Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Muscat and Istanbul

For one person, living costs are similar in Muscat and in Istanbul: $1,565 and $1,526 a month, rent and utilities included.

75

Cost of Living Index in Muscat
Learn more

Muscat Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Muscat

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,565

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Muscat and in Istanbul

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

A single person spends $1,565 per month in Muscat vs $1,526 in Istanbul, rent included.

Muscat $1,565
Istanbul $1,526

A couple spends around $2,341 per month in Muscat vs $2,399 in Istanbul, rent included.

Muscat $2,341
Istanbul $2,399

A family of three spends $3,116 per month in Muscat vs $3,272 in Istanbul, rent included.

Muscat $3,116
Istanbul $3,272

Muscat costs about 3% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Muscat and Istanbul sit above the global median – Muscat by 17%, Istanbul by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.23 OMR 2.01

$11.88 ₺585

-55.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.68 OMR 15.27

$55.1 ₺2,715

-27.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.64 OMR 2.94

$9.14 ₺450

-16.41%

Cappuccino

$4.97 OMR 1.91

$4.24 ₺209

17.22%

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

$0.85 OMR 0.33

$1.75 ₺86.0

-51.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

$0.54 ₺26.84

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.92 OMR 4.97

$4.69 ₺231

175.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.23 OMR 5.09

$5.97 ₺294

121.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 OMR 0.87

$1.26 ₺62.1

79.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 OMR 0.45

$0.95 ₺46.82

24.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 OMR 0.73

$2.31 ₺114

-18.18%

Eggs

$2.91 OMR 1.12

$2.47 ₺122

17.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.23 OMR 2.78

$10.55 ₺520

-31.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 OMR 2.64

$5.60 ₺276

22.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.63 OMR 4.09

$21.21 ₺1,045

-49.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 OMR 1.41

$1.93 ₺95.1

89.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 OMR 0.75

$2.29 ₺113

-14.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 OMR 0.92

$1.28 ₺63.1

87.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 OMR 0.48

$1.84 ₺90.8

-31.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 OMR 0.47

$0.67 ₺32.87

82.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 OMR 0.49

$0.59 ₺29.31

115.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 OMR 0.72

$1.33 ₺65.4

39.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 OMR 0.27

$0.59 ₺29.11

18.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.36 OMR 2.45

$2.36 ₺116

169.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.54 OMR 5.98

$13.47 ₺664

15.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.00 OMR 2.31

$2.42 ₺119

147.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.34 OMR 3.98

$3.54 ₺174

192.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 OMR 0.50

$0.83 ₺40.65

55.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.2 OMR 29.70

$66.5 ₺3,274

16.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 OMR 1.27

$1.35 ₺66.6

144.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 OMR 0.99

$0.85 ₺42.06

201.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.82 OMR 3.01

$10.86 ₺535

-27.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 OMR 0.24

$1.47 ₺72.3

-57.14%

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

$25.7K OMR 9,904

$51.6K ₺2.5M

-50.16%

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

$23.0K OMR 8,861

$44.4K ₺2.2M

-48.20%

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

$177 OMR 68.1

$89.2 ₺4,396

98.42%

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

$30.49 OMR 11.74

$11.60 ₺572

162.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.6 OMR 27.56

$16.10 ₺793

344.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 OMR 23.53

$77.3 ₺3,806

-20.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.78 OMR 11.46

$22.66 ₺1,116

31.42%

Cinema Ticket

$10.45 OMR 4.02

$8.34 ₺411

25.30%

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

$282 OMR 108

$974 ₺48.0K

-71.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K OMR 4,003

$25.8K ₺1.3M

-59.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 OMR 22.17

$52.7 ₺2,597

9.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.41 OMR 16.71

$39.16 ₺1,930

10.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 OMR 35.11

$103 ₺5,084

-11.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.9 OMR 33.05

$96.6 ₺4,760

-11.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 OMR 265

$994 ₺49.0K

-30.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 OMR 174

$629 ₺31.0K

-28.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 OMR 497

$2,024 ₺99.7K

-36.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$819 OMR 315

$1,155 ₺56.9K

-29.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,815 OMR 1,084

$3,160 ₺155.7K

-10.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 OMR 619

$1,838 ₺90.5K

-12.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 OMR 636

$1,203 ₺59.3K

37.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

41.09

-87.22%

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

Last update for Muscat: October 3, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Muscat

$453 29.3%

Istanbul

$629 41.2% 38.9% $176

Groceries & Markets

Muscat

$291 18.8%

Istanbul

$264 17.3% 9.4% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Muscat

$279 18%

Istanbul

$117 7.7% 58.1% $162

Eating Out

Muscat

$220 14.2%

Istanbul

$218 14.3% 0.9% $2

Clothing & Footwear

Muscat

$125 8.1%

Istanbul

$131 8.6% 4.9% $6.1

Getting Around

Muscat

$98 6.4%

Istanbul

$75 4.9% 23.4% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Muscat

$82 5.3%

Istanbul

$94 6.1% 14.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $690 in Muscat versus $994 in Istanbul. 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 37% higher in Muscat, 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 $40.00 in Muscat versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Groceries tell a different story – $291 in Muscat vs $264 in Istanbul – so Istanbul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Muscat

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

05:58 5:58 AM

04:58 4:58 AM

1 h behind Muscat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,090,797 Capital

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.32 EUR

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, 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).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.27 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.26 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

USD to OMR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Muscat Istanbul 3,350 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Muscat
Istanbul

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 Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Muscat is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,347 per month in Muscat and $2,289 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $282 per month in Muscat and $974 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Muscat, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,526, than in Muscat at $1,565. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Muscat it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Istanbul – 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 Istanbul. 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.