Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Muscat and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,565 in Muscat, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Muscat
Learn more

Muscat Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

Jump to prices

Muscat

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,565

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Muscat and in Cebu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,565 in Muscat versus $934 in Cebu.

Muscat $1,565
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,341 in Muscat versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Muscat $2,341
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,116 in Muscat versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Muscat $3,116
Cebu $1,896

Living in Muscat is roughly 68% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Muscat is 17% above, Cebu is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.23 OMR 2.01

$3.03 ₱191

72.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.68 OMR 15.27

$23.48 ₱1,476

68.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.64 OMR 2.94

$4.09 ₱257

86.80%

Cappuccino

$4.97 OMR 1.91

$2.52 ₱158

97.22%

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

$0.85 OMR 0.33

$1.54 ₱97.2

-44.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

$0.49 ₱31.06

-44.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.92 OMR 4.97

$1.79 ₱113

621.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.23 OMR 5.09

$2.26 ₱142

485.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 OMR 0.87

$1.95 ₱122

15.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 OMR 0.45

$1.43 ₱89.9

-17.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 OMR 0.73

$1.02 ₱64.0

85.29%

Eggs

$2.91 OMR 1.12

$2.06 ₱129

41.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.23 OMR 2.78

$9.81 ₱617

-26.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 OMR 2.64

$4.61 ₱290

48.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.63 OMR 4.09

$7.70 ₱484

38.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 OMR 1.41

$3.31 ₱208

10.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 OMR 0.75

$1.45 ₱91.2

34.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 OMR 0.92

$2.36 ₱148

1.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 OMR 0.48

$1.54 ₱96.6

-18.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 OMR 0.47

$2.36 ₱148

-48.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 OMR 0.49

$1.99 ₱125

-36.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 OMR 0.72

$1.15 ₱72.3

61.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 OMR 0.27

$0.67 ₱42.26

4.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.36 OMR 2.45

$3.00 ₱189

112.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.54 OMR 5.98

$6.35 ₱399

144.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.00 OMR 2.31

$1.31 ₱82.1

358.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.34 OMR 3.98

$1.73 ₱109

497.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 OMR 0.50

$0.25 ₱15.82

416.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.2 OMR 29.70

$12.65 ₱796

509.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 OMR 1.27

$0.74 ₱46.44

345.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 OMR 0.99

$0.21 ₱13.15

1119.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.82 OMR 3.01

$4.33 ₱272

80.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 OMR 0.24

$1.33 ₱83.7

-52.63%

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

$25.7K OMR 9,904

$21.8K ₱1.4M

18.22%

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

$23.0K OMR 8,861

$19.4K ₱1.2M

18.69%

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

$177 OMR 68.1

$121 ₱7,583

46.82%

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

$30.49 OMR 11.74

$14.45 ₱909

111.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.6 OMR 27.56

$28.29 ₱1,779

153.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 OMR 23.53

$32.68 ₱2,055

87.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.78 OMR 11.46

$6.39 ₱402

366.04%

Cinema Ticket

$10.45 OMR 4.02

$5.46 ₱343

91.39%

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

$282 OMR 108

$273 ₱17.2K

3.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K OMR 4,003

$8,156 ₱512.9K

27.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 OMR 22.17

$49.57 ₱3,117

16.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.41 OMR 16.71

$24.87 ₱1,564

74.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 OMR 35.11

$76.6 ₱4,817

19.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.9 OMR 33.05

$59.3 ₱3,727

44.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 OMR 265

$506 ₱31.8K

36.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 OMR 174

$309 ₱19.5K

46.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 OMR 497

$1,052 ₱66.1K

22.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$819 OMR 315

$619 ₱38.9K

32.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,815 OMR 1,084

$2,915 ₱183.4K

-3.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 OMR 619

$1,867 ₱117.4K

-13.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 OMR 636

$341 ₱21.5K

384.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

7.2

-27.08%

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

Last update for Muscat: October 3, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Muscat

$453 29.3%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 31.7% $144

Groceries & Markets

Muscat

$291 18.8%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 27.8% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Muscat

$279 18%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 41.5% $116

Eating Out

Muscat

$220 14.2%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 59.8% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Muscat

$125 8.1%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 24.4% $31

Getting Around

Muscat

$98 6.4%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 84.3% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Muscat

$82 5.3%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 46.8% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $690 in Muscat and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muscat pays 384% 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: $40.00 in Muscat vs $23.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $210 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Muscat

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

10:19 10:19 AM

14:19 2:19 PM

4 h ahead of Muscat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,090,797 Capital

964,169

💱 Currency

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.32 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to OMR – Omani Rial Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇴🇲 Omani Rial (ر.ع.)

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.432 OMR (1 OMR = 2.32 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to OMR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Muscat Cebu 7,070 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Muscat
Cebu

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 Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 384% higher in Muscat, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $690 in Muscat versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,565 per month in Muscat versus $934 in Cebu – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 510% less than in Muscat. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,565 in Muscat, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Muscat. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Muscat, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Muscat and Cebu 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Muscat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.