Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oman and China

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $1,432 in Oman, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Oman
China
🇴🇲 Oman
$1,432
/mo nomad
🇨🇳 China
$791
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Oman and in China

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Oman and in China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,432 in Oman versus $791 in China.

  • Oman $1,432
  • China $791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Oman versus $1,251 in China.

  • Oman $2,089
  • China $1,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,745 in Oman versus $1,711 in China.

  • Oman $2,745
  • China $1,711

Internal cost variation is higher in Oman: monthly costs span $44 to $1,544, compared to $465–$1,222 in China. City choice carries more weight in Oman.

Living in Oman is roughly 81% more expensive than in China on average.

Oman (5% above) and China (42% below) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Oman
China
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.58 OMR 2.15
$2.98 ¥19.84
87.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$25.75 OMR 9.91
$22.09 ¥147
16.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.32 OMR 3.59
$5.20 ¥34.66
79.23%
Cappuccino
$5.08 OMR 1.96
$2.97 ¥19.77
71.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.85 OMR 0.33
$0.48 ¥3.19
77.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.27 OMR 0.10
$0.30 ¥2.01
-10.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$12.97 OMR 4.99
$1.08 ¥7.19
1100.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$12.93 OMR 4.98
$2.28 ¥15.18
467.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Oman
China
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.32 OMR 0.89
$1.80 ¥11.98
28.89%
White Bread (500g)
$1.20 OMR 0.46
$1.68 ¥11.17
-28.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.10 OMR 0.81
$0.92 ¥6.14
128.26%
Eggs
$2.86 OMR 1.10
$1.61 ¥10.75
77.64%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.11 OMR 3.12
$13.38 ¥89.2
-39.39%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.99 OMR 2.69
$3.35 ¥22.31
108.66%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.33 OMR 3.98
$11.35 ¥75.7
-8.99%
Apples (1kg)
$3.28 OMR 1.26
$1.82 ¥12.14
80.22%
Banana (1kg)
$2.05 OMR 0.79
$1.31 ¥8.71
56.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 OMR 0.86
$1.49 ¥9.91
49.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.24 OMR 0.48
$1.27 ¥8.49
-2.36%
Potato (1kg)
$1.17 OMR 0.45
$0.71 ¥4.74
64.79%
Onion (1kg)
$1.18 OMR 0.45
$0.93 ¥6.22
26.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.57 OMR 0.60
$0.62 ¥4.12
153.23%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68 OMR 0.26
$0.56 ¥3.75
21.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.23 OMR 2.40
$3.78 ¥25.19
64.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.82 OMR 6.09
$12.13 ¥80.9
30.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$5.79 OMR 2.23
$0.83 ¥5.55
597.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.91 OMR 3.81
$1.68 ¥11.23
489.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Oman
China
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.28 OMR 0.49
$0.29 ¥1.92
341.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$79.3 OMR 30.53
$17.83 ¥119
344.76%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.32 OMR 1.28
$1.49 ¥9.91
122.82%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.26 OMR 0.49
$0.37 ¥2.50
240.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.01 OMR 3.09
$7.10 ¥47.31
12.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.63 OMR 0.24
$1.26 ¥8.39
-50.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.4K OMR 9,774
$19.4K ¥129.6K
30.56%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.4K OMR 8,238
$17.5K ¥116.9K
22.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oman
China
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$121 OMR 46.60
$54.6 ¥364
121.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.03 OMR 12.33
$8.73 ¥58.2
266.90%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.5 OMR 29.07
$11.07 ¥73.8
582.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Oman
China
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.9 OMR 22.69
$40.77 ¥272
44.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.33 OMR 10.14
$14.48 ¥96.5
81.84%
Cinema Ticket
$9.93 OMR 3.82
$6.78 ¥45.19
46.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Oman
China
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$365 OMR 140
$517 ¥3,443
-29.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,746 OMR 3,367
$19.8K ¥132.0K
-55.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Oman
China
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.8 OMR 19.94
$46.53 ¥310
11.28%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.08 OMR 17.36
$35.66 ¥238
26.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.3 OMR 32.84
$77.0 ¥513
10.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.8 OMR 30.73
$80.3 ¥535
-0.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Oman
China
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$581 OMR 224
$386 ¥2,572
50.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$394 OMR 152
$235 ¥1,563
67.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$993 OMR 382
$822 ¥5,478
20.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 OMR 252
$453 ¥3,020
44.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,410 OMR 928
$4,697 ¥31.3K
-48.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,435 OMR 553
$2,372 ¥15.8K
-39.49%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Oman
China
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,604 OMR 1,002
$1,093 ¥7,286
138.20%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.09
3.46
47.11%

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

Last update for Oman: October 26, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Oman
$394
China
$235 40.4% $159
Groceries & Markets
Oman
$290
China
$210 27.5% $80
Eating Out
Oman
$229
China
$88 61.5% $141
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oman
$229
China
$74 67.5% $154
Clothing & Footwear
Oman
$118
China
$108 8.6% $10
Getting Around
Oman
$94
China
$22 76.2% $72
Sport & Entertainment
Oman
$79
China
$54 31.1% $24

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $407 in Oman, $298 in China. Capital cities: $720 in Muscat vs $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,172 in Oman, $873 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 37% higher in Oman.

Dining out costs 50% more in Oman.

Public transport is 194% more expensive in Oman.

Salaries are about 3.6 times higher in Oman, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Oman.

Good to know
🇴🇲 Oman
🇨🇳 China
🕒 Local time
12:32 12:32 PM
16:32 4:32 PM
4 h ahead of Oman
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,829,480
1,442,965,000
💱 Currency
Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to OMR – Omani Rial Converter

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.428 OMR (1 OMR = 2.33 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.67 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Oman China 5,670 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Oman
  • China

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
Oman vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: China or Oman?
At $791 per month in China and $1,432 in Oman, there’s a 81% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: China or Oman?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in China: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
How do rents compare between China and Oman?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $407 in Oman and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
How do I choose between living in China and in Oman?
It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability; Oman may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

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