Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ruwi and Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

For one person, living is cheaper in Ruwi: $628 a month against $956 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. The total is higher in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos
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Madinat As Sultan Qaboos Living Index

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Ruwi

🇴🇲 Oman

$628

/mo nomad

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

🇴🇲 Oman

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ruwi and in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $628 in Ruwi versus $956 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos.

Ruwi $628
Madinat As Sultan Qaboos $956

Estimated couple costs with rent: $820 in Ruwi versus $1,434 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos.

Ruwi $820
Madinat As Sultan Qaboos $1,434

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,012 in Ruwi versus $1,911 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos.

Ruwi $1,012
Madinat As Sultan Qaboos $1,911

Living in Ruwi costs roughly 34% less than in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ruwi 54% lower, Madinat As Sultan Qaboos 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 OMR 2.06

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.48 OMR 14.81

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 OMR 3.04

Cappuccino

$5.01 OMR 1.93

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

$0.91 OMR 0.35

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 OMR 0.11

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.09 OMR 5.04

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.26 OMR 5.10

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 OMR 0.79

$2.29 OMR 0.88

-10.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 OMR 0.75

$1.24 OMR 0.48

58.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 OMR 0.37

$1.91 OMR 0.73

-49.21%

Eggs

$1.23 OMR 0.47

$3.08 OMR 1.19

-60.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$1.98 OMR 0.76

$7.12 OMR 2.74

-72.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.04 OMR 0.78

$7.14 OMR 2.75

-71.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.91 OMR 1.89

$10.13 OMR 3.90

-51.53%

Apples (1kg)

$0.97 OMR 0.38

$3.65 OMR 1.40

-73.42%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 OMR 0.38

$2.01 OMR 0.77

-51.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$2.39 OMR 0.92

-57.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$1.30 OMR 0.50

-21.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 OMR 0.39

$1.17 OMR 0.45

-13.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 OMR 0.49

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$1.82 OMR 0.70

-43.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 OMR 0.39

$0.65 OMR 0.25

55.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 OMR 2.52

Wine (Bottle)

$15.39 OMR 5.92

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.94 OMR 2.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.26 OMR 3.95

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 OMR 1.24

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.53 OMR 0.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 OMR 3.05

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 OMR 0.23

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

$25.2K OMR 9,705

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

$20.7K OMR 7,960

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

$180 OMR 69.2

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

$25.70 OMR 9.89

$30.21 OMR 11.63

-14.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.4 OMR 30.56

$70.4 OMR 27.10

12.77%

Cinema Ticket

$9.16 OMR 3.53

$10.58 OMR 4.07

-13.42%

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

$492 OMR 189

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K OMR 4,001

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 OMR 21.81

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.66 OMR 16.80

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 OMR 34.10

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.0 OMR 33.50

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 OMR 148

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 OMR 148

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$893 OMR 344

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 OMR 217

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,503 OMR 1,733

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 Ruwi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Madinat As Sultan Qaboos: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ruwi

–

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

$291 30.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ruwi

–

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

$280 29.3%

Eating Out

Ruwi

–

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

$223 23.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Ruwi

–

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

$124 13%

Sport & Entertainment

Ruwi

–

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

$21 * 2.2%

Getting Around

Ruwi

–

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

$16 * 1.7%

Accommodation & Living

Ruwi

–

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

- * 0%

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

Good to know

🇴🇲 Ruwi

🇴🇲 Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

🕒 Local time

03:50 3:50 AM

Same time as Ruwi

🌤 Weather

💱 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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Between locations

Ruwi Madinat As Sultan Qaboos 8 km

From you

Ruwi
Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

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

Ruwi vs Madinat As Sultan Qaboos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ruwi wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ruwi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $942 in Ruwi and $1,434 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 145% higher in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $628 per month in Ruwi versus $956 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos – Ruwi is about 34% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Ruwi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Ruwi and Madinat As Sultan Qaboos are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.