Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sohar and Ruwi

For one person, living is cheaper in Ruwi: $639 a month against $1,432 in Sohar, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Sohar
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Sohar Living Index

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Sohar

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,432

/mo nomad

Ruwi

🇴🇲 Oman

$639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sohar 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 Sohar and in Ruwi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,432 in Sohar versus $639 in Ruwi.

Sohar $1,432
Ruwi $639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,101 in Sohar versus $833 in Ruwi.

Sohar $2,101
Ruwi $833

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,770 in Sohar versus $1,028 in Ruwi.

Sohar $2,770
Ruwi $1,028

Living in Sohar is roughly 124% more expensive than in Ruwi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sohar is 6% above, Ruwi is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.52 OMR 2.51

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.06 OMR 8.11

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 OMR 3.56

Cappuccino

$4.95 OMR 1.91

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

$0.70 OMR 0.27

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 OMR 0.12

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.81 OMR 4.93

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.03 OMR 5.40

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 OMR 0.82

$1.99 OMR 0.77

7.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 OMR 0.42

$1.98 OMR 0.76

-44.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 OMR 1.23

$0.99 OMR 0.38

224.24%

Eggs

$2.71 OMR 1.04

$1.17 OMR 0.45

131.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 OMR 5.18

$2.03 OMR 0.78

563.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.90 OMR 3.43

$2.05 OMR 0.79

334.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.55 OMR 5.60

$4.93 OMR 1.90

195.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 OMR 1.28

$0.98 OMR 0.38

239.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 OMR 0.83

$1.02 OMR 0.39

112.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 OMR 0.94

$1.02 OMR 0.39

139.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 OMR 0.47

$1.03 OMR 0.40

17.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 OMR 0.68

$0.99 OMR 0.38

77.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 OMR 0.71

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 OMR 0.66

$0.98 OMR 0.38

74.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 OMR 0.38

$1.02 OMR 0.39

-3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.99 OMR 2.31

Wine (Bottle)

$25.65 OMR 9.87

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.98 OMR 1.53

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.80 OMR 3.39

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 OMR 1.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.1 OMR 19.68

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 OMR 1.26

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 OMR 0.62

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.54 OMR 4.06

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 OMR 0.25

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

$17.9K OMR 6,903

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

$20.1K OMR 7,749

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

$104 OMR 40.17

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

$29.83 OMR 11.48

$25.53 OMR 9.83

16.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.8 OMR 33.81

$79.3 OMR 30.55

10.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.19 OMR 18.55

Cinema Ticket

$11.76 OMR 4.53

$8.97 OMR 3.45

31.10%

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

$294 OMR 113

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,075 OMR 2,724

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 OMR 19.60

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.78 OMR 16.86

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 OMR 30.50

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.40 OMR 18.25

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 OMR 189

$396 OMR 152

24.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 OMR 148

$397 OMR 153

-3.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$821 OMR 316

$901 OMR 347

-8.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 OMR 265

$581 OMR 224

18.49%

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

$4,398 OMR 1,693

-44.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

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

Last update for Sohar: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ruwi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sohar

$384 26.8%

Ruwi

–

Groceries & Markets

Sohar

$346 24.2%

Ruwi

–

Eating Out

Sohar

$235 16.4%

Ruwi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sohar

$222 15.5%

Ruwi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sohar

$100 7%

Ruwi

–

Getting Around

Sohar

$73 5.1%

Ruwi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sohar

$72 5%

Ruwi

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $492 in Sohar and $396 in Ruwi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ruwi pays 80% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Sohar

🇴🇲 Ruwi

🕒 Local time

12:41 12:41 PM

Same time as Sohar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

221,605

💱 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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Sohar Ruwi 200 km

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Sohar
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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 Ruwi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sohar and Ruwi differ by about 124% in total monthly costs ($1,432 vs $639 including rent). Ruwi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 80% lower in Ruwi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $492 in Sohar versus $396 in Ruwi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 192% higher in Sohar. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,432 per month in Sohar versus $639 in Ruwi – a 124% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $639 in Ruwi versus $1,432 in Sohar, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ruwi but tight or insufficient in Sohar. The gap between the two cities makes Ruwi 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 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 124% less than in Sohar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.