Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ruwi and Muscat

For one person, living is cheaper in Ruwi: $639 a month against $1,556 in Muscat, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Muscat
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Muscat Living Index

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Ruwi

🇴🇲 Oman

$639

/mo nomad

Muscat

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,556

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ruwi and in Muscat

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $639 in Ruwi versus $1,556 in Muscat.

Ruwi $639
Muscat $1,556

Estimated couple costs with rent: $833 in Ruwi versus $2,299 in Muscat.

Ruwi $833
Muscat $2,299

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,028 in Ruwi versus $3,042 in Muscat.

Ruwi $1,028
Muscat $3,042

Living in Ruwi costs roughly 59% less than in Muscat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ruwi is 53% below, Muscat is 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.33 OMR 2.05

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.12 OMR 15.06

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 OMR 2.99

Cappuccino

$4.93 OMR 1.90

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

$0.85 OMR 0.33

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.87 OMR 4.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.07 OMR 5.03

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 OMR 0.77

$2.31 OMR 0.89

-13.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 OMR 0.76

$1.24 OMR 0.48

59.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 OMR 0.38

$1.87 OMR 0.72

-47.06%

Eggs

$1.17 OMR 0.45

$3.02 OMR 1.16

-61.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.03 OMR 0.78

$7.23 OMR 2.78

-71.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.05 OMR 0.79

$6.91 OMR 2.66

-70.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.93 OMR 1.90

$10.57 OMR 4.07

-53.36%

Apples (1kg)

$0.98 OMR 0.38

$3.51 OMR 1.35

-72.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$2.01 OMR 0.77

-49.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$2.33 OMR 0.90

-56.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 OMR 0.40

$1.26 OMR 0.49

-18.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 OMR 0.38

$1.16 OMR 0.44

-14.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 OMR 0.49

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 OMR 0.38

$1.79 OMR 0.69

-45.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$0.68 OMR 0.26

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.62 OMR 2.55

Wine (Bottle)

$15.83 OMR 6.09

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.03 OMR 2.32

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.33 OMR 3.98

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.33 OMR 0.51

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 OMR 30.00

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 OMR 1.23

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 OMR 1.01

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 OMR 3.01

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 OMR 0.23

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

$25.9K OMR 9,986

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

$22.4K OMR 8,624

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

$176 OMR 67.9

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

$25.53 OMR 9.83

$28.30 OMR 10.90

-9.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.3 OMR 30.55

$70.9 OMR 27.28

11.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.7 OMR 24.14

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.94 OMR 11.53

Cinema Ticket

$8.97 OMR 3.45

$10.52 OMR 4.05

-14.73%

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

$283 OMR 109

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K OMR 4,070

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 OMR 21.79

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.33 OMR 16.68

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 OMR 35.08

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 OMR 33.28

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 OMR 152

$674 OMR 260

-41.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 OMR 153

$461 OMR 177

-13.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 OMR 347

$1,324 OMR 510

-31.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$581 OMR 224

$813 OMR 313

-28.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 OMR 1,105

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,614 OMR 621

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,398 OMR 1,693

$1,650 OMR 635

166.64%

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: October 12, 2026

Last update for Muscat: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ruwi

–

Muscat

$461 29.6%

Groceries & Markets

Ruwi

–

Muscat

$292 18.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ruwi

–

Muscat

$275 17.7%

Eating Out

Ruwi

–

Muscat

$220 14.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Ruwi

–

Muscat

$125 8%

Getting Around

Ruwi

–

Muscat

$100 6.4%

Sport & Entertainment

Ruwi

–

Muscat

$84 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $396 in Ruwi and $674 in Muscat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ruwi pays 167% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Ruwi

🇴🇲 Muscat

🕒 Local time

10:10 10:10 AM

Same time as Ruwi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,090,797 Capital

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Ruwi Muscat 17 km

From you

Ruwi
Muscat

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 Muscat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ruwi and Muscat differ by about 144% in total monthly costs ($639 vs $1,556 including rent). Ruwi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 167% higher in Ruwi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $396 in Ruwi versus $674 in Muscat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 146% higher in Muscat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $639 per month in Ruwi versus $1,556 in Muscat – a 144% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $639 in Ruwi versus $1,556 in Muscat, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ruwi but tight or insufficient in Muscat. The gap between the two cities makes Ruwi 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, Ruwi and Muscat 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 Ruwi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 144% less than in Muscat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.