Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Muscat

For one person, living costs are similar in Istanbul and in Muscat: $1,526 and $1,565 a month, rent and utilities included.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Muscat
Learn more

Muscat Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Muscat

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,565

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $1,565 in Muscat, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Muscat $1,565

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $2,341 in Muscat, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Muscat $2,341

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $3,116 in Muscat, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Muscat $3,116

Istanbul is about 2% cheaper than Muscat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Istanbul and Muscat sit above the global median – Istanbul by 14%, Muscat by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$5.23 OMR 2.01

127.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$39.68 OMR 15.28

38.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$7.64 OMR 2.94

19.63%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$4.97 OMR 1.91

-14.69%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$0.85 OMR 0.33

105.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.27 OMR 0.10

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$12.92 OMR 4.97

-63.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$13.23 OMR 5.09

-54.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$2.26 OMR 0.87

-44.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$1.18 OMR 0.45

-19.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.89 OMR 0.73

22.22%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$2.91 OMR 1.12

-15.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$7.23 OMR 2.78

45.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$6.86 OMR 2.64

-18.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$10.63 OMR 4.09

99.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$3.66 OMR 1.41

-47.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.95 OMR 0.75

17.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.40 OMR 0.92

-46.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$1.26 OMR 0.49

46.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$1.22 OMR 0.47

-45.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$1.27 OMR 0.49

-53.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$1.86 OMR 0.72

-28.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.70 OMR 0.27

-15.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$6.36 OMR 2.45

-62.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$15.54 OMR 5.98

-13.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$6.00 OMR 2.31

-59.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$10.34 OMR 3.98

-65.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$1.29 OMR 0.50

-35.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$77.2 OMR 29.71

-13.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$3.30 OMR 1.27

-59.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$2.56 OMR 0.99

-66.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$7.82 OMR 3.01

38.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$0.63 OMR 0.24

133.33%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$25.7K OMR 9,907

100.63%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$23.0K OMR 8,864

93.06%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$177 OMR 68.2

-49.60%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$30.49 OMR 11.74

-61.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$71.6 OMR 27.57

-77.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$61.1 OMR 23.53

26.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$29.78 OMR 11.46

-23.91%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$10.45 OMR 4.02

-20.19%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$282 OMR 109

245.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$10.4K OMR 4,004

147.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$57.6 OMR 22.17

-8.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$43.41 OMR 16.71

-9.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$91.2 OMR 35.12

13.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$85.9 OMR 33.06

12.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$690 OMR 265

44.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$453 OMR 174

38.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$1,292 OMR 498

56.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$819 OMR 315

40.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$2,815 OMR 1,084

12.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$1,609 OMR 619

14.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$1,651 OMR 636

-27.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

5.25

682.67%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Muscat: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Muscat

$453 29.3% 28% $176

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Muscat

$291 18.8% 10.3% $27

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Muscat

$220 14.2% 0.9% $2

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Muscat

$125 8.1% 4.7% $6.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Muscat

$279 18% 139% $162

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Muscat

$82 5.3% 12.7% $12

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Muscat

$98 6.4% 30.6% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $690 in Muscat. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 37% higher in Muscat, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $40.00 in Muscat. Groceries tell a different story – $264 in Istanbul vs $291 in Muscat – so Istanbul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇴🇲 Muscat

🕒 Local time

05:53 5:53 AM

06:53 6:53 AM

1 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

1,090,797 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

OMR, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 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).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Muscat 3,350 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
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

Istanbul vs Muscat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Muscat is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $2,347 in Muscat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Istanbul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $974 per month in Istanbul and $282 in Muscat. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Muscat, 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 Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,526, than in Muscat at $1,565. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Muscat it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Istanbul – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Muscat makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.