Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sohar and Al-Buraimi

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-Buraimi: $916 a month against $1,432 in Sohar, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Sohar
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Sohar Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Al-Buraimi
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Al-Buraimi Living Index

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Sohar

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,432

/mo nomad

Al-Buraimi

🇴🇲 Oman

$916

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sohar and in Al-Buraimi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,432 in Sohar versus $916 in Al-Buraimi.

Sohar $1,432
Al-Buraimi $916

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,101 in Sohar versus $1,357 in Al-Buraimi.

Sohar $2,101
Al-Buraimi $1,357

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,770 in Sohar versus $1,797 in Al-Buraimi.

Sohar $2,770
Al-Buraimi $1,797

Living in Sohar is roughly 56% more expensive than in Al-Buraimi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sohar is 6% above, Al-Buraimi is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.52 OMR 2.51

$5.27 OMR 2.03

23.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.06 OMR 8.11

$13.14 OMR 5.06

60.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 OMR 3.56

$7.82 OMR 3.01

18.16%

Cappuccino

$4.95 OMR 1.91

$5.02 OMR 1.93

-1.39%

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

$0.70 OMR 0.27

$0.91 OMR 0.35

-23.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 OMR 0.12

$0.27 OMR 0.10

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.81 OMR 4.93

$12.89 OMR 4.96

-0.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.03 OMR 5.40

$13.20 OMR 5.08

6.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 OMR 0.82

$2.26 OMR 0.87

-5.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 OMR 0.42

$1.20 OMR 0.46

-8.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 OMR 1.23

$1.58 OMR 0.61

103.16%

Eggs

$2.71 OMR 1.04

$2.99 OMR 1.15

-9.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 OMR 5.18

$6.33 OMR 2.44

112.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.90 OMR 3.43

$5.79 OMR 2.23

53.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.55 OMR 5.60

$9.31 OMR 3.58

56.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 OMR 1.28

$2.07 OMR 0.80

60.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 OMR 0.83

$1.83 OMR 0.70

18.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 OMR 0.94

$2.06 OMR 0.79

18.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 OMR 0.47

$1.32 OMR 0.51

-8.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 OMR 0.68

$1.20 OMR 0.46

46.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 OMR 0.71

$0.98 OMR 0.38

86.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 OMR 0.66

$0.91 OMR 0.35

87.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 OMR 0.38

$0.70 OMR 0.27

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.99 OMR 2.31

$5.23 OMR 2.01

14.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.65 OMR 9.87

$15.32 OMR 5.90

67.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.98 OMR 1.53

$5.82 OMR 2.24

-31.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.80 OMR 3.39

$10.15 OMR 3.91

-13.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 OMR 1.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.1 OMR 19.68

$38.94 OMR 14.99

31.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 OMR 1.26

$3.28 OMR 1.26

-0.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 OMR 0.62

$1.33 OMR 0.51

20.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.54 OMR 4.06

$7.57 OMR 2.92

39.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 OMR 0.25

$0.60 OMR 0.23

6.67%

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

$17.9K OMR 6,903

$25.2K OMR 9,711

-28.92%

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

$20.1K OMR 7,749

$22.7K OMR 8,734

-11.27%

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

$104 OMR 40.17

$77.5 OMR 29.84

34.63%

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

$29.83 OMR 11.48

$30.24 OMR 11.64

-1.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.8 OMR 33.81

$70.7 OMR 27.23

24.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.19 OMR 18.55

$63.9 OMR 24.62

-24.63%

Cinema Ticket

$11.76 OMR 4.53

$7.67 OMR 2.95

53.32%

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

$294 OMR 113

$260 OMR 100

13.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,075 OMR 2,724

$10.5K OMR 4,036

-32.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 OMR 19.60

$56.8 OMR 21.86

-10.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.78 OMR 16.86

$43.55 OMR 16.77

0.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 OMR 30.50

$90.9 OMR 35.01

-12.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.40 OMR 18.25

$88.7 OMR 34.13

-46.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 OMR 189

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 OMR 148

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$821 OMR 316

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 OMR 265

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)

$2,443 OMR 941

$3,620 OMR 1,394

-32.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

5.25

20.57%

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

Last update for Sohar: October 12, 2026

Last update for Al-Buraimi: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sohar

$384 26.8%

Al-Buraimi

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Sohar

$346 24.2%

Al-Buraimi

$262 28.7% 24.2% $84

Eating Out

Sohar

$235 16.4%

Al-Buraimi

$221 24.2% 5.9% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sohar

$222 15.5%

Al-Buraimi

$178 19.5% 19.6% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Sohar

$100 7%

Al-Buraimi

$126 13.7% 26.5% $26

Getting Around

Sohar

$73 5.1%

Al-Buraimi

$49 * 5.3% 33.1% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Sohar

$72 5%

Al-Buraimi

$79 8.7% 10.6% $7.6

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

Cost Breakdown

Al-Buraimi pays 48% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $21.00 in Sohar vs $13.00 in Al-Buraimi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $262 per month, with Al-Buraimi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Sohar

🇴🇲 Al-Buraimi

🕒 Local time

07:43 7:43 AM

Same time as Sohar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

221,605

73,670

💱 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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Between locations

Sohar Al-Buraimi 98 km

From you

Sohar
Al-Buraimi

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

Sohar vs Al-Buraimi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-Buraimi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 48% lower in Al-Buraimi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

A monthly transit pass in Al-Buraimi runs roughly 31% less than in Sohar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $294 in Sohar versus $260 in Al-Buraimi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $916 in Al-Buraimi versus $1,432 in Sohar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al-Buraimi but tight or insufficient in Sohar. The gap between the two cities makes Al-Buraimi 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, Sohar and Al-Buraimi 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 Al-Buraimi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Sohar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.