Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ruwi and Salalah

For one person, living is cheaper in Ruwi: $639 a month against $1,055 in Salalah, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. The total is higher in Salalah despite lower rent and utilities.

52

Cost of Living Index in Salalah
Learn more

Salalah Living Index

Jump to prices

Ruwi

🇴🇲 Oman

$639

/mo nomad

Salalah

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,055

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ruwi and in Salalah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $639 in Ruwi versus $1,055 in Salalah.

Ruwi $639
Salalah $1,055

Estimated couple costs with rent: $833 in Ruwi versus $1,587 in Salalah.

Ruwi $833
Salalah $1,587

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,028 in Ruwi versus $2,118 in Salalah.

Ruwi $1,028
Salalah $2,118

Living in Ruwi costs roughly 39% less than in Salalah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ruwi 53% lower, Salalah 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.07 OMR 1.95

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.69 OMR 9.89

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.75 OMR 4.91

Cappuccino

$6.05 OMR 2.33

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

$0.90 OMR 0.35

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.98 OMR 3.46

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.22 OMR 3.94

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 OMR 0.77

$1.89 OMR 0.73

5.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 OMR 0.76

$1.27 OMR 0.49

55.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 OMR 0.38

$2.62 OMR 1.01

-62.21%

Eggs

$1.17 OMR 0.45

$1.91 OMR 0.74

-38.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.03 OMR 0.78

$4.58 OMR 1.76

-55.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.05 OMR 0.79

$4.73 OMR 1.82

-56.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.93 OMR 1.90

$6.37 OMR 2.45

-22.61%

Apples (1kg)

$0.98 OMR 0.38

$1.94 OMR 0.75

-49.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$1.85 OMR 0.71

-44.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$2.05 OMR 0.79

-50.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 OMR 0.40

$1.78 OMR 0.69

-42.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 OMR 0.38

$1.49 OMR 0.57

-33.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 OMR 0.39

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 OMR 0.38

$1.10 OMR 0.42

-10.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$0.52 OMR 0.20

96.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.87 OMR 2.26

Wine (Bottle)

$20.15 OMR 7.76

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.98 OMR 1.53

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 OMR 1.81

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.33 OMR 0.51

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.8 OMR 21.09

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 OMR 0.87

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 OMR 0.49

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.87 OMR 4.57

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 OMR 0.25

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

$21.1K OMR 8,112

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

$18.3K OMR 7,061

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

$77.6 OMR 29.89

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

$25.53 OMR 9.83

$48.92 OMR 18.84

-47.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.3 OMR 30.55

$73.7 OMR 28.39

7.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.07 OMR 15.04

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.08 OMR 10.04

Cinema Ticket

$8.97 OMR 3.45

$7.67 OMR 2.95

16.95%

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

$105 OMR 40.24

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,925 OMR 741

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.01 OMR 11.17

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.47 OMR 12.12

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.0 OMR 22.69

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.02 OMR 17.72

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 OMR 152

$244 OMR 94.1

62.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 OMR 153

$205 OMR 79.0

93.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 OMR 347

$626 OMR 241

44.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$581 OMR 224

$387 OMR 149

50.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,999 OMR 770

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,203 OMR 463

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,398 OMR 1,693

$1,769 OMR 681

148.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.58

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

Last update for Ruwi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Salalah: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ruwi

–

Salalah

$231 21.9%

Eating Out

Ruwi

–

Salalah

$222 21%

Accommodation & Living

Ruwi

–

Salalah

$205 19.4%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ruwi

–

Salalah

$200 19%

Clothing & Footwear

Ruwi

–

Salalah

$74 7.1%

Getting Around

Ruwi

–

Salalah

$69 6.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Ruwi

–

Salalah

$54 5.2%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $396 in Ruwi and $244 in Salalah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ruwi pays 149% 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

🇴🇲 Salalah

🕒 Local time

11:39 11:39 AM

Same time as Ruwi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

178,469

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ruwi Salalah 870 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ruwi
Salalah

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 Salalah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ruwi and Salalah differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($639 vs $1,055 including rent). Ruwi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 149% 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 $244 in Salalah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 94% higher in Salalah. 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 $1,055 in Salalah – a 65% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $639 in Ruwi versus $1,055 in Salalah, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ruwi but tight or insufficient in Salalah. 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 Salalah 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 65% less than in Salalah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.