Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ruwi and Sohar

For one person, living is cheaper in Ruwi: $639 a month against $1,432 in Sohar, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Sohar
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Sohar Living Index

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Ruwi

🇴🇲 Oman

$639

/mo nomad

Sohar

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,432

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ruwi and in Sohar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $639 in Ruwi versus $1,432 in Sohar.

Ruwi $639
Sohar $1,432

Estimated couple costs with rent: $833 in Ruwi versus $2,101 in Sohar.

Ruwi $833
Sohar $2,101

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,028 in Ruwi versus $2,770 in Sohar.

Ruwi $1,028
Sohar $2,770

Living in Ruwi costs roughly 55% less than in Sohar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ruwi is 53% below, Sohar is 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.52 OMR 2.51

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.06 OMR 8.11

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 OMR 3.56

Cappuccino

$4.95 OMR 1.91

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

$0.70 OMR 0.27

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 OMR 0.12

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.81 OMR 4.93

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.03 OMR 5.40

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 OMR 0.77

$2.13 OMR 0.82

-6.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 OMR 0.76

$1.10 OMR 0.42

80.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 OMR 0.38

$3.21 OMR 1.23

-69.16%

Eggs

$1.17 OMR 0.45

$2.71 OMR 1.04

-56.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.03 OMR 0.78

$13.46 OMR 5.18

-84.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.05 OMR 0.79

$8.90 OMR 3.43

-76.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.93 OMR 1.90

$14.55 OMR 5.60

-66.12%

Apples (1kg)

$0.98 OMR 0.38

$3.33 OMR 1.28

-70.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$2.17 OMR 0.83

-53.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$2.44 OMR 0.94

-58.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 OMR 0.40

$1.21 OMR 0.47

-14.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 OMR 0.38

$1.76 OMR 0.68

-43.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 OMR 0.71

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 OMR 0.38

$1.71 OMR 0.66

-42.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$0.98 OMR 0.38

4.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.99 OMR 2.31

Wine (Bottle)

$25.65 OMR 9.87

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.98 OMR 1.53

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.80 OMR 3.39

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 OMR 1.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.1 OMR 19.68

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 OMR 1.26

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 OMR 0.62

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.54 OMR 4.06

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 OMR 0.25

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

$17.9K OMR 6,903

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

$20.1K OMR 7,749

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

$104 OMR 40.17

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

$25.53 OMR 9.83

$29.83 OMR 11.48

-14.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.3 OMR 30.55

$87.8 OMR 33.81

-9.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.19 OMR 18.55

Cinema Ticket

$8.97 OMR 3.45

$11.76 OMR 4.53

-23.72%

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

$294 OMR 113

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,075 OMR 2,724

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 OMR 19.60

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.78 OMR 16.86

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 OMR 30.50

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.40 OMR 18.25

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 OMR 152

$492 OMR 189

-19.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 OMR 153

$384 OMR 148

3.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 OMR 347

$821 OMR 316

9.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$581 OMR 224

$689 OMR 265

-15.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,173 OMR 452

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$784 OMR 302

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,398 OMR 1,693

$2,443 OMR 941

80.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

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

Last update for Ruwi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sohar: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ruwi

–

Sohar

$384 26.8%

Groceries & Markets

Ruwi

–

Sohar

$346 24.2%

Eating Out

Ruwi

–

Sohar

$235 16.4%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ruwi

–

Sohar

$222 15.5%

Clothing & Footwear

Ruwi

–

Sohar

$100 7%

Getting Around

Ruwi

–

Sohar

$73 5.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Ruwi

–

Sohar

$72 5%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $396 in Ruwi and $492 in Sohar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ruwi pays 80% 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

🇴🇲 Sohar

🕒 Local time

10:25 10:25 AM

Same time as Ruwi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

221,605

💱 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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Ruwi Sohar 200 km

From you

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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 Sohar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ruwi and Sohar differ by about 124% in total monthly costs ($639 vs $1,432 including rent). Ruwi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 80% 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 $492 in Sohar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 192% higher in Sohar. 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 $1,432 in Sohar – a 124% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $639 in Ruwi versus $1,432 in Sohar, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ruwi but tight or insufficient in Sohar. 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 Sohar 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 124% less than in Sohar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.