Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ruwi and Sur

For one person, living is cheaper in Ruwi: $641 a month against $1,149 in Sur, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. The total is higher in Sur despite lower rent and utilities.

55

Cost of Living Index in Sur
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Sur Living Index

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Ruwi

🇴🇲 Oman

$641

/mo nomad

Sur

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,149

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ruwi and in Sur

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $641 in Ruwi versus $1,149 in Sur.

Ruwi $641
Sur $1,149

Estimated couple costs with rent: $830 in Ruwi versus $1,653 in Sur.

Ruwi $830
Sur $1,653

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,020 in Ruwi versus $2,156 in Sur.

Ruwi $1,020
Sur $2,156

Living in Ruwi costs roughly 44% less than in Sur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ruwi 53% lower, Sur 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 OMR 1.49

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.96 OMR 9.99

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.63 OMR 2.94

Cappuccino

$5.05 OMR 1.94

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

$0.73 OMR 0.28

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.80 OMR 4.93

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.79 OMR 4.92

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 OMR 0.79

$1.59 OMR 0.61

28.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 OMR 0.78

$1.23 OMR 0.48

64.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$1.73 OMR 0.66

-41.04%

Eggs

$1.18 OMR 0.45

$1.95 OMR 0.75

-39.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$1.95 OMR 0.75

$7.19 OMR 2.77

-72.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.95 OMR 0.75

$6.81 OMR 2.62

-71.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.05 OMR 1.95

$8.99 OMR 3.46

-43.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$2.35 OMR 0.91

-56.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 OMR 0.39

$1.28 OMR 0.49

-21.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 OMR 0.39

$1.06 OMR 0.41

-4.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$0.80 OMR 0.31

27.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$0.76 OMR 0.29

34.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 OMR 0.21

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$1.55 OMR 0.60

-34.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 OMR 0.40

$0.53 OMR 0.21

94.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.38 OMR 2.45

Wine (Bottle)

$15.86 OMR 6.11

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.10 OMR 2.35

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.30 OMR 3.96

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 OMR 1.28

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 OMR 1.01

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 OMR 2.98

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.53 OMR 0.20

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

$24.7K OMR 9,491

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

$20.7K OMR 7,965

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

$77.7 OMR 29.90

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

$26.10 OMR 10.05

$23.09 OMR 8.89

13.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.4 OMR 30.57

$69.7 OMR 26.85

13.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.3 OMR 33.21

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 OMR 3.49

$10.25 OMR 3.95

-11.51%

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

$502 OMR 193

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,458 OMR 2,486

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.9 OMR 21.89

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.07 OMR 16.97

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 OMR 34.23

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 OMR 34.01

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 OMR 148

$257 OMR 99.0

49.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 OMR 153

$271 OMR 104

46.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 OMR 351

$467 OMR 180

95.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 OMR 219

$385 OMR 148

47.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$583 OMR 224

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$515 OMR 198

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,443 OMR 1,711

$2,660 OMR 1,024

67.06%

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 Sur: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ruwi

–

Sur

$271 23.5%

Groceries & Markets

Ruwi

–

Sur

$252 21.9%

Eating Out

Ruwi

–

Sur

$208 18.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ruwi

–

Sur

$170 14.8%

Clothing & Footwear

Ruwi

–

Sur

$125 10.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Ruwi

–

Sur

$107 9.3%

Getting Around

Ruwi

–

Sur

$16 * 1.4%

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $385 in Ruwi and $257 in Sur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ruwi pays 67% 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

🇴🇲 Sur

🕒 Local time

22:39 10:39 PM

Same time as Ruwi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

120,000

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Ruwi Sur 150 km

From you

Ruwi
Sur

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 Sur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ruwi and Sur differ by about 79% in total monthly costs ($641 vs $1,149 including rent). Ruwi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 67% 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: $385 in Ruwi versus $257 in Sur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 110% higher in Sur. 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 $1,149 in Sur – a 79% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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 Sur are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.