Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sohar and Kalmar

For one person, living is cheaper in Sohar: $1,432 a month against $1,907 in Kalmar, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sohar
🇴🇲 Oman
$1,432
/mo nomad
Kalmar
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,907
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sohar and in Kalmar

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

A single person spends $1,432 per month in Sohar vs $1,907 in Kalmar, rent included.

  • Sohar $1,432
  • Kalmar $1,907

A couple spends around $2,101 per month in Sohar vs $2,844 in Kalmar, rent included.

  • Sohar $2,101
  • Kalmar $2,844

A family of three spends $2,770 per month in Sohar vs $3,781 in Kalmar, rent included.

  • Sohar $2,770
  • Kalmar $3,781

Sohar is about 25% cheaper than Kalmar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Sohar and Kalmar sit above the global median – Sohar by 6%, Kalmar by 41%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sohar
Kalmar
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.52 OMR 2.51
$14.70 SEK 146
-55.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$21.06 OMR 8.11
$71.0 SEK 704
-70.35%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.24 OMR 3.56
$10.27 SEK 102
-10.03%
Cappuccino
$4.95 OMR 1.91
$4.65 SEK 46.09
6.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70 OMR 0.27
$2.82 SEK 27.99
-75.18%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 OMR 0.12
$2.59 SEK 25.71
-88.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$12.81 OMR 4.93
$9.66 SEK 95.7
32.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$14.03 OMR 5.40
$7.03 SEK 69.7
99.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sohar
Kalmar
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.13 OMR 0.82
$1.47 SEK 14.61
44.90%
White Bread (500g)
$1.10 OMR 0.42
$3.01 SEK 29.83
-63.46%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.21 OMR 1.23
$2.92 SEK 28.97
9.93%
Eggs
$2.71 OMR 1.04
$4.59 SEK 45.43
-40.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.46 OMR 5.18
$16.24 SEK 161
-17.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.90 OMR 3.43
$10.97 SEK 109
-18.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.55 OMR 5.60
$21.76 SEK 216
-33.13%
Apples (1kg)
$3.33 OMR 1.28
$2.46 SEK 24.38
35.37%
Banana (1kg)
$2.17 OMR 0.83
$2.63 SEK 26.06
-17.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.44 OMR 0.94
$3.40 SEK 33.69
-28.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.21 OMR 0.47
$4.27 SEK 42.33
-71.66%
Potato (1kg)
$1.76 OMR 0.68
$1.63 SEK 16.12
7.98%
Onion (1kg)
$1.83 OMR 0.71
$2.30 SEK 22.82
-20.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.71 OMR 0.66
$1.84 SEK 18.19
-7.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.98 OMR 0.38
$1.66 SEK 16.43
-40.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.99 OMR 2.31
$7.97 SEK 79.0
-24.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$25.65 OMR 9.87
$9.19 SEK 91.1
179.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.98 OMR 1.53
$1.96 SEK 19.44
103.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.80 OMR 3.39
$2.51 SEK 24.87
250.60%
🚌 Getting Around
Sohar
Kalmar
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.66 OMR 1.03
$3.33 SEK 33.01
-20.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$51.1 OMR 19.68
$76.6 SEK 759
-33.29%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.27 OMR 1.26
$9.70 SEK 96.1
-66.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.60 OMR 0.62
$1.66 SEK 16.40
-3.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.54 OMR 4.06
$46.98 SEK 466
-77.56%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.64 OMR 0.25
$1.70 SEK 16.81
-62.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.9K OMR 6,903
$29.9K SEK 296.3K
-40.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.1K OMR 7,749
$28.7K SEK 284.4K
-29.87%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sohar
Kalmar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$104 OMR 40.17
$142 SEK 1,403
-26.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.83 OMR 11.48
$26.84 SEK 266
11.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$87.8 OMR 33.81
$31.79 SEK 315
176.25%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sohar
Kalmar
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.19 OMR 18.55
$30.76 SEK 305
56.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$26.42 SEK 262
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.76 OMR 4.53
$14.67 SEK 145
-19.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sohar
Kalmar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$294 OMR 113
$138 SEK 1,367
113.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,075 OMR 2,724
$4,914 SEK 48.7K
43.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sohar
Kalmar
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.9 OMR 19.60
$50.5 SEK 501
0.77%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.78 OMR 16.86
$42.32 SEK 419
3.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.2 OMR 30.50
$79.8 SEK 791
-0.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$47.40 OMR 18.25
$101 SEK 998
-52.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sohar
Kalmar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$492 OMR 189
$914 SEK 9,056
-46.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$384 OMR 148
$751 SEK 7,440
-48.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$821 OMR 316
$1,294 SEK 12.8K
-36.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$689 OMR 265
$1,107 SEK 11.0K
-37.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,173 OMR 452
$4,041 SEK 40.0K
-70.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$784 OMR 302
$2,682 SEK 26.6K
-70.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sohar
Kalmar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,443 OMR 941
$2,878 SEK 28.5K
-15.12%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.33
3.93
61.07%

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

Last update for Sohar: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kalmar: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sohar
$384
Kalmar
$751 95.5% $367
Groceries & Markets
Sohar
$346
Kalmar
$377 8.8% $30
Eating Out
Sohar
$235
Kalmar
$288 22.5% $53
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sohar
$222
Kalmar
$200 9.8% $22
Clothing & Footwear
Sohar
$100
Kalmar
$123 23.5% $23
Getting Around
Sohar
$73
Kalmar
$108 47.8% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Sohar
$72
Kalmar
$60 16.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $492 in Sohar versus $914 in Kalmar. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 18% higher in Kalmar, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Sohar versus $71.0 in Kalmar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $377 – making Sohar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇴🇲 Sohar
🇸🇪 Kalmar
🕒 Local time
06:04 6:04 AM
04:04 4:04 AM
2 h behind Sohar
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
221,605
35,170
💱 Currency
Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.
Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to OMR – Omani Rial Converter

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.433 OMR (1 OMR = 2.31 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sohar Kalmar 4,830 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sohar
  • Kalmar

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 Kalmar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Sohar and in Kalmar compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,432 in Sohar, $1,907 in Kalmar – roughly 33% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.
What salary covers living expenses in Sohar compared to Kalmar?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,148 per month in Sohar and $2,861 in Kalmar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Sohar and Kalmar?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sohar, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Sohar and Kalmar?
Kindergarten costs $294 per month in Sohar and $138 in Kalmar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 9% more in Kalmar, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sohar, where all-in costs run around $1,432, than in Kalmar at $1,907. In Sohar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kalmar it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Sohar or Kalmar?
Families tend to lean toward Sohar – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Sohar or Kalmar safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Sohar and Kalmar?
If budget matters most, go with Sohar. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kalmar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Sohar vs other spots: cost of living compared

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