Cost of Living Comparison Between Kalmar and Sohar Cost of Living Comparison Between Kalmar and Sohar

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,862 per month in Kalmar vs $1,441 in Sohar, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,801 per month in Kalmar vs $2,151 in Sohar, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,740 per month in Kalmar vs $2,862 in Sohar, rent included.

Kalmar costs about 29% more than Sohar, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Kalmar and Sohar sit above the global median – Kalmar by 39%, Sohar by 8%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.05 SEK 150

$6.53 OMR 2.51

145.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.3 SEK 693

$21.05 OMR 8.10

252.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 SEK 98.6

$8.87 OMR 3.41

19.05%

Cappuccino

$4.56 SEK 42.55

$6.62 OMR 2.55

-31.12%

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

$2.89 SEK 26.97

$0.65 OMR 0.25

344.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 SEK 24.85

$0.27 OMR 0.10

885.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.71 SEK 90.6

$12.74 OMR 4.91

-23.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 SEK 69.3

$14.10 OMR 5.43

-47.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 SEK 13.77

$2.24 OMR 0.86

-33.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 SEK 22.28

$1.11 OMR 0.43

115.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 SEK 24.05

$3.22 OMR 1.24

-19.88%

Eggs

$4.88 SEK 45.52

$2.82 OMR 1.09

73.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.36 SEK 96.7

$13.59 OMR 5.23

-23.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.73 SEK 109

$9.31 OMR 3.58

25.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.15 SEK 151

$14.40 OMR 5.54

12.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 SEK 24.42

$3.21 OMR 1.24

-18.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 SEK 26.03

$2.11 OMR 0.81

32.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 SEK 29.16

$2.55 OMR 0.98

22.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.70 SEK 34.51

$1.18 OMR 0.46

213.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 SEK 13.33

$1.74 OMR 0.67

-17.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 SEK 21.87

$1.86 OMR 0.72

25.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 SEK 19.19

$1.72 OMR 0.66

19.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 SEK 15.44

$0.99 OMR 0.38

67.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.30 SEK 68.1

$6.14 OMR 2.36

18.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.90 SEK 92.4

$26.43 OMR 10.18

-62.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 SEK 19.71

$4.00 OMR 1.54

-47.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 SEK 15.48

$8.47 OMR 3.26

-80.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.83 SEK 26.39

$2.66 OMR 1.02

6.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.2 SEK 804

$51.9 OMR 20.00

65.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.25 SEK 67.6

$3.16 OMR 1.21

129.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 SEK 14.53

$1.53 OMR 0.59

1.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.6 SEK 491

$10.51 OMR 4.05

400.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 SEK 18.19

$0.60 OMR 0.23

225.00%

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

$27.5K SEK 256.4K

$18.1K OMR 6,963

51.92%

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

$28.1K SEK 262.2K

$20.8K OMR 8,000

35.26%

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

$118 SEK 1,104

$101 OMR 38.93

17.03%

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

$28.08 SEK 262

$29.04 OMR 11.18

-3.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.58 SEK 285

$87.4 OMR 33.63

-64.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.43 SEK 275

$51.6 OMR 19.86

-42.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.57 SEK 145

Cinema Ticket

$14.22 SEK 133

$11.78 OMR 4.54

20.71%

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

$145 SEK 1,357

$269 OMR 104

-45.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,155 SEK 38.8K

$7,119 OMR 2,741

-41.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.8 SEK 595

$51.6 OMR 19.88

23.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.69 SEK 193

$43.42 OMR 16.72

-52.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.0 SEK 560

$78.3 OMR 30.14

-23.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.4 SEK 723

$46.95 OMR 18.08

64.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$939 SEK 8,760

$485 OMR 187

93.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$795 SEK 7,421

$388 OMR 149

105.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,389 SEK 13.0K

$753 OMR 290

84.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,183 SEK 11.0K

$669 OMR 257

76.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,304 SEK 40.2K

$1,154 OMR 444

273.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,931 SEK 27.4K

$774 OMR 298

278.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,061 SEK 28.6K

$2,455 OMR 945

24.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.66

5.62

-17.08%

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

Last update for Kalmar: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sohar: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $939 in Kalmar versus $485 in Sohar. 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 25% higher in Kalmar, 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 $74.0 in Kalmar versus $21.00 in Sohar. Groceries tell a different story – $338 in Kalmar vs $351 in Sohar – so Kalmar wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Kalmar vs Sohar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,862 in Kalmar, $1,441 in Sohar – roughly 29% apart. Kalmar costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,793 per month in Kalmar and $2,161 in Sohar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $145 per month in Kalmar and $269 in Sohar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Kalmar – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sohar, where all-in costs run around $1,441, than in Kalmar at $1,862. In Sohar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kalmar it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sohar – 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 Sohar. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kalmar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.