Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ruwi and Saham

For one person, living is cheaper in Ruwi: $637 a month against $956 in Saham, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. The total is higher in Saham despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Saham
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Saham Living Index

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Ruwi

🇴🇲 Oman

$637

/mo nomad

Saham

🇴🇲 Oman

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ruwi and in Saham

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $637 in Ruwi versus $956 in Saham.

Ruwi $637
Saham $956

Estimated couple costs with rent: $830 in Ruwi versus $1,437 in Saham.

Ruwi $830
Saham $1,437

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,023 in Ruwi versus $1,917 in Saham.

Ruwi $1,023
Saham $1,917

Living in Ruwi costs roughly 33% less than in Saham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ruwi 53% lower, Saham 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.09 OMR 1.96

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.74 OMR 15.30

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.84 OMR 3.02

Cappuccino

$5.11 OMR 1.97

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

$0.86 OMR 0.33

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.04 OMR 5.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.77 OMR 4.92

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 OMR 0.76

$2.28 OMR 0.88

-13.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 OMR 0.76

$1.22 OMR 0.47

62.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 OMR 0.38

$1.88 OMR 0.72

-47.87%

Eggs

$1.23 OMR 0.47

$3.04 OMR 1.17

-59.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$1.96 OMR 0.75

$7.12 OMR 2.74

-72.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.98 OMR 0.76

$6.91 OMR 2.66

-71.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.87 OMR 1.87

$10.77 OMR 4.15

-54.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$3.61 OMR 1.39

-71.75%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 OMR 0.38

$2.02 OMR 0.78

-50.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 OMR 0.38

$2.43 OMR 0.94

-59.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.01 OMR 0.39

$1.31 OMR 0.50

-22.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 OMR 0.38

$1.17 OMR 0.45

-15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 OMR 0.47

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 OMR 0.37

$1.78 OMR 0.69

-45.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$0.70 OMR 0.27

45.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 OMR 2.54

Wine (Bottle)

$15.34 OMR 5.91

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.76 OMR 2.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.31 OMR 3.97

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 OMR 1.23

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.55 OMR 0.98

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 OMR 3.08

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 OMR 0.23

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

$25.2K OMR 9,684

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

$23.1K OMR 8,877

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

$181 OMR 69.6

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

$25.58 OMR 9.85

$31.12 OMR 11.98

-17.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.8 OMR 29.95

$71.3 OMR 27.44

9.13%

Cinema Ticket

$9.35 OMR 3.60

$10.55 OMR 4.06

-11.37%

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

$293 OMR 113

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K OMR 4,027

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 OMR 21.77

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.98 OMR 16.55

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 OMR 33.92

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 OMR 34.09

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 OMR 152

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 OMR 153

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$897 OMR 346

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$579 OMR 223

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,466 OMR 1,719

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 20, 2026

Last update for Saham: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ruwi

–

Saham

$291 30.4%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ruwi

–

Saham

$283 29.6%

Eating Out

Ruwi

–

Saham

$221 23.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Ruwi

–

Saham

$124 13%

Sport & Entertainment

Ruwi

–

Saham

$21 * 2.2%

Getting Around

Ruwi

–

Saham

$16 * 1.7%

Accommodation & Living

Ruwi

–

Saham

- * 0%

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

Good to know

🇴🇲 Ruwi

🇴🇲 Saham

🕒 Local time

17:18 5:18 PM

Same time as Ruwi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

140,000

💱 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 Saham 180 km

From you

Ruwi
Saham

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 Saham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ruwi and Saham differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($637 vs $956 including rent). Ruwi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $955 in Ruwi and $1,435 in Saham 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 147% higher in Saham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $637 per month in Ruwi versus $956 in Saham – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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 Saham 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 50% less than in Saham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.