Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madinat As Sultan Qaboos and Ruwi

For one person, living is cheaper in Ruwi: $639 a month against $953 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. The total is higher in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos despite lower rent and utilities.

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

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Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

🇴🇲 Oman

$953

/mo nomad

Ruwi

🇴🇲 Oman

$639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos and in Ruwi

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 Ruwi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $953 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos versus $639 in Ruwi.

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos $953
Ruwi $639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,433 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos versus $833 in Ruwi.

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos $1,433
Ruwi $833

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,914 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos versus $1,028 in Ruwi.

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos $1,914
Ruwi $1,028

Living in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos is roughly 49% more expensive than in Ruwi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Madinat As Sultan Qaboos 29% lower, Ruwi 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.29 OMR 2.04

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.70 OMR 15.29

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 OMR 2.99

Cappuccino

$4.94 OMR 1.90

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

$0.84 OMR 0.32

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 OMR 0.11

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.92 OMR 4.97

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.93 OMR 4.98

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 OMR 0.89

$1.99 OMR 0.77

16.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 OMR 0.46

$1.98 OMR 0.76

-39.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 OMR 0.70

$0.99 OMR 0.38

83.84%

Eggs

$3.03 OMR 1.17

$1.17 OMR 0.45

158.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.11 OMR 2.74

$2.03 OMR 0.78

250.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 OMR 2.70

$2.05 OMR 0.79

241.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 OMR 4.07

$4.93 OMR 1.90

114.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 OMR 1.38

$0.98 OMR 0.38

266.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 OMR 0.78

$1.02 OMR 0.39

99.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 OMR 0.90

$1.02 OMR 0.39

129.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 OMR 0.50

$1.03 OMR 0.40

27.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 OMR 0.45

$0.99 OMR 0.38

17.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 OMR 0.49

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 OMR 0.71

$0.98 OMR 0.38

88.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 OMR 0.27

$1.02 OMR 0.39

-30.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 OMR 2.56

Wine (Bottle)

$15.76 OMR 6.07

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.08 OMR 2.34

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.22 OMR 3.93

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 OMR 1.28

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 OMR 0.98

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 OMR 2.98

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 OMR 0.25

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

$25.3K OMR 9,736

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

$22.3K OMR 8,570

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

$176 OMR 67.9

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

$31.16 OMR 12.00

$25.53 OMR 9.83

22.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.5 OMR 27.51

$79.3 OMR 30.55

-9.92%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 OMR 4.01

$8.97 OMR 3.45

16.28%

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

$292 OMR 112

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K OMR 4,033

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 OMR 21.33

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.86 OMR 16.89

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 OMR 34.12

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 OMR 34.02

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 OMR 152

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 OMR 153

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 OMR 347

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$581 OMR 224

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,398 OMR 1,693

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

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 Ruwi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

$293 30.7%

Ruwi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

$279 29.3%

Ruwi

–

Eating Out

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

$220 23.1%

Ruwi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

$124 13%

Ruwi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

$21 * 2.2%

Ruwi

–

Getting Around

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

$16 * 1.7%

Ruwi

–

Accommodation & Living

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

- * 0%

Ruwi

–

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

Good to know

🇴🇲 Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

🇴🇲 Ruwi

🕒 Local time

07:42 7:42 AM

Same time as Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

🌤 Weather

💱 Currency

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

📈 Exchange rate

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.31 EUR

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.31 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Madinat As Sultan Qaboos Ruwi 8 km

From you

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos
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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 Ruwi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ruwi wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ruwi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,430 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos and $958 in Ruwi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 147% higher in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $953 per month in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos versus $639 in Ruwi – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Ruwi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ruwi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $639 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ruwi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madinat As Sultan Qaboos and Ruwi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ruwi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.