Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Muscat and Ar-rustaq

For one person, living is cheaper in Ar-rustaq: $953 a month against $1,544 in Muscat, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Muscat
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Muscat Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Ar-rustaq
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Ar-rustaq Living Index

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Muscat

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,544

/mo nomad

Ar-rustaq

🇴🇲 Oman

$953

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Muscat and in Ar-rustaq

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 Ar-rustaq actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,544 per month in Muscat vs $953 in Ar-rustaq, rent included.

Muscat $1,544
Ar-rustaq $953

A couple spends around $2,271 per month in Muscat vs $1,432 in Ar-rustaq, rent included.

Muscat $2,271
Ar-rustaq $1,432

A family of three spends $2,998 per month in Muscat vs $1,910 in Ar-rustaq, rent included.

Muscat $2,998
Ar-rustaq $1,910

Muscat costs about 62% more than Ar-rustaq, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Muscat sits 13% above the global median, while Ar-rustaq is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.26 OMR 2.02

$5.33 OMR 2.05

-1.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.02 OMR 15.02

$39.16 OMR 15.08

-0.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.99 OMR 3.07

$7.82 OMR 3.01

2.17%

Cappuccino

$5.17 OMR 1.99

$5.21 OMR 2.01

-0.77%

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

$0.92 OMR 0.35

$0.84 OMR 0.32

9.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.92 OMR 4.97

$12.78 OMR 4.92

1.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.10 OMR 5.04

$13.19 OMR 5.08

-0.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 OMR 0.91

$2.39 OMR 0.92

-1.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 OMR 0.48

$1.20 OMR 0.46

3.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 OMR 0.74

$1.95 OMR 0.75

-1.54%

Eggs

$3.12 OMR 1.20

$3.08 OMR 1.19

1.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.16 OMR 2.76

$7.11 OMR 2.74

0.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.88 OMR 2.65

$6.96 OMR 2.68

-1.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.22 OMR 3.94

$10.14 OMR 3.90

0.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 OMR 1.41

$3.51 OMR 1.35

3.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 OMR 0.78

$2.03 OMR 0.78

-0.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 OMR 0.93

$2.40 OMR 0.92

0.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 OMR 0.48

$1.28 OMR 0.49

-2.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 OMR 0.47

$1.17 OMR 0.45

3.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 OMR 0.48

$1.22 OMR 0.47

1.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 OMR 0.72

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 OMR 0.26

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.39 OMR 2.46

$6.65 OMR 2.56

-3.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.38 OMR 5.92

$15.55 OMR 5.99

-1.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.06 OMR 2.33

$5.85 OMR 2.25

3.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.29 OMR 3.96

$10.05 OMR 3.87

2.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 OMR 0.51

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 OMR 30.44

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 OMR 1.25

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 OMR 1.01

$2.57 OMR 0.99

1.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 OMR 3.04

$8.03 OMR 3.09

-1.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 OMR 0.23

$0.59 OMR 0.23

1.69%

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

$25.5K OMR 9,819

$25.4K OMR 9,784

0.36%

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

$20.9K OMR 8,061

$20.9K OMR 8,060

0.01%

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

$177 OMR 68.2

$177 OMR 68.3

-0.07%

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

$30.23 OMR 11.64

$30.29 OMR 11.66

-0.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.6 OMR 26.79

$71.6 OMR 27.58

-2.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 OMR 26.29

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.66 OMR 11.42

Cinema Ticket

$10.56 OMR 4.06

$10.25 OMR 3.95

3.02%

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

$508 OMR 196

0.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K OMR 3,978

$10.5K OMR 4,030

-1.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 OMR 22.03

$55.9 OMR 21.53

2.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 OMR 16.80

$43.75 OMR 16.84

-0.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 OMR 35.01

$88.6 OMR 34.12

2.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.3 OMR 33.23

$86.4 OMR 33.26

-0.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$720 OMR 277

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 OMR 168

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 OMR 457

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$745 OMR 287

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,815 OMR 1,084

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,619 OMR 623

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,682 OMR 647

$4,358 OMR 1,678

-61.42%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Ar-rustaq: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Muscat

$436 28.2%

Ar-rustaq

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Muscat

$292 18.9%

Ar-rustaq

$290 30.5% 0.7% $2.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Muscat

$277 17.9%

Ar-rustaq

$279 29.3% 0.8% $2.2

Eating Out

Muscat

$224 14.5%

Ar-rustaq

$223 23.4% 0.1% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Muscat

$125 8.1%

Ar-rustaq

$124 13% 1.2% $1.6

Getting Around

Muscat

$101 6.5%

Ar-rustaq

$16 * 1.7% 84% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Muscat

$89 5.8%

Ar-rustaq

$21 * 2.2% 77.1% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Ar-rustaq are about 2.6 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Muscat versus $39 in Ar-rustaq. Groceries tell a different story – $292 in Muscat vs $290 in Ar-rustaq – so Ar-rustaq wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Muscat

🇴🇲 Ar-rustaq

🕒 Local time

02:04 2:04 AM

Same time as Muscat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,090,797 Capital

120,000

💱 Currency

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

📈 Exchange rate

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.33 EUR

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.33 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Muscat Ar-rustaq 100 km

From you

Muscat
Ar-rustaq

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 Ar-rustaq: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Muscat is pricier by about 62%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,316 per month in Muscat and $1,430 in Ar-rustaq. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,544 in Muscat and $953 in Ar-rustaq. That makes Ar-rustaq about 38% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $508 per month in Muscat and $508 in Ar-rustaq. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Muscat has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $953 in Ar-rustaq to $1,544 in Muscat. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.