Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madinat As Sultan Qaboos and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos: $953 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cape Town outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

46

Cost of Living Index in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos
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Madinat As Sultan Qaboos Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

🇴🇲 Oman

$953

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos 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 Madinat As Sultan Qaboos and in Cape Town actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $953 per month in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos vs $1,586 in Cape Town, rent included.

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos $953
Cape Town $1,586

A couple spends around $1,433 per month in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos vs $2,425 in Cape Town, rent included.

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos $1,433
Cape Town $2,425

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos vs $3,263 in Cape Town, rent included.

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos $1,914
Cape Town $3,263

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos is about 40% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos sits 29% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.29 OMR 2.04

$12.14 R 200

-56.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.70 OMR 15.29

$45.34 R 747

-12.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 OMR 2.99

$5.88 R 96.9

31.97%

Cappuccino

$4.94 OMR 1.90

$2.50 R 41.18

97.60%

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

$0.84 OMR 0.32

$1.27 R 20.94

-33.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 OMR 0.11

$0.98 R 16.14

-70.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.92 OMR 4.97

$2.99 R 49.33

332.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.93 OMR 4.98

$3.72 R 61.4

247.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 OMR 0.89

$1.30 R 21.40

77.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 OMR 0.46

$1.25 R 20.68

-4.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 OMR 0.70

$2.23 R 36.76

-18.39%

Eggs

$3.03 OMR 1.17

$3.11 R 51.2

-2.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.11 OMR 2.74

$9.06 R 149

-21.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 OMR 2.70

$6.92 R 114

1.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 OMR 4.07

$9.30 R 153

13.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 OMR 1.38

$1.84 R 30.25

95.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 OMR 0.78

$1.96 R 32.29

3.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 OMR 0.90

$1.67 R 27.45

40.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 OMR 0.50

$2.17 R 35.70

-39.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 OMR 0.45

$1.57 R 25.81

-26.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 OMR 0.49

$1.48 R 24.45

-13.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 OMR 0.71

$1.30 R 21.41

42.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 OMR 0.27

$1.13 R 18.60

-37.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 OMR 2.56

$3.60 R 59.3

84.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.76 OMR 6.07

$6.15 R 101

156.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.08 OMR 2.34

$1.38 R 22.66

340.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.22 OMR 3.93

$2.14 R 35.20

377.57%

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)

$3.32 OMR 1.28

$0.59 R 9.71

462.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 OMR 0.98

$1.50 R 24.65

70.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 OMR 2.98

$5.11 R 84.2

51.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 OMR 0.25

$1.55 R 25.50

-58.71%

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

$25.3K OMR 9,736

$36.2K R 596.5K

-30.15%

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

$22.3K OMR 8,570

$31.2K R 514.8K

-28.76%

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

$176 OMR 67.9

$114 R 1,883

54.22%

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

$31.16 OMR 12.00

$28.91 R 476

7.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.5 OMR 27.51

$39.73 R 654

79.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 OMR 4.01

$9.15 R 151

13.99%

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

$292 OMR 112

$259 R 4,264

12.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K OMR 4,033

$6,794 R 111.9K

54.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 OMR 21.33

$56.2 R 926

-1.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.86 OMR 16.89

$32.41 R 534

35.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 OMR 34.12

$121 R 1,987

-26.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 OMR 34.02

$108 R 1,781

-18.24%

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 %)

5.25

10.97

-52.14%

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

Last update for Madinat As Sultan Qaboos: October 13, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

$293 30.7%

Cape Town

$225 14.2% 23.2% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

$279 29.3%

Cape Town

$183 11.5% 34.4% $96

Eating Out

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

$220 23.1%

Cape Town

$176 11.1% 19.9% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

$124 13%

Cape Town

$143 9% 14.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

$21 * 2.2%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 223% $46

Getting Around

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

$16 * 1.7%

Cape Town

$75 4.7% 364% $59

Accommodation & Living

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

- * 0%

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos versus $45.00 in Cape Town. Groceries tell a different story – $293 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos vs $225 in Cape Town – so Cape Town wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

08:25 8:25 AM

06:25 6:25 AM

2 h behind Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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 20, 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 20, 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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Highest

Between locations

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos Cape Town 7,670 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos
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

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 66% more than Madinat As Sultan Qaboos, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,430 per month in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos 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 $953 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos and $1,586 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 66%.

Kindergarten costs $292 per month in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos and $259 in Cape Town. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos, where all-in costs run around $953, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Madinat As Sultan Qaboos 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. Madinat As Sultan Qaboos costs $953 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 Madinat As Sultan Qaboos. 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.