Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ar-rustaq and Ruwi

For one person, living is cheaper in Ruwi: $641 a month against $953 in Ar-rustaq, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. The total is higher in Ar-rustaq despite lower rent and utilities.

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

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Ar-rustaq

🇴🇲 Oman

$953

/mo nomad

Ruwi

🇴🇲 Oman

$641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Ruwi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $953 per month in Ar-rustaq vs $641 in Ruwi, rent included.

Ar-rustaq $953
Ruwi $641

A couple spends around $1,432 per month in Ar-rustaq vs $830 in Ruwi, rent included.

Ar-rustaq $1,432
Ruwi $830

A family of three spends $1,910 per month in Ar-rustaq vs $1,020 in Ruwi, rent included.

Ar-rustaq $1,910
Ruwi $1,020

Ar-rustaq costs about 49% more than Ruwi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ar-rustaq and Ruwi are more affordable than the global median – Ar-rustaq 30% lower, Ruwi 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.33 OMR 2.05

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.16 OMR 15.08

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 OMR 3.01

Cappuccino

$5.21 OMR 2.01

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

$0.84 OMR 0.32

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.78 OMR 4.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.19 OMR 5.08

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 OMR 0.92

$2.05 OMR 0.79

16.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 OMR 0.46

$2.02 OMR 0.78

-40.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 OMR 0.75

$1.02 OMR 0.39

91.18%

Eggs

$3.08 OMR 1.19

$1.18 OMR 0.45

161.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.11 OMR 2.74

$1.95 OMR 0.75

264.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 OMR 2.68

$1.95 OMR 0.75

256.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.14 OMR 3.90

$5.05 OMR 1.95

100.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 OMR 1.35

$1.02 OMR 0.39

244.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 OMR 0.78

$1.01 OMR 0.39

100.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 OMR 0.92

$1.01 OMR 0.39

137.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 OMR 0.49

$1.02 OMR 0.39

25.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 OMR 0.45

$1.02 OMR 0.39

14.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 OMR 0.47

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 OMR 0.72

$1.02 OMR 0.39

82.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 OMR 0.26

$1.03 OMR 0.40

-33.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 OMR 2.56

Wine (Bottle)

$15.55 OMR 5.99

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.85 OMR 2.25

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.05 OMR 3.87

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 OMR 1.25

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.57 OMR 0.99

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.03 OMR 3.09

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 OMR 0.23

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

$25.4K OMR 9,784

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

$20.9K OMR 8,060

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

$177 OMR 68.3

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

$30.29 OMR 11.66

$26.10 OMR 10.05

16.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.6 OMR 27.58

$79.4 OMR 30.57

-9.77%

Cinema Ticket

$10.25 OMR 3.95

$9.07 OMR 3.49

13.01%

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

$508 OMR 196

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K OMR 4,030

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 OMR 21.53

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.75 OMR 16.84

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 OMR 34.12

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 OMR 33.26

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 OMR 148

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 OMR 153

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 OMR 351

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 OMR 219

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,358 OMR 1,678

$4,443 OMR 1,711

-1.91%

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 Ruwi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ar-rustaq

$290 30.5%

Ruwi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ar-rustaq

$279 29.3%

Ruwi

–

Eating Out

Ar-rustaq

$223 23.4%

Ruwi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Ar-rustaq

$124 13%

Ruwi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Ar-rustaq

$21 * 2.2%

Ruwi

–

Getting Around

Ar-rustaq

$16 * 1.7%

Ruwi

–

Accommodation & Living

Ar-rustaq

- * 0%

Ruwi

–

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

Good to know

🇴🇲 Ar-rustaq

🇴🇲 Ruwi

🕒 Local time

19:38 7:38 PM

Same time as Ar-rustaq

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

120,000

💱 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 Ruwi 120 km

From you

Ar-rustaq
Ruwi

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 Ruwi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ar-rustaq is pricier by about 49%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,430 per month in Ar-rustaq and $961 in Ruwi. 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 $641 in Ruwi. That’s a gap of about 49%.

Groceries cost about 142% more in Ar-rustaq, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $953 in Ar-rustaq and $641 in Ruwi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Ruwi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $641 in Ruwi to $953 in Ar-rustaq. 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.