Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Muscat and Saham

For one person, living is cheaper in Saham: $954 a month against $1,555 in Muscat, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 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 Saham
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Saham Living Index

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Muscat

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,555

/mo nomad

Saham

🇴🇲 Oman

$954

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Muscat and in Saham

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,555 in Muscat versus $954 in Saham.

Muscat $1,555
Saham $954

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,287 in Muscat versus $1,432 in Saham.

Muscat $2,287
Saham $1,432

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,020 in Muscat versus $1,909 in Saham.

Muscat $3,020
Saham $1,909

Living in Muscat is roughly 63% more expensive than in Saham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Muscat is 15% above, Saham is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.26 OMR 2.03

$5.07 OMR 1.95

3.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.68 OMR 14.89

$39.46 OMR 15.19

-1.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.99 OMR 3.46

$7.59 OMR 2.92

18.45%

Cappuccino

$5.09 OMR 1.96

$4.97 OMR 1.91

2.41%

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

$0.91 OMR 0.35

$0.90 OMR 0.35

1.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 OMR 0.11

$0.27 OMR 0.10

7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.20 OMR 5.08

$12.90 OMR 4.97

2.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.90 OMR 4.97

$12.96 OMR 4.99

-0.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 OMR 0.82

$2.30 OMR 0.88

-7.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 OMR 0.46

$1.20 OMR 0.46

-0.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 OMR 0.72

$1.87 OMR 0.72

0.53%

Eggs

$3.08 OMR 1.19

$2.98 OMR 1.15

3.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.27 OMR 2.80

$7.17 OMR 2.76

1.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 OMR 2.64

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.21 OMR 3.93

$10.22 OMR 3.93

-0.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 OMR 1.41

$3.65 OMR 1.41

0.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 OMR 0.78

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 OMR 0.90

$2.32 OMR 0.89

0.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 OMR 0.48

$1.32 OMR 0.51

-4.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 OMR 0.46

$1.22 OMR 0.47

-1.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 OMR 0.48

$1.29 OMR 0.50

-3.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 OMR 0.69

$1.81 OMR 0.69

-1.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 OMR 0.26

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.42 OMR 2.47

$6.32 OMR 2.43

1.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.67 OMR 6.03

$15.61 OMR 6.01

0.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.99 OMR 2.30

$6.04 OMR 2.32

-0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.25 OMR 3.94

$10.21 OMR 3.93

0.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 OMR 0.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 OMR 29.77

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 OMR 1.26

$3.34 OMR 1.29

-2.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 OMR 1.02

$2.55 OMR 0.98

3.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.71 OMR 2.97

$7.63 OMR 2.94

1.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 OMR 0.25

$0.65 OMR 0.25

-1.54%

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

$24.8K OMR 9,551

$25.2K OMR 9,683

-1.36%

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

$20.8K OMR 7,991

$21.2K OMR 8,154

-2.00%

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

$181 OMR 69.7

$180 OMR 69.3

0.64%

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

$30.82 OMR 11.86

$30.89 OMR 11.89

-0.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.7 OMR 27.59

$71.9 OMR 27.66

-0.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.7 OMR 26.07

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.82 OMR 11.48

Cinema Ticket

$10.51 OMR 4.05

$10.58 OMR 4.07

-0.66%

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

$495 OMR 191

$500 OMR 192

-0.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K OMR 6,091

$10.7K OMR 4,131

47.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 OMR 21.34

$56.9 OMR 21.91

-2.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.33 OMR 16.68

$42.95 OMR 16.53

0.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 OMR 34.94

$89.2 OMR 34.34

1.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 OMR 34.04

$89.2 OMR 34.34

-0.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$708 OMR 273

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$442 OMR 170

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 OMR 466

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 OMR 296

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,821 OMR 1,086

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,621 OMR 624

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,551 OMR 597

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Saham: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Muscat

$442 28.4%

Saham

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Muscat

$289 18.6%

Saham

$291 30.5% 0.5% $1.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Muscat

$284 18.3%

Saham

$283 29.6% 0.3% $0.9

Eating Out

Muscat

$227 14.6%

Saham

$218 22.9% 3.8% $8.6

Clothing & Footwear

Muscat

$125 8.1%

Saham

$125 13.1% 0.1% $0.1

Getting Around

Muscat

$99 6.4%

Saham

$16 * 1.7% 83.7% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Muscat

$89 5.7%

Saham

$21 * 2.2% 76.2% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $39 in Muscat vs $39 in Saham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $291 per month, with Muscat cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Muscat

🇴🇲 Saham

🕒 Local time

09:18 9:18 AM

Same time as Muscat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,090,797 Capital

140,000

💱 Currency

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

📈 Exchange rate

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.32 EUR

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Muscat Saham 170 km

From you

Muscat
Saham

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 Saham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,555 in Muscat and $954 in Saham, so Saham is about 39% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,332 in Muscat and $1,431 in Saham to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $495 in Muscat versus $500 in Saham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,555 per month in Muscat versus $954 in Saham – Saham is about 39% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Saham is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Saham are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.