Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Muscat and Seeb

For one person, living is cheaper in Seeb: $1,305 a month against $1,544 in Muscat, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Muscat, Oman
Seeb, Oman
Muscat
🇴🇲 Oman
$1,544
/mo nomad
Seeb
🇴🇲 Oman
$1,305
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Muscat and in Seeb

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,544 in Muscat versus $1,305 in Seeb.

  • Muscat $1,544
  • Seeb $1,305

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,271 in Muscat versus $1,956 in Seeb.

  • Muscat $2,271
  • Seeb $1,956

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,998 in Muscat versus $2,607 in Seeb.

  • Muscat $2,998
  • Seeb $2,607

Living in Muscat is roughly 18% more expensive than in Seeb, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Muscat is 13% above, Seeb is 4% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Muscat
Seeb
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.26 OMR 2.02
$7.86 OMR 3.02
-33.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$39.02 OMR 15.02
$20.77 OMR 7.99
87.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.99 OMR 3.07
$7.98 OMR 3.07
0.13%
Cappuccino
$5.17 OMR 1.99
$5.16 OMR 1.99
0.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.92 OMR 0.35
$1.07 OMR 0.41
-14.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.27 OMR 0.10
$0.25 OMR 0.10
8.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$12.92 OMR 4.97
$10.34 OMR 3.98
24.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$13.10 OMR 5.04
$10.49 OMR 4.04
24.88%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Muscat
Seeb
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.36 OMR 0.91
$3.04 OMR 1.17
-22.37%
White Bread (500g)
$1.24 OMR 0.48
$1.33 OMR 0.51
-6.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.92 OMR 0.74
$2.59 OMR 1.00
-25.87%
Eggs
$3.12 OMR 1.20
$4.71 OMR 1.81
-33.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.16 OMR 2.76
$13.06 OMR 5.03
-45.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.88 OMR 2.65
$7.75 OMR 2.98
-11.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.22 OMR 3.93
$12.75 OMR 4.91
-19.84%
Apples (1kg)
$3.65 OMR 1.40
$3.83 OMR 1.47
-4.70%
Banana (1kg)
$2.01 OMR 0.78
$2.57 OMR 0.99
-21.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.41 OMR 0.93
$3.84 OMR 1.48
-37.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.25 OMR 0.48
$2.66 OMR 1.02
-53.01%
Potato (1kg)
$1.21 OMR 0.47
$1.27 OMR 0.49
-4.72%
Onion (1kg)
$1.24 OMR 0.48
$1.90 OMR 0.73
-34.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.86 OMR 0.72
$1.28 OMR 0.49
45.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68 OMR 0.26
$0.54 OMR 0.21
25.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.39 OMR 2.46
$6.06 OMR 2.33
5.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.38 OMR 5.92
$12.78 OMR 4.92
20.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$6.06 OMR 2.33
$5.08 OMR 1.95
19.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.29 OMR 3.96
$9.06 OMR 3.49
13.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Muscat
Seeb
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.31 OMR 0.51
$0.76 OMR 0.29
72.37%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$79.1 OMR 30.43
$39.77 OMR 15.31
98.77%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.24 OMR 1.25
$2.49 OMR 0.96
30.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.62 OMR 1.01
$0.68 OMR 0.26
285.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.89 OMR 3.04
$13.24 OMR 5.10
-40.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.60 OMR 0.23
$0.62 OMR 0.24
-3.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.5K OMR 9,816
$23.8K OMR 9,159
7.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.9K OMR 8,059
$23.6K OMR 9,065
-11.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Muscat
Seeb
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$177 OMR 68.2
$104 OMR 39.85
71.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$30.23 OMR 11.63
$25.85 OMR 9.95
16.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.6 OMR 26.78
$79.0 OMR 30.41
-11.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Muscat
Seeb
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.3 OMR 26.28
$78.6 OMR 30.25
-13.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.66 OMR 11.42
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.56 OMR 4.06
$6.45 OMR 2.48
63.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Muscat
Seeb
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$508 OMR 196
$391 OMR 150
30.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.3K OMR 3,976
$7,678 OMR 2,955
34.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Muscat
Seeb
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.2 OMR 22.02
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.63 OMR 16.79
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.9 OMR 35.00
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.3 OMR 33.22
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Muscat
Seeb
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$720 OMR 277
$518 OMR 200
38.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$436 OMR 168
$389 OMR 150
12.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,188 OMR 457
$1,020 OMR 393
16.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$745 OMR 287
$774 OMR 298
-3.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,815 OMR 1,084
$1,282 OMR 493
119.63%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,619 OMR 623
$1,033 OMR 398
56.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Muscat
Seeb
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,682 OMR 647
$2,257 OMR 869
-25.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.25
5
5.00%

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

Last update for Muscat: October 26, 2026

Last update for Seeb: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Muscat
$436
Seeb
$389 10.8% $47
Groceries & Markets
Muscat
$292
Seeb
$340 16.5% $48
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Muscat
$277
Seeb
$208 24.8% $69
Eating Out
Muscat
$224
Seeb
$227 1.3% $3
Clothing & Footwear
Muscat
$125
Seeb
- * 100%
Getting Around
Muscat
$101
Seeb
$49 51.6% $52
Sport & Entertainment
Muscat
$89
Seeb
$92 2.3% $2.1

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 $720 in Muscat and $518 in Seeb. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seeb pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39 in Muscat vs $21 in Seeb. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $340, with Muscat cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇴🇲 Muscat
🇴🇲 Seeb
🕒 Local time
11:27 11:27 AM
11:27 11:27 AM
Same time as Muscat
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,090,797 Capital
223,000
💱 Currency
Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.
Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to OMR – Omani Rial Converter

Omani Rial exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.431 OMR (1 OMR = 2.32 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Muscat Seeb 20 km
From you
  • Muscat
  • Seeb

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 Seeb: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Muscat and in Seeb?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,544 in Muscat and $1,305 in Seeb, so Seeb is about 16% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Muscat. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Muscat and in Seeb?
Rent for a central apartment: $720 in Muscat versus $518 in Seeb. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Seeb – a meal for two runs $21 versus $39 in Muscat. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Muscat or Seeb?
All in, you’ll spend $1,544 per month in Muscat versus $1,305 in Seeb – Seeb is about 16% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,305 in Seeb versus $1,544 in Muscat, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Seeb but tight or insufficient in Muscat. The gap between the two cities makes Seeb the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Where should families live: Muscat or Seeb?
For families, Seeb 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.
Is Muscat or Seeb safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Muscat and Seeb are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Muscat vs other spots: cost of living compared

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