Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Duqm and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Duqm: $310 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Duqm

🇴🇲 Oman

$310

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Duqm and in Cape Town

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

A single person spends $310 per month in Duqm vs $1,586 in Cape Town, rent included.

Duqm $310
Cape Town $1,586

A couple spends around $510 per month in Duqm vs $2,425 in Cape Town, rent included.

Duqm $510
Cape Town $2,425

A family of three spends $710 per month in Duqm vs $3,263 in Cape Town, rent included.

Duqm $710
Cape Town $3,263

Duqm is about 80% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Duqm sits 77% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.01 OMR 1.93

$12.14 R 200

-58.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.12 OMR 5.05

$45.34 R 747

-71.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

Cappuccino

$2.41 OMR 0.93

$2.50 R 41.18

-3.60%

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

$0.51 OMR 0.20

$1.27 R 20.94

-59.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 OMR 0.13

$0.98 R 16.14

-65.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.98 OMR 3.07

$2.99 R 49.33

166.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.09 OMR 5.04

$3.72 R 61.4

251.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 OMR 1.03

$2.23 R 36.76

20.18%

Eggs

$2.82 OMR 1.09

$3.11 R 51.2

-9.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.18 OMR 1.99

$6.92 R 114

-25.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 OMR 1.32

$1.84 R 30.25

85.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 OMR 0.31

$1.48 R 24.45

-45.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.18 OMR 0.07

$1.13 R 18.60

-84.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.04 OMR 5.02

$2.14 R 35.20

509.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

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

$114 R 1,883

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

$28.91 R 476

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 OMR 29.74

$49.01 R 808

57.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

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

$259 R 4,264

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

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

Last update for Duqm: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Duqm

–

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Groceries & Markets

Duqm

–

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Duqm

–

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Eating Out

Duqm

–

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Duqm

–

Cape Town

$143 9%

Getting Around

Duqm

–

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Duqm

–

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Duqm versus $45.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $95.0 vs $225 – making Duqm the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Duqm

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

19:18 7:18 PM

17:18 5:18 PM

2 h behind Duqm

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,000

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.31 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to OMR – Omani Rial Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇴🇲 Omani Rial (ر.ع.)

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.433 OMR (1 OMR = 2.31 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to OMR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Duqm Cape Town 7,260 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Duqm
Cape Town

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

Duqm vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 411% more than Duqm, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $466 per month in Duqm and $2,379 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $310 in Duqm and $1,586 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 411%.

Groceries cost about 137% more in Cape Town, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Duqm, where all-in costs run around $310, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Duqm it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Duqm costs $310 versus $1,586 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Duqm. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.