Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Muscat and Shinas

For one person, living is cheaper in Shinas: $952 a month against $1,544 in Muscat, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 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 Shinas
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Shinas Living Index

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Muscat

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,544

/mo nomad

Shinas

🇴🇲 Oman

$952

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Muscat and in Shinas

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,544 in Muscat versus $952 in Shinas.

Muscat $1,544
Shinas $952

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,271 in Muscat versus $1,430 in Shinas.

Muscat $2,271
Shinas $1,430

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,998 in Muscat versus $1,908 in Shinas.

Muscat $2,998
Shinas $1,908

Living in Muscat is roughly 62% more expensive than in Shinas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Muscat is 13% above, Shinas is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.26 OMR 2.02

$5.11 OMR 1.97

2.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.02 OMR 15.02

$39.27 OMR 15.12

-0.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.99 OMR 3.07

$7.59 OMR 2.92

5.27%

Cappuccino

$5.17 OMR 1.99

$5.21 OMR 2.01

-0.77%

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

$0.92 OMR 0.35

$0.84 OMR 0.32

9.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

$0.29 OMR 0.11

-6.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.92 OMR 4.97

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.10 OMR 5.04

$13.16 OMR 5.07

-0.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 OMR 0.91

$2.35 OMR 0.91

0.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 OMR 0.48

$1.19 OMR 0.46

4.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 OMR 0.74

$1.91 OMR 0.73

0.52%

Eggs

$3.12 OMR 1.20

$3.01 OMR 1.16

3.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.16 OMR 2.76

$7.24 OMR 2.79

-1.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.88 OMR 2.65

$6.86 OMR 2.64

0.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.22 OMR 3.94

$10.13 OMR 3.90

0.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 OMR 1.41

$3.53 OMR 1.36

3.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 OMR 0.78

$1.94 OMR 0.75

3.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 OMR 0.93

$2.39 OMR 0.92

0.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 OMR 0.48

$1.27 OMR 0.49

-1.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 OMR 0.47

$1.17 OMR 0.45

3.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 OMR 0.48

$1.27 OMR 0.49

-2.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 OMR 0.72

$1.87 OMR 0.72

-0.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 OMR 0.26

$0.65 OMR 0.25

4.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.39 OMR 2.46

$6.63 OMR 2.55

-3.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.38 OMR 5.92

$15.36 OMR 5.91

0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.06 OMR 2.33

$5.99 OMR 2.31

1.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.29 OMR 3.96

$10.12 OMR 3.90

1.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 OMR 0.51

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 OMR 30.44

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 OMR 1.25

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 OMR 1.01

$2.64 OMR 1.02

-0.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 OMR 3.04

$7.96 OMR 3.06

-0.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 OMR 0.23

$0.65 OMR 0.25

-7.69%

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

$25.5K OMR 9,819

$24.6K OMR 9,472

3.66%

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

$20.9K OMR 8,061

$20.6K OMR 7,915

1.85%

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

$177 OMR 68.2

$179 OMR 68.7

-0.76%

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

$30.23 OMR 11.64

$31.10 OMR 11.97

-2.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.6 OMR 26.79

$69.2 OMR 26.65

0.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 OMR 26.29

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.66 OMR 11.42

Cinema Ticket

$10.56 OMR 4.06

$10.51 OMR 4.05

0.48%

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

$508 OMR 196

$490 OMR 189

3.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K OMR 3,978

$10.3K OMR 3,982

-0.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 OMR 22.03

$56.2 OMR 21.63

1.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 OMR 16.80

$43.52 OMR 16.76

0.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 OMR 35.01

$89.6 OMR 34.51

1.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.3 OMR 33.23

$87.7 OMR 33.77

-1.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$720 OMR 277

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 OMR 168

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 OMR 457

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$745 OMR 287

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,815 OMR 1,084

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,619 OMR 623

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,682 OMR 647

$3,086 OMR 1,188

-45.51%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Shinas: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Muscat

$436 28.2%

Shinas

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Muscat

$292 18.9%

Shinas

$289 30.4% 1.1% $3.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Muscat

$277 17.9%

Shinas

$279 29.3% 0.7% $1.9

Eating Out

Muscat

$224 14.5%

Shinas

$222 23.3% 0.9% $2

Clothing & Footwear

Muscat

$125 8.1%

Shinas

$125 13.1% 0.4% $0.5

Getting Around

Muscat

$101 6.5%

Shinas

$16 * 1.7% 83.7% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Muscat

$89 5.8%

Shinas

$21 * 2.2% 76.5% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

Shinas pays 84% 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 $39 in Shinas. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $289, with Shinas cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Muscat

🇴🇲 Shinas

🕒 Local time

02:28 2:28 AM

Same time as Muscat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,090,797 Capital

43,312

💱 Currency

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

📈 Exchange rate

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.33 EUR

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.33 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Muscat Shinas 230 km

From you

Muscat
Shinas

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 Shinas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,544 in Muscat and $952 in Shinas, so Shinas is about 38% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 46% 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.

Childcare runs $508 in Muscat versus $490 in Shinas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,544 per month in Muscat versus $952 in Shinas – Shinas is about 38% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Shinas 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.