Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Muscat and Al-`awabi

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-`awabi: $953 a month against $1,556 in Muscat, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Muscat
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Muscat Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Al-`awabi
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Al-`awabi Living Index

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Muscat

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,556

/mo nomad

Al-`awabi

🇴🇲 Oman

$953

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Muscat and in Al-`awabi

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

A single person spends $1,556 per month in Muscat vs $953 in Al-`awabi, rent included.

Muscat $1,556
Al-`awabi $953

A couple spends around $2,299 per month in Muscat vs $1,431 in Al-`awabi, rent included.

Muscat $2,299
Al-`awabi $1,431

A family of three spends $3,042 per month in Muscat vs $1,909 in Al-`awabi, rent included.

Muscat $3,042
Al-`awabi $1,909

Muscat costs about 63% more than Al-`awabi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Muscat sits 15% above the global median, while Al-`awabi is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.33 OMR 2.05

$5.06 OMR 1.95

5.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.12 OMR 15.06

$38.93 OMR 14.99

0.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 OMR 2.99

$7.61 OMR 2.93

1.97%

Cappuccino

$4.93 OMR 1.90

$5.06 OMR 1.95

-2.57%

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

$0.85 OMR 0.33

$0.89 OMR 0.34

-4.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.87 OMR 4.95

$12.94 OMR 4.98

-0.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.07 OMR 5.03

$13.19 OMR 5.08

-0.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 OMR 0.89

$2.27 OMR 0.87

1.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 OMR 0.48

$1.23 OMR 0.47

0.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 OMR 0.72

$1.88 OMR 0.72

-0.53%

Eggs

$3.02 OMR 1.16

$2.96 OMR 1.14

2.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.23 OMR 2.78

$7.29 OMR 2.81

-0.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 OMR 2.66

$7.17 OMR 2.76

-3.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.57 OMR 4.07

$10.59 OMR 4.08

-0.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 OMR 1.35

$3.56 OMR 1.37

-1.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 OMR 0.77

$1.92 OMR 0.74

4.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 OMR 0.90

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 OMR 0.49

$1.28 OMR 0.49

-1.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 OMR 0.44

$1.22 OMR 0.47

-4.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 OMR 0.49

$1.25 OMR 0.48

2.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 OMR 0.69

$1.87 OMR 0.72

-4.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 OMR 0.26

$0.66 OMR 0.25

3.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.62 OMR 2.55

$6.41 OMR 2.47

3.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.83 OMR 6.09

$15.72 OMR 6.05

0.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.03 OMR 2.32

$6.06 OMR 2.33

-0.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.33 OMR 3.98

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.33 OMR 0.51

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 OMR 30.00

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 OMR 1.23

$3.29 OMR 1.27

-3.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 OMR 1.01

$2.55 OMR 0.98

2.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 OMR 3.01

$7.72 OMR 2.97

1.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 OMR 0.23

$0.65 OMR 0.25

-7.69%

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

$25.9K OMR 9,986

$25.4K OMR 9,791

1.99%

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

$22.4K OMR 8,624

$23.0K OMR 8,858

-2.64%

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

$176 OMR 67.9

$177 OMR 68.2

-0.49%

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

$28.30 OMR 10.90

$31.35 OMR 12.07

-9.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.9 OMR 27.28

$71.0 OMR 27.33

-0.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.7 OMR 24.14

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.94 OMR 11.53

Cinema Ticket

$10.52 OMR 4.05

$10.34 OMR 3.98

1.74%

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

$283 OMR 109

$286 OMR 110

-0.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K OMR 4,070

$10.5K OMR 4,032

0.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 OMR 21.79

$55.6 OMR 21.42

1.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.33 OMR 16.68

$43.72 OMR 16.83

-0.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 OMR 35.08

$90.5 OMR 34.83

0.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 OMR 33.28

$86.8 OMR 33.41

-0.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$674 OMR 260

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 OMR 177

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 OMR 510

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$813 OMR 313

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 OMR 1,105

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,614 OMR 621

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,650 OMR 635

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 Muscat: October 11, 2026

Last update for Al-`awabi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Muscat

$461 29.6%

Al-`awabi

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Muscat

$292 18.8%

Al-`awabi

$293 30.7% 0.3% $0.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Muscat

$275 17.7%

Al-`awabi

$279 29.3% 1.5% $4

Eating Out

Muscat

$220 14.1%

Al-`awabi

$220 23.1% 0.2% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Muscat

$125 8%

Al-`awabi

$124 13.1% 0.3% $0.4

Getting Around

Muscat

$100 6.4%

Al-`awabi

$16 * 1.7% 83.9% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Muscat

$84 5.4%

Al-`awabi

$21 * 2.2% 75.3% $63

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 $39.00 in Muscat versus $39.00 in Al-`awabi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $293 – making Muscat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Muscat

🇴🇲 Al-`awabi

🕒 Local time

09:31 9:31 AM

Same time as Muscat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,090,797 Capital

10,711

💱 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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Between locations

Muscat Al-`awabi 92 km

From you

Muscat
Al-`awabi

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

Muscat vs Al-`awabi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Muscat is pricier by about 63%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,334 per month in Muscat and $1,430 in Al-`awabi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,556 in Muscat and $953 in Al-`awabi. That's a gap of about 63%.

Kindergarten costs $283 per month in Muscat and $286 in Al-`awabi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Al-`awabi, where all-in costs run around $953, than in Muscat at $1,556. In Al-`awabi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Muscat it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Al-`awabi – 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 Al-`awabi. 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.