Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sohar and Ar-rustaq

For one person, living is cheaper in Ar-rustaq: $953 a month against $1,430 in Sohar, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Sohar
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Sohar Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Ar-rustaq
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Ar-rustaq Living Index

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Sohar

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,430

/mo nomad

Ar-rustaq

🇴🇲 Oman

$953

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sohar and in Ar-rustaq

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 Ar-rustaq actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,430 per month in Sohar vs $953 in Ar-rustaq, rent included.

Sohar $1,430
Ar-rustaq $953

A couple spends around $2,095 per month in Sohar vs $1,432 in Ar-rustaq, rent included.

Sohar $2,095
Ar-rustaq $1,432

A family of three spends $2,759 per month in Sohar vs $1,910 in Ar-rustaq, rent included.

Sohar $2,759
Ar-rustaq $1,910

Sohar costs about 50% more than Ar-rustaq, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Sohar sits 5% above the global median, while Ar-rustaq is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.35 OMR 2.45

$5.33 OMR 2.05

19.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.17 OMR 8.15

$39.16 OMR 15.08

-45.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.17 OMR 3.53

$7.82 OMR 3.01

17.26%

Cappuccino

$4.93 OMR 1.90

$5.21 OMR 2.01

-5.37%

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

$0.69 OMR 0.26

$0.84 OMR 0.32

-17.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 OMR 0.12

$0.27 OMR 0.10

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.15 OMR 5.06

$12.78 OMR 4.92

2.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.51 OMR 5.59

$13.19 OMR 5.08

10.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 OMR 0.82

$2.39 OMR 0.92

-10.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 OMR 0.43

$1.20 OMR 0.46

-8.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.27 OMR 1.26

$1.95 OMR 0.75

67.69%

Eggs

$2.69 OMR 1.04

$3.08 OMR 1.19

-12.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 OMR 5.11

$7.11 OMR 2.74

86.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.06 OMR 3.49

$6.96 OMR 2.68

30.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.23 OMR 5.48

$10.14 OMR 3.90

40.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 OMR 1.24

$3.51 OMR 1.35

-8.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 OMR 0.85

$2.03 OMR 0.78

8.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 OMR 0.98

$2.40 OMR 0.92

6.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 OMR 0.45

$1.28 OMR 0.49

-8.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 OMR 0.71

$1.17 OMR 0.45

56.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 OMR 0.72

$1.22 OMR 0.47

53.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 OMR 0.67

$1.86 OMR 0.72

-6.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 OMR 0.35

$0.68 OMR 0.26

35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.96 OMR 2.29

$6.65 OMR 2.56

-10.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$26.26 OMR 10.11

$15.55 OMR 5.99

68.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.99 OMR 1.54

$5.85 OMR 2.25

-31.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.51 OMR 3.28

$10.05 OMR 3.87

-15.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 OMR 0.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.9 OMR 19.98

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 OMR 1.24

$3.24 OMR 1.25

-0.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 OMR 0.62

$2.57 OMR 0.99

-37.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.34 OMR 3.98

$8.03 OMR 3.09

28.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 OMR 0.25

$0.59 OMR 0.23

8.47%

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

$18.3K OMR 7,060

$25.4K OMR 9,784

-27.84%

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

$20.2K OMR 7,758

$20.9K OMR 8,060

-3.75%

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

$104 OMR 39.96

$177 OMR 68.3

-41.47%

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

$29.67 OMR 11.42

$30.29 OMR 11.66

-2.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.6 OMR 33.71

$71.6 OMR 27.58

22.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.50 OMR 19.06

Cinema Ticket

$11.74 OMR 4.52

$10.25 OMR 3.95

14.54%

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

$294 OMR 113

$508 OMR 196

-42.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,986 OMR 2,690

$10.5K OMR 4,030

-33.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 OMR 19.72

$55.9 OMR 21.53

-8.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.66 OMR 16.81

$43.75 OMR 16.84

-0.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 OMR 30.86

$88.6 OMR 34.12

-9.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.50 OMR 18.29

$86.4 OMR 33.26

-45.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 OMR 188

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 OMR 147

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$809 OMR 312

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 OMR 260

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,153 OMR 444

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$767 OMR 295

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,503 OMR 964

$4,358 OMR 1,678

-42.58%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Ar-rustaq: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sohar

$381 26.6%

Ar-rustaq

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Sohar

$346 24.2%

Ar-rustaq

$290 30.5% 16.1% $56

Eating Out

Sohar

$236 16.5%

Ar-rustaq

$223 23.4% 5.5% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sohar

$221 15.5%

Ar-rustaq

$279 29.3% 26.3% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Sohar

$100 7%

Ar-rustaq

$124 13% 23.4% $23

Getting Around

Sohar

$73 5.1%

Ar-rustaq

$16 * 1.7% 78% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Sohar

$73 5.1%

Ar-rustaq

$21 * 2.2% 71.9% $52

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 74% higher in Ar-rustaq, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Sohar versus $39 in Ar-rustaq. Groceries tell a different story – $346 in Sohar vs $290 in Ar-rustaq – so Ar-rustaq wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Sohar

🇴🇲 Ar-rustaq

🕒 Local time

22:39 10:39 PM

Same time as Sohar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

221,605

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

Sohar Ar-rustaq 130 km

From you

Sohar
Ar-rustaq

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 Ar-rustaq: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sohar is pricier by about 50%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,146 per month in Sohar and $1,430 in Ar-rustaq. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,430 in Sohar and $953 in Ar-rustaq. That’s a gap of about 50%.

Kindergarten costs $294 per month in Sohar and $508 in Ar-rustaq. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Sohar has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $953 in Ar-rustaq to $1,430 in Sohar. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.