Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Oman

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $789 a month against $1,437 in Oman, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

China
Oman
🇨🇳 China
$789
/mo nomad
🇴🇲 Oman
$1,437
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Oman

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $789 in China versus $1,437 in Oman.

  • China $789
  • Oman $1,437

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,254 in China versus $2,092 in Oman.

  • China $1,254
  • Oman $2,092

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,720 in China versus $2,747 in Oman.

  • China $1,720
  • Oman $2,747

Internal cost variation is higher in Oman: monthly costs span $44 to $1,555, compared to $468–$1,246 in China. City choice carries more weight in Oman.

Living in China costs about 45% less than in Oman on average.

China (42% below) and Oman (6% above) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
China
Oman
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.04 ¥20.25
$5.57 OMR 2.14
-45.42%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.12 ¥147
$25.64 OMR 9.87
-13.73%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.37 ¥35.75
$9.72 OMR 3.74
-44.75%
Cappuccino
$2.93 ¥19.54
$4.75 OMR 1.83
-38.32%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.48 ¥3.21
$0.87 OMR 0.33
-44.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 ¥2.01
$0.27 OMR 0.10
11.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.07 ¥7.15
$12.79 OMR 4.92
-91.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 ¥14.69
$13.20 OMR 5.08
-83.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
China
Oman
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.80 ¥12.01
$2.26 OMR 0.87
-20.35%
White Bread (500g)
$1.62 ¥10.76
$1.20 OMR 0.46
35.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.99 ¥6.58
$2.11 OMR 0.81
-53.08%
Eggs
$1.62 ¥10.80
$2.92 OMR 1.12
-44.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.44 ¥89.5
$7.75 OMR 2.98
73.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.46 ¥23.05
$7.04 OMR 2.71
-50.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.15 ¥74.2
$10.67 OMR 4.11
4.50%
Apples (1kg)
$1.89 ¥12.60
$3.24 OMR 1.25
-41.67%
Banana (1kg)
$1.31 ¥8.72
$1.98 OMR 0.76
-33.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.50 ¥9.97
$2.24 OMR 0.86
-33.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.34 ¥8.90
$1.24 OMR 0.48
8.06%
Potato (1kg)
$0.72 ¥4.77
$1.16 OMR 0.45
-37.93%
Onion (1kg)
$0.93 ¥6.21
$1.18 OMR 0.45
-21.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.65 ¥4.35
$1.63 OMR 0.63
-60.12%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.60 ¥3.98
$0.62 OMR 0.24
-3.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.82 ¥25.43
$6.41 OMR 2.47
-40.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.18 ¥81.1
$15.51 OMR 5.97
-21.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.91 ¥6.04
$5.70 OMR 2.19
-84.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65 ¥10.96
$9.89 OMR 3.81
-83.32%
🚌 Getting Around
China
Oman
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.29 ¥1.92
$1.31 OMR 0.51
-77.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$18.07 ¥120
$77.6 OMR 29.86
-76.71%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.53 ¥10.22
$3.28 OMR 1.26
-53.35%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.37 ¥2.46
$1.33 OMR 0.51
-72.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.69 ¥44.58
$7.86 OMR 3.02
-14.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 ¥8.50
$0.59 OMR 0.23
116.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.7K ¥131.5K
$25.0K OMR 9,624
-21.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.5K ¥116.3K
$21.1K OMR 8,119
-17.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
China
Oman
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$55.3 ¥368
$125 OMR 48.24
-55.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.32 ¥55.4
$32.43 OMR 12.48
-74.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.12 ¥74.1
$76.5 OMR 29.43
-85.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
China
Oman
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.65 ¥264
$59.0 OMR 22.72
-32.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.17 ¥101
$26.67 OMR 10.27
-43.12%
Cinema Ticket
$6.65 ¥44.27
$9.38 OMR 3.61
-29.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
China
Oman
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$514 ¥3,426
$361 OMR 139
42.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$34.9K ¥232.5K
$14.7K OMR 5,658
137.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
China
Oman
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.85 ¥305
$51.6 OMR 19.87
-11.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.41 ¥236
$45.70 OMR 17.59
-22.52%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.0 ¥506
$84.8 OMR 32.63
-10.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$80.0 ¥533
$81.5 OMR 31.38
-1.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
China
Oman
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$380 ¥2,528
$585 OMR 225
-35.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$232 ¥1,543
$401 OMR 154
-42.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$836 ¥5,565
$1,016 OMR 391
-17.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$462 ¥3,075
$664 OMR 255
-30.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,743 ¥31.6K
$2,422 OMR 932
95.85%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,383 ¥15.9K
$1,426 OMR 549
67.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
China
Oman
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,117 ¥7,438
$2,602 OMR 1,002
-57.09%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.45
5.09
-32.22%

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

Last update for China: November 1, 2026

Last update for Oman: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
China
$232
Oman
$401 72.9% $169
Groceries & Markets
China
$212
Oman
$287 35.8% $76
Clothing & Footwear
China
$107
Oman
$119 11.1% $12
Eating Out
China
$89
Oman
$226 155% $137
Monthly Utilities & Internet
China
$75
Oman
$234 213% $159
Sport & Entertainment
China
$53
Oman
$78 46.9% $25
Getting Around
China
$23
Oman
$93 310% $70

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $406 in Oman. Capital cities: $942 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $708 in Muscat.

National salary averages: $881 in China, $3,152 in Oman. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 36% higher in Oman.

Dining out costs 50% more in Oman.

Public transport is 194% more expensive in Oman.

Salaries are about 3.6 times higher in Oman, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Oman.

Good to know
🇨🇳 China
🇴🇲 Oman
🕒 Local time
13:09 1:09 PM
09:09 9:09 AM
4 h behind China
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,442,965,000
4,829,480
💱 Currency
Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.
Exchange rates and currency converter

OMR, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 6.66 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.45 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Omani Rial exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.43 OMR (1 OMR = 2.32 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • China Oman 5,670 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • China
  • Oman

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
China vs Oman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: China or Oman?
At $789 per month in China and $1,437 in Oman, China comes out about 45% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: China or Oman?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in China: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
How do rents compare between China and Oman?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $406 in Oman and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
How do I choose between living in China and in Oman?
It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.

China vs other spots: cost of living compared

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