Currency

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

📈 Exchange rate

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.33 EUR

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.33 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ar-rustaq Muscat 100 km

From you

Ar-rustaq
Muscat

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Ar-rustaq vs Muscat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Muscat is pricier by about 62%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,430 per month in Ar-rustaq and $2,316 in Muscat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $953 in Ar-rustaq and $1,544 in Muscat. That’s a gap of about 62%.

Kindergarten costs $508 per month in Ar-rustaq and $508 in Muscat. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Muscat has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $953 in Ar-rustaq to $1,544 in Muscat. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.