Cost of Living Comparison Between Salalah and Muscat Cost of Living Comparison Between Salalah and Muscat

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,022 in Salalah versus $1,525 in Muscat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,542 in Salalah versus $2,272 in Muscat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,061 in Salalah versus $3,019 in Muscat.

Living in Salalah costs roughly 33% less than in Muscat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Salalah is 26% below, Muscat is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.28 OMR 2.03

$5.34 OMR 2.06

-1.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.36 OMR 10.15

$34.00 OMR 13.09

-22.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.14 OMR 5.06

$7.74 OMR 2.98

69.77%

Cappuccino

$6.29 OMR 2.42

$4.73 OMR 1.82

32.98%

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

$0.85 OMR 0.33

$0.86 OMR 0.33

-1.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

$0.29 OMR 0.11

-6.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.90 OMR 3.43

$13.07 OMR 5.03

-31.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.43 OMR 4.02

$12.79 OMR 4.92

-18.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 OMR 0.77

$2.25 OMR 0.87

-11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 OMR 0.47

$1.25 OMR 0.48

-3.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 OMR 1.03

$1.90 OMR 0.73

40.53%

Eggs

$2.94 OMR 1.13

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.62 OMR 1.78

$7.65 OMR 2.94

-39.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 OMR 1.78

$6.57 OMR 2.53

-29.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.54 OMR 4.06

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 OMR 0.75

$3.41 OMR 1.31

-43.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 OMR 0.69

$2.00 OMR 0.77

-10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 OMR 0.82

$2.32 OMR 0.89

-8.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 OMR 0.72

$1.20 OMR 0.46

55.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 OMR 0.55

$1.22 OMR 0.47

18.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$1.29 OMR 0.50

-20.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 OMR 0.42

$1.80 OMR 0.69

-39.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 OMR 0.19

$0.67 OMR 0.26

-26.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.94 OMR 2.29

$6.30 OMR 2.43

-5.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.10 OMR 7.74

$15.43 OMR 5.94

30.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.88 OMR 1.50

$5.68 OMR 2.19

-31.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 OMR 1.85

$8.72 OMR 3.36

-44.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 OMR 0.51

$1.29 OMR 0.49

2.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.0 OMR 21.17

$76.7 OMR 29.52

-28.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 OMR 0.86

$3.21 OMR 1.24

-30.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 OMR 0.49

$2.59 OMR 1.00

-50.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.51 OMR 4.43

$7.82 OMR 3.01

47.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 OMR 0.24

$0.61 OMR 0.23

3.28%

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

$21.1K OMR 8,121

$25.1K OMR 9,665

-15.97%

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

$18.2K OMR 6,998

$22.2K OMR 8,564

-18.28%

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

$79.6 OMR 30.63

$170 OMR 65.5

-53.19%

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

$48.86 OMR 18.81

$30.94 OMR 11.91

57.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.1 OMR 28.14

$69.9 OMR 26.92

4.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.76 OMR 15.31

$62.7 OMR 24.14

-36.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.79 OMR 9.93

$29.20 OMR 11.24

-11.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.76 OMR 2.99

$10.34 OMR 3.98

-24.95%

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

$289 OMR 111

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,912 OMR 736

$10.7K OMR 4,110

-82.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.56 OMR 11.00

$55.7 OMR 21.42

-48.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.61 OMR 11.78

$43.19 OMR 16.63

-29.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.4 OMR 22.10

$92.0 OMR 35.43

-37.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.61 OMR 17.56

$96.0 OMR 36.95

-52.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 OMR 95.6

$673 OMR 259

-63.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$206 OMR 79.4

$455 OMR 175

-54.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 OMR 239

$1,366 OMR 526

-54.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 OMR 151

$857 OMR 330

-54.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,001 OMR 770

$2,835 OMR 1,092

-29.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,246 OMR 480

$1,595 OMR 614

-21.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,813 OMR 698

$1,660 OMR 639

9.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.58

5.25

-12.76%

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

Last update for Salalah: August 30, 2026

Last update for Muscat: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $248 in Salalah and $673 in Muscat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salalah pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $26.00 in Salalah vs $34.00 in Muscat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $284 per month, with Salalah cheaper across the board.

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

Salalah vs Muscat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Salalah and Muscat differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($1,022 vs $1,525 including rent). Salalah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Salalah, 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: $248 in Salalah versus $673 in Muscat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Muscat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,022 per month in Salalah versus $1,525 in Muscat – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,022 in Salalah versus $1,525 in Muscat, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Salalah but tight or insufficient in Muscat. The gap between the two cities makes Salalah 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, Salalah and Muscat 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 Salalah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Muscat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.