Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saham and Ruwi

For one person, living is cheaper in Ruwi: $639 a month against $959 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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Saham

🇴🇲 Oman

$959

/mo nomad

Ruwi

🇴🇲 Oman

$639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saham and in Ruwi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Saham and in Ruwi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $959 in Saham versus $639 in Ruwi.

Saham $959
Ruwi $639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,439 in Saham versus $833 in Ruwi.

Saham $1,439
Ruwi $833

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,920 in Saham versus $1,028 in Ruwi.

Saham $1,920
Ruwi $1,028

Living in Saham is roughly 50% more expensive than in Ruwi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.12 OMR 1.97

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.33 OMR 15.14

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 OMR 3.01

Cappuccino

$5.21 OMR 2.00

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

$0.91 OMR 0.35

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 OMR 0.11

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.19 OMR 5.08

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.89 OMR 4.96

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 OMR 0.90

$1.99 OMR 0.77

17.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 OMR 0.46

$1.98 OMR 0.76

-39.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 OMR 0.72

$0.99 OMR 0.38

88.89%

Eggs

$2.92 OMR 1.13

$1.17 OMR 0.45

149.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 OMR 2.88

$2.03 OMR 0.78

268.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 OMR 2.69

$2.05 OMR 0.79

241.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.70 OMR 4.12

$4.93 OMR 1.90

117.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 OMR 1.36

$0.98 OMR 0.38

261.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 OMR 0.77

$1.02 OMR 0.39

95.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 OMR 0.89

$1.02 OMR 0.39

127.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 OMR 0.49

$1.03 OMR 0.40

23.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 OMR 0.47

$0.99 OMR 0.38

22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 OMR 0.47

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 OMR 0.72

$0.98 OMR 0.38

91.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 OMR 0.25

$1.02 OMR 0.39

-35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.46 OMR 2.49

Wine (Bottle)

$15.88 OMR 6.11

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.05 OMR 2.33

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.14 OMR 3.91

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 OMR 1.27

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 OMR 1.01

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.82 OMR 3.01

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 OMR 0.23

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

$25.1K OMR 9,647

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

$22.6K OMR 8,688

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

$180 OMR 69.3

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

$30.60 OMR 11.78

$25.53 OMR 9.83

19.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 OMR 27.18

$79.3 OMR 30.55

-11.02%

Cinema Ticket

$10.45 OMR 4.02

$8.97 OMR 3.45

16.50%

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

$282 OMR 109

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K OMR 4,008

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 OMR 21.78

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.91 OMR 16.52

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 OMR 34.57

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.0 OMR 33.51

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 OMR 152

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 OMR 153

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 OMR 347

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$581 OMR 224

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,398 OMR 1,693

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 Saham: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ruwi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Saham

$293 30.5%

Ruwi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saham

$281 29.3%

Ruwi

–

Eating Out

Saham

$223 23.3%

Ruwi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Saham

$124 13%

Ruwi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Saham

$21 * 2.2%

Ruwi

–

Getting Around

Saham

$16 * 1.7%

Ruwi

–

Accommodation & Living

Saham

- * 0%

Ruwi

–

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

Good to know

🇴🇲 Saham

🇴🇲 Ruwi

🕒 Local time

11:39 11:39 AM

Same time as Saham

🌤 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

Saham Ruwi 180 km

From you

Saham
Ruwi

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

Saham vs Ruwi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saham and Ruwi differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($959 vs $639 including rent). Ruwi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,439 in Saham and $958 in Ruwi 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 $959 per month in Saham versus $639 in Ruwi – 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, Saham and Ruwi 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.