Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ruwi and Shinas

For one person, living is cheaper in Ruwi: $641 a month against $952 in Shinas, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. The total is higher in Shinas despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Shinas
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Shinas Living Index

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Ruwi

🇴🇲 Oman

$641

/mo nomad

Shinas

🇴🇲 Oman

$952

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ruwi and in Shinas

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $641 in Ruwi versus $952 in Shinas.

Ruwi $641
Shinas $952

Estimated couple costs with rent: $830 in Ruwi versus $1,430 in Shinas.

Ruwi $830
Shinas $1,430

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,020 in Ruwi versus $1,908 in Shinas.

Ruwi $1,020
Shinas $1,908

Living in Ruwi costs roughly 33% less than in Shinas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ruwi 53% lower, Shinas 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.11 OMR 1.97

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.27 OMR 15.12

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.59 OMR 2.92

Cappuccino

$5.21 OMR 2.01

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

$0.84 OMR 0.32

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 OMR 0.11

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.92 OMR 4.97

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.16 OMR 5.07

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 OMR 0.79

$2.35 OMR 0.91

-12.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 OMR 0.78

$1.19 OMR 0.46

69.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$1.91 OMR 0.73

-46.60%

Eggs

$1.18 OMR 0.45

$3.01 OMR 1.16

-60.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$1.95 OMR 0.75

$7.24 OMR 2.79

-73.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.95 OMR 0.75

$6.86 OMR 2.64

-71.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.05 OMR 1.95

$10.13 OMR 3.90

-50.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$3.53 OMR 1.36

-71.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 OMR 0.39

$1.94 OMR 0.75

-47.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 OMR 0.39

$2.39 OMR 0.92

-57.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$1.27 OMR 0.49

-19.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$1.17 OMR 0.45

-12.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 OMR 0.49

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$1.87 OMR 0.72

-45.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 OMR 0.40

$0.65 OMR 0.25

58.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.63 OMR 2.55

Wine (Bottle)

$15.36 OMR 5.91

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.99 OMR 2.31

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.12 OMR 3.90

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 OMR 1.25

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 OMR 1.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 OMR 3.06

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 OMR 0.25

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

$24.6K OMR 9,472

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

$20.6K OMR 7,915

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

$179 OMR 68.7

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

$26.10 OMR 10.05

$31.10 OMR 11.97

-16.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.4 OMR 30.57

$69.2 OMR 26.65

14.72%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 OMR 3.49

$10.51 OMR 4.05

-13.70%

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

$490 OMR 189

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K OMR 3,982

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 OMR 21.63

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.52 OMR 16.76

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 OMR 34.51

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.7 OMR 33.77

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 OMR 148

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 OMR 153

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 OMR 351

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 OMR 219

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,443 OMR 1,711

$3,086 OMR 1,188

43.98%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Shinas: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ruwi

–

Shinas

$289 30.4%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ruwi

–

Shinas

$279 29.3%

Eating Out

Ruwi

–

Shinas

$222 23.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Ruwi

–

Shinas

$125 13.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Ruwi

–

Shinas

$21 * 2.2%

Getting Around

Ruwi

–

Shinas

$16 * 1.7%

Accommodation & Living

Ruwi

–

Shinas

- * 0%

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

Cost Breakdown

Ruwi pays 44% 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

🇴🇲 Shinas

🕒 Local time

02:28 2:28 AM

Same time as Ruwi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,312

💱 Currency

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

📈 Exchange rate

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.33 EUR

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.33 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ruwi Shinas 250 km

From you

Ruwi
Shinas

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 Shinas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $641 in Ruwi and $952 in Shinas, so Ruwi is about 33% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 44% higher in Ruwi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 141% higher in Shinas. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $641 per month in Ruwi versus $952 in Shinas – Ruwi is about 33% 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.