Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Muscat and Doha

For one person, living is cheaper in Muscat: $1,556 a month against $2,102 in Doha, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Doha outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

75

Cost of Living Index in Muscat
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Muscat Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in Doha
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Doha Living Index

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Muscat

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,556

/mo nomad

Doha

🇶🇦 Qatar

$2,102

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Muscat and in Doha

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

A single person spends $1,556 per month in Muscat vs $2,102 in Doha, rent included.

Muscat $1,556
Doha $2,102

A couple spends around $2,299 per month in Muscat vs $3,272 in Doha, rent included.

Muscat $2,299
Doha $3,272

A family of three spends $3,042 per month in Muscat vs $4,443 in Doha, rent included.

Muscat $3,042
Doha $4,443

Muscat is about 26% cheaper than Doha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Muscat and Doha sit above the global median – Muscat by 15%, Doha by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.33 OMR 2.05

$9.64 QAR 35.11

-44.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.12 OMR 15.06

$69.5 QAR 253

-43.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 OMR 2.99

$8.09 QAR 29.43

-4.08%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.38 QAR 45.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.39 QAR 48.74

Cappuccino

$4.93 OMR 1.90

$5.93 QAR 21.60

-16.86%

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

$0.85 OMR 0.33

$0.88 QAR 3.19

-3.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

$0.44 QAR 1.59

-38.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.87 OMR 4.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.07 OMR 5.03

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 OMR 0.89

$2.11 QAR 7.70

9.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 OMR 0.48

$1.41 QAR 5.14

-12.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 OMR 0.72

$1.85 QAR 6.75

1.08%

Eggs

$3.02 OMR 1.16

$3.41 QAR 12.42

-11.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.23 OMR 2.78

$11.34 QAR 41.29

-36.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 OMR 2.66

$7.89 QAR 28.73

-12.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.57 OMR 4.07

$11.36 QAR 41.35

-6.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 OMR 1.35

$2.18 QAR 7.93

61.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 OMR 0.77

$1.85 QAR 6.73

8.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 OMR 0.90

$1.58 QAR 5.75

47.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 OMR 0.49

$1.24 QAR 4.53

1.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 OMR 0.44

$0.99 QAR 3.61

17.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 OMR 0.49

$0.93 QAR 3.39

37.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 OMR 0.69

$1.44 QAR 5.23

24.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 OMR 0.26

$0.55 QAR 1.99

23.64%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.60 QAR 34.95

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 QAR 6.98

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 QAR 8.02

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.62 OMR 2.55

$6.56 QAR 23.90

0.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.83 OMR 6.09

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.03 OMR 2.32

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.33 OMR 3.98

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.33 OMR 0.51

$0.53 QAR 1.94

150.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 OMR 30.00

$27.37 QAR 99.6

184.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 OMR 1.23

$1.89 QAR 6.90

68.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 OMR 1.01

$2.10 QAR 7.64

24.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 OMR 3.01

$13.52 QAR 49.20

-42.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 OMR 0.23

$0.55 QAR 1.99

9.09%

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

$25.9K OMR 9,986

$28.2K QAR 102.8K

-8.18%

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

$22.4K OMR 8,624

$22.5K QAR 82.0K

-0.53%

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

$176 OMR 67.9

$86.1 QAR 314

104.66%

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

$28.30 OMR 10.90

$34.37 QAR 125

-17.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.9 OMR 27.28

$85.4 QAR 311

-17.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.7 OMR 24.14

$124 QAR 453

-49.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.94 OMR 11.53

$18.45 QAR 67.2

62.28%

Cinema Ticket

$10.52 OMR 4.05

$12.19 QAR 44.36

-13.70%

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

$283 OMR 109

$672 QAR 2,447

-57.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K OMR 4,070

$9,561 QAR 34.8K

10.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 OMR 21.79

$59.5 QAR 216

-4.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.33 OMR 16.68

$52.9 QAR 192

-18.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 OMR 35.08

$99.6 QAR 362

-8.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 OMR 33.28

$84.9 QAR 309

1.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$674 OMR 260

$1,881 QAR 6,845

-64.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 OMR 177

$1,178 QAR 4,288

-60.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 OMR 510

$3,522 QAR 12.8K

-62.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$813 OMR 313

$2,266 QAR 8,250

-64.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 OMR 1,105

$4,083 QAR 14.9K

-29.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,614 OMR 621

$2,377 QAR 8,654

-32.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,650 OMR 635

$3,299 QAR 12.0K

-49.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

5.92

-11.32%

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

Last update for Muscat: October 11, 2026

Last update for Doha: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Muscat

$461 29.6%

Doha

$1.2K 56.1% 156% $717

Groceries & Markets

Muscat

$292 18.8%

Doha

$216 10.3% 26.2% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Muscat

$275 17.7%

Doha

$206 9.8% 25.2% $70

Eating Out

Muscat

$220 14.1%

Doha

$178 8.5% 19.2% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Muscat

$125 8%

Doha

$134 6.4% 6.9% $8.7

Getting Around

Muscat

$100 6.4%

Doha

$42 2% 57.9% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Muscat

$84 5.4%

Doha

$149 7.1% 77.6% $65

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $674 in Muscat versus $1,881 in Doha. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 100% higher in Doha, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Muscat versus $69.0 in Doha. Groceries tell a different story – $292 in Muscat vs $216 in Doha – so Doha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Muscat

🇶🇦 Doha

🕒 Local time

03:32 3:32 AM

02:32 2:32 AM

1 h behind Muscat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,090,797 Capital

1,312,947 Capital

💱 Currency

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

Qatari Riyal QAR ر.ق

📈 Exchange rate

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.31 EUR

1 QAR = 0.275 USD

1 QAR = 0.244 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

QAR, USD, EUR to OMR – Omani Rial Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇴🇲 Omani Rial (ر.ع.)

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.433 OMR (1 OMR = 2.31 EUR).

Qatari Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.64 QAR (1 QAR = 0.275 USD). 1 EUR = 4.09 QAR (1 QAR = 0.244 EUR).

USD to OMR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Muscat Doha 720 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Muscat
Doha

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 Doha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Doha is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,334 per month in Muscat and $3,152 in Doha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Muscat, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 185% less in Muscat. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $283 per month in Muscat and $672 in Doha. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Muscat, where all-in costs run around $1,556, than in Doha at $2,102. In Muscat it covers expenses comfortably, while in Doha it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Muscat – 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 Muscat. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Doha makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.