Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Muscat and Sohar

For one person, living is cheaper in Sohar: $1,432 a month against $1,556 in Muscat, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Muscat outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

75

Cost of Living Index in Muscat
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Muscat Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Sohar
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Sohar Living Index

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Muscat

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,556

/mo nomad

Sohar

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,432

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Muscat and in Sohar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,556 in Muscat versus $1,432 in Sohar.

Muscat $1,556
Sohar $1,432

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,299 in Muscat versus $2,101 in Sohar.

Muscat $2,299
Sohar $2,101

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,042 in Muscat versus $2,770 in Sohar.

Muscat $3,042
Sohar $2,770

Living in Muscat is roughly 9% more expensive than in Sohar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Muscat 15% above, Sohar 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.33 OMR 2.05

$6.52 OMR 2.51

-18.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.12 OMR 15.06

$21.06 OMR 8.11

85.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 OMR 2.99

$9.24 OMR 3.56

-16.02%

Cappuccino

$4.93 OMR 1.90

$4.95 OMR 1.91

-0.40%

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

$0.85 OMR 0.33

$0.70 OMR 0.27

21.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

$0.30 OMR 0.12

-10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.87 OMR 4.95

$12.81 OMR 4.93

0.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.07 OMR 5.03

$14.03 OMR 5.40

-6.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 OMR 0.89

$2.13 OMR 0.82

8.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 OMR 0.48

$1.10 OMR 0.42

12.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 OMR 0.72

$3.21 OMR 1.23

-41.74%

Eggs

$3.02 OMR 1.16

$2.71 OMR 1.04

11.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.23 OMR 2.78

$13.46 OMR 5.18

-46.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 OMR 2.66

$8.90 OMR 3.43

-22.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.57 OMR 4.07

$14.55 OMR 5.60

-27.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 OMR 1.35

$3.33 OMR 1.28

5.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 OMR 0.77

$2.17 OMR 0.83

-7.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 OMR 0.90

$2.44 OMR 0.94

-4.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 OMR 0.49

$1.21 OMR 0.47

4.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 OMR 0.44

$1.76 OMR 0.68

-34.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 OMR 0.49

$1.83 OMR 0.71

-30.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 OMR 0.69

$1.71 OMR 0.66

4.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 OMR 0.26

$0.98 OMR 0.38

-30.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.62 OMR 2.55

$5.99 OMR 2.31

10.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.83 OMR 6.09

$25.65 OMR 9.87

-38.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.03 OMR 2.32

$3.98 OMR 1.53

51.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.33 OMR 3.98

$8.80 OMR 3.39

17.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.33 OMR 0.51

$2.66 OMR 1.03

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 OMR 30.00

$51.1 OMR 19.68

52.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 OMR 1.23

$3.27 OMR 1.26

-2.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 OMR 1.01

$1.60 OMR 0.62

63.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 OMR 3.01

$10.54 OMR 4.06

-25.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 OMR 0.23

$0.64 OMR 0.25

-6.25%

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

$25.9K OMR 9,986

$17.9K OMR 6,903

44.66%

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

$22.4K OMR 8,624

$20.1K OMR 7,749

11.29%

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

$176 OMR 67.9

$104 OMR 40.17

68.94%

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

$28.30 OMR 10.90

$29.83 OMR 11.48

-5.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.9 OMR 27.28

$87.8 OMR 33.81

-19.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.7 OMR 24.14

$48.19 OMR 18.55

30.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.94 OMR 11.53

Cinema Ticket

$10.52 OMR 4.05

$11.76 OMR 4.53

-10.54%

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

$283 OMR 109

$294 OMR 113

-3.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K OMR 4,070

$7,075 OMR 2,724

49.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 OMR 21.79

$50.9 OMR 19.60

11.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.33 OMR 16.68

$43.78 OMR 16.86

-1.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 OMR 35.08

$79.2 OMR 30.50

15.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 OMR 33.28

$47.40 OMR 18.25

82.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$674 OMR 260

$492 OMR 189

37.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 OMR 177

$384 OMR 148

19.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 OMR 510

$821 OMR 316

61.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$813 OMR 313

$689 OMR 265

17.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 OMR 1,105

$1,173 OMR 452

144.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,614 OMR 621

$784 OMR 302

105.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,650 OMR 635

$2,443 OMR 941

-32.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

6.33

-17.06%

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

Last update for Muscat: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sohar: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Muscat

$461 29.6%

Sohar

$384 26.8% 16.6% $76

Groceries & Markets

Muscat

$292 18.8%

Sohar

$346 24.2% 18.6% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Muscat

$275 17.7%

Sohar

$222 15.5% 19.4% $53

Eating Out

Muscat

$220 14.1%

Sohar

$235 16.4% 7% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Muscat

$125 8%

Sohar

$100 7% 20.2% $25

Getting Around

Muscat

$100 6.4%

Sohar

$73 5.1% 26.6% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Muscat

$84 5.4%

Sohar

$72 5% 14.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $674 in Muscat and $492 in Sohar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sohar pays 48% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Muscat vs $21.00 in Sohar. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $346, with Muscat cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Muscat

🇴🇲 Sohar

🕒 Local time

07:14 7:14 AM

Same time as Muscat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,090,797 Capital

221,605

💱 Currency

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

📈 Exchange rate

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.31 EUR

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.31 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Muscat Sohar 190 km

From you

Muscat
Sohar

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 Sohar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Muscat and Sohar differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,556 vs $1,432 including rent). Sohar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 48% lower in Sohar. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $674 in Muscat versus $492 in Sohar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Sohar – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $39.00 in Muscat. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,556 per month in Muscat versus $1,432 in Sohar – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,432 in Sohar versus $1,556 in Muscat, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sohar but tight or insufficient in Muscat. The gap between the two cities makes Sohar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Sohar are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sohar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Muscat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.