Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Muscat and Athens, OH

For one person, living is cheaper in Muscat: $1,556 a month against $1,644 in Athens, OH, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Athens, OH outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

75

Cost of Living Index in Muscat
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Muscat Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Athens, OH
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Athens, OH Living Index

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Muscat

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,556

/mo nomad

Athens, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$1,644

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Muscat and in Athens, OH

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,556 in Muscat versus $1,644 in Athens, OH.

Muscat $1,556
Athens, OH $1,644

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,299 in Muscat versus $2,493 in Athens, OH.

Muscat $2,299
Athens, OH $2,493

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,042 in Muscat versus $3,342 in Athens, OH.

Muscat $3,042
Athens, OH $3,342

Living in Muscat costs roughly 5% less than in Athens, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Muscat 15% above, Athens, OH 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.33 OMR 2.05

$15.15 $15.15

-64.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.12 OMR 15.06

$49.45 $49.45

-20.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 OMR 2.99

$9.80 $9.80

-20.82%

Cappuccino

$4.93 OMR 1.90

$5.03 $5.03

-1.99%

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

$0.85 OMR 0.33

$2.24 $2.24

-62.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

$1.45 $1.45

-81.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.87 OMR 4.95

$4.99 $4.99

157.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.07 OMR 5.03

$7.20 $7.20

81.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 OMR 0.89

$0.74 $0.74

212.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 OMR 0.48

$2.11 $2.11

-41.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 OMR 0.72

$2.99 $2.99

-37.46%

Eggs

$3.02 OMR 1.16

$4.18 $4.18

-27.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.23 OMR 2.78

$13.02 $13.02

-44.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 OMR 2.66

$8.94 $8.94

-22.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.57 OMR 4.07

$15.91 $15.91

-33.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 OMR 1.35

$3.70 $3.70

-5.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 OMR 0.77

$0.96 $0.96

109.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 OMR 0.90

$2.75 $2.75

-15.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 OMR 0.49

$3.10 $3.10

-59.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 OMR 0.44

$1.61 $1.61

-27.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 OMR 0.49

$2.13 $2.13

-39.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 OMR 0.69

$1.64 $1.64

9.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 OMR 0.26

$1.92 $1.92

-64.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.62 OMR 2.55

$8.97 $8.97

-26.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.83 OMR 6.09

$14.71 $14.71

7.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.03 OMR 2.32

$2.13 $2.13

183.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.33 OMR 3.98

$2.98 $2.98

246.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.33 OMR 0.51

$1.01 $1.01

31.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 OMR 30.00

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 OMR 1.23

$3.83 $3.83

-16.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 OMR 1.01

$1.23 $1.23

113.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 OMR 3.01

$25.28 $25.28

-69.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 OMR 0.23

$0.89 $0.89

-32.58%

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

$25.9K OMR 9,986

$36.2K $36.2K

-28.27%

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

$22.4K OMR 8,624

$25.4K $25.4K

-11.86%

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

$176 OMR 67.9

$148 $148

19.34%

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

$28.30 OMR 10.90

$30.29 $30.29

-6.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.9 OMR 27.28

$47.65 $47.65

48.73%

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

$11.84 $11.84

-11.15%

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

$283 OMR 109

$1,453 $1,453

-80.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K OMR 4,070

$19.7K $19.7K

-46.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 OMR 21.79

$45.49 $45.49

24.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.33 OMR 16.68

$45.13 $45.13

-3.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 OMR 35.08

$63.9 $63.9

42.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 OMR 33.28

$107 $107

-19.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$674 OMR 260

$1,282 $1,282

-47.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 OMR 177

$674 $674

-31.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 OMR 510

$1,459 $1,459

-9.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$813 OMR 313

$1,228 $1,228

-33.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 OMR 1,105

$1,674 $1,674

71.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,614 OMR 621

$1,664 $1,664

-3.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,650 OMR 635

$3,467 $3,467

-52.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

6.59

-20.33%

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

Last update for Muscat: October 11, 2026

Last update for Athens, OH: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Muscat

$461 29.6%

Athens, OH

$674 41% 46.3% $213

Groceries & Markets

Muscat

$292 18.8%

Athens, OH

$324 19.7% 11% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Muscat

$275 17.7%

Athens, OH

$226 13.7% 18.1% $50

Eating Out

Muscat

$220 14.1%

Athens, OH

$265 16.1% 20.5% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Muscat

$125 8%

Athens, OH

$118 7.2% 5.7% $7.1

Getting Around

Muscat

$100 6.4%

Athens, OH

$14 * 0.9% 85.9% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Muscat

$84 5.4%

Athens, OH

$24 * 1.4% 71.7% $60

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $674 in Muscat and $1,282 in Athens, OH. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens, OH pays 110% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $39.00 in Muscat vs $49.00 in Athens, OH for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $324 per month, with Muscat cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Muscat

🇺🇸 Athens, OH

🕒 Local time

11:39 11:39 AM

03:39 3:39 AM

8 h behind Muscat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,090,797 Capital

115,452

💱 Currency

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.31 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to OMR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Muscat Athens, OH 11,900 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Muscat
Athens, OH

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 Athens, OH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Muscat is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and eating out. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 110% lower in Athens, OH. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $674 in Muscat versus $1,282 in Athens, OH. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Athens, OH. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,556 per month in Muscat versus $1,644 in Athens, OH – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,556 in Muscat versus $1,644 in Athens, OH, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Muscat but tight or insufficient in Athens, OH. The gap between the two cities makes Muscat the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Muscat and Athens, OH 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 Muscat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Athens, OH. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.