Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Muscat

For one person, living is cheaper in Muscat: $1,565 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Muscat
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Muscat Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Muscat

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,565

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX 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 Austin, TX and in Muscat actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,565 in Muscat.

Austin, TX $2,704
Muscat $1,565

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,341 in Muscat.

Austin, TX $4,133
Muscat $2,341

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $3,116 in Muscat.

Austin, TX $5,562
Muscat $3,116

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 73% more expensive than in Muscat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Muscat 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$5.23 OMR 2.01

286.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$39.68 OMR 15.27

114.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$7.64 OMR 2.94

61.65%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$4.97 OMR 1.91

10.06%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.85 OMR 0.33

349.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.27 OMR 0.10

825.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$12.92 OMR 4.97

-37.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$13.23 OMR 5.09

-32.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.26 OMR 0.87

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.18 OMR 0.45

220.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.89 OMR 0.73

71.96%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.91 OMR 1.12

42.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$7.23 OMR 2.78

80.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$6.86 OMR 2.64

108.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$10.63 OMR 4.09

50.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.66 OMR 1.41

19.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.95 OMR 0.75

-25.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.40 OMR 0.92

89.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.26 OMR 0.48

232.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.22 OMR 0.47

115.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.27 OMR 0.49

85.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.86 OMR 0.72

-5.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.70 OMR 0.27

208.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$6.36 OMR 2.45

54.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$15.54 OMR 5.98

-5.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$6.00 OMR 2.31

-53.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$10.34 OMR 3.98

-66.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.29 OMR 0.50

15.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$77.2 OMR 29.70

-47.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.30 OMR 1.27

-19.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.56 OMR 0.99

-38.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$7.82 OMR 3.01

351.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.63 OMR 0.24

57.14%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$25.7K OMR 9,904

39.14%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$23.0K OMR 8,861

18.04%

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

$219 $219

$177 OMR 68.1

23.86%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$30.49 OMR 11.74

90.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$71.6 OMR 27.56

-4.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$61.1 OMR 23.53

-5.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$29.78 OMR 11.46

-50.24%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$10.45 OMR 4.02

35.22%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$282 OMR 108

435.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$10.4K OMR 4,003

106.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$57.6 OMR 22.17

-10.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$43.41 OMR 16.71

1.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$91.2 OMR 35.11

-6.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$85.9 OMR 33.05

22.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$690 OMR 265

180.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$453 OMR 174

180.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,292 OMR 497

184.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$819 OMR 315

208.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$2,815 OMR 1,084

170.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,609 OMR 619

98.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$1,651 OMR 636

209.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.25

29.33%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Muscat: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Muscat

$453 29.3% 64.4% $819

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Muscat

$291 18.8% 27.7% $112

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Muscat

$220 14.2% 36.8% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Muscat

$279 18% 19.2% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Muscat

$125 8.1% 2.8% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Muscat

$82 5.3% 4.8% $4.1

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Muscat

$98 6.4% 72.6% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $690 in Muscat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 209% 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $40.00 in Muscat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $291 per month, with Muscat cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇴🇲 Muscat

🕒 Local time

01:25 1:25 AM

10:25 10:25 AM

9 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,090,797 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

OMR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇴🇲 Omani Rial (ر.ع.)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.432 OMR (1 OMR = 2.32 EUR).

OMR to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Muscat 13,510 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
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

Austin, TX vs Muscat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Muscat wins on cost – living expenses run 73% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Muscat the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 209% higher in Austin, TX, 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $690 in Muscat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,565 in Muscat – a 73% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Muscat runs roughly 90% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,565 in Muscat versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Muscat but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Muscat 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, Austin, TX and Muscat 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 Muscat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.