Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Muscat and Sur

For one person, living is cheaper in Sur: $1,149 a month against $1,544 in Muscat, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Sur
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Sur Living Index

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Muscat

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,544

/mo nomad

Sur

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,149

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Muscat and in Sur

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,544 in Muscat versus $1,149 in Sur.

Muscat $1,544
Sur $1,149

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,271 in Muscat versus $1,653 in Sur.

Muscat $2,271
Sur $1,653

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,998 in Muscat versus $2,156 in Sur.

Muscat $2,998
Sur $2,156

Living in Muscat is roughly 34% more expensive than in Sur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Muscat is 13% above, Sur is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.26 OMR 2.02

$3.88 OMR 1.49

35.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.02 OMR 15.02

$25.96 OMR 9.99

50.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.99 OMR 3.07

$7.63 OMR 2.94

4.72%

Cappuccino

$5.17 OMR 1.99

$5.05 OMR 1.94

2.38%

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

$0.92 OMR 0.35

$0.73 OMR 0.28

26.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.92 OMR 4.97

$12.80 OMR 4.93

0.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.10 OMR 5.04

$12.79 OMR 4.92

2.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 OMR 0.91

$1.59 OMR 0.61

48.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 OMR 0.48

$1.23 OMR 0.48

0.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 OMR 0.74

$1.73 OMR 0.66

10.98%

Eggs

$3.12 OMR 1.20

$1.95 OMR 0.75

60.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.16 OMR 2.76

$7.19 OMR 2.77

-0.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.88 OMR 2.65

$6.81 OMR 2.62

1.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.22 OMR 3.94

$8.99 OMR 3.46

13.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 OMR 1.41

$2.35 OMR 0.91

55.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 OMR 0.78

$1.28 OMR 0.49

57.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 OMR 0.93

$1.06 OMR 0.41

127.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 OMR 0.48

$0.80 OMR 0.31

56.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 OMR 0.47

$0.76 OMR 0.29

59.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 OMR 0.48

$0.54 OMR 0.21

129.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 OMR 0.72

$1.55 OMR 0.60

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 OMR 0.26

$0.53 OMR 0.21

28.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.39 OMR 2.46

$6.38 OMR 2.45

0.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.38 OMR 5.92

$15.86 OMR 6.11

-3.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.06 OMR 2.33

$6.10 OMR 2.35

-0.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.29 OMR 3.96

$10.30 OMR 3.96

-0.10%

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

$3.32 OMR 1.28

-2.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 OMR 1.01

$2.61 OMR 1.01

0.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 OMR 3.04

$7.74 OMR 2.98

1.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 OMR 0.23

$0.53 OMR 0.20

13.21%

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

$25.5K OMR 9,819

$24.7K OMR 9,491

3.45%

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

$20.9K OMR 8,061

$20.7K OMR 7,965

1.22%

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

$177 OMR 68.2

$77.7 OMR 29.90

128.13%

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

$30.23 OMR 11.64

$23.09 OMR 8.89

30.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.6 OMR 26.79

$69.7 OMR 26.85

-0.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 OMR 26.29

$86.3 OMR 33.21

-20.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.66 OMR 11.42

Cinema Ticket

$10.56 OMR 4.06

$10.25 OMR 3.95

3.02%

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

$508 OMR 196

$502 OMR 193

1.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K OMR 3,978

$6,458 OMR 2,486

59.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 OMR 22.03

$56.9 OMR 21.89

0.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 OMR 16.80

$44.07 OMR 16.97

-1.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 OMR 35.01

$88.9 OMR 34.23

2.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.3 OMR 33.23

$88.4 OMR 34.01

-2.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$720 OMR 277

$257 OMR 99.0

179.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 OMR 168

$271 OMR 104

61.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 OMR 457

$467 OMR 180

154.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$745 OMR 287

$385 OMR 148

93.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,815 OMR 1,084

$583 OMR 224

383.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,619 OMR 623

$515 OMR 198

214.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,682 OMR 647

$2,660 OMR 1,024

-36.77%

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 Sur: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Muscat

$436 28.2%

Sur

$271 23.5% 38% $166

Groceries & Markets

Muscat

$292 18.9%

Sur

$252 21.9% 13.8% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Muscat

$277 17.9%

Sur

$170 14.8% 38.5% $107

Eating Out

Muscat

$224 14.5%

Sur

$208 18.1% 6.9% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Muscat

$125 8.1%

Sur

$125 10.9% 0% $0

Getting Around

Muscat

$101 6.5%

Sur

$16 * 1.4% 83.7% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Muscat

$89 5.8%

Sur

$107 9.3% 19.4% $17

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 $257 in Sur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sur pays 58% 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 $26 in Sur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $252 per month, with Sur cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Muscat

🇴🇲 Sur

🕒 Local time

07:08 7:08 AM

Same time as Muscat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,090,797 Capital

120,000

💱 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 Sur 160 km

From you

Muscat
Sur

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 Sur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,544 in Muscat and $1,149 in Sur, so Sur is about 26% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 37% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $720 in Muscat versus $257 in Sur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Muscat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,544 per month in Muscat versus $1,149 in Sur – Sur is about 26% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,149 in Sur versus $1,544 in Muscat, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sur but tight or insufficient in Muscat. The gap between the two cities makes Sur 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 Sur are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.