Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sohar and Salalah

For one person, living is cheaper in Salalah: $1,055 a month against $1,432 in Sohar, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Sohar
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Sohar Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Salalah
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Salalah Living Index

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Sohar

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,432

/mo nomad

Salalah

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,055

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sohar and in Salalah

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

A single person spends $1,432 per month in Sohar vs $1,055 in Salalah, rent included.

Sohar $1,432
Salalah $1,055

A couple spends around $2,101 per month in Sohar vs $1,587 in Salalah, rent included.

Sohar $2,101
Salalah $1,587

A family of three spends $2,770 per month in Sohar vs $2,118 in Salalah, rent included.

Sohar $2,770
Salalah $2,118

Sohar costs about 36% more than Salalah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sohar sits 6% above the global median, while Salalah is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.52 OMR 2.51

$5.07 OMR 1.95

28.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.06 OMR 8.11

$25.69 OMR 9.89

-18.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 OMR 3.56

$12.75 OMR 4.91

-27.53%

Cappuccino

$4.95 OMR 1.91

$6.05 OMR 2.33

-18.18%

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

$0.70 OMR 0.27

$0.90 OMR 0.35

-22.22%

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

$8.98 OMR 3.46

42.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.03 OMR 5.40

$10.22 OMR 3.94

37.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 OMR 0.82

$1.89 OMR 0.73

12.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 OMR 0.42

$1.27 OMR 0.49

-13.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 OMR 1.23

$2.62 OMR 1.01

22.52%

Eggs

$2.71 OMR 1.04

$1.91 OMR 0.74

41.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 OMR 5.18

$4.58 OMR 1.76

193.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.90 OMR 3.43

$4.73 OMR 1.82

88.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.55 OMR 5.60

$6.37 OMR 2.45

128.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 OMR 1.28

$1.94 OMR 0.75

71.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 OMR 0.83

$1.85 OMR 0.71

17.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 OMR 0.94

$2.05 OMR 0.79

19.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 OMR 0.47

$1.78 OMR 0.69

-32.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 OMR 0.68

$1.49 OMR 0.57

18.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 OMR 0.71

$1.01 OMR 0.39

81.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 OMR 0.66

$1.10 OMR 0.42

55.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 OMR 0.38

$0.52 OMR 0.20

88.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.99 OMR 2.31

$5.87 OMR 2.26

2.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.65 OMR 9.87

$20.15 OMR 7.76

27.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.98 OMR 1.53

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.80 OMR 3.39

$4.70 OMR 1.81

87.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 OMR 1.03

$1.33 OMR 0.51

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.1 OMR 19.68

$54.8 OMR 21.09

-6.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 OMR 1.26

$2.25 OMR 0.87

45.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 OMR 0.62

$1.27 OMR 0.49

25.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.54 OMR 4.06

$11.87 OMR 4.57

-11.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 OMR 0.25

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

$17.9K OMR 6,903

$21.1K OMR 8,112

-14.90%

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

$20.1K OMR 7,749

$18.3K OMR 7,061

9.75%

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

$104 OMR 40.17

$77.6 OMR 29.89

34.39%

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

$29.83 OMR 11.48

$48.92 OMR 18.84

-39.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.8 OMR 33.81

$73.7 OMR 28.39

19.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.19 OMR 18.55

$39.07 OMR 15.04

23.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.08 OMR 10.04

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

$105 OMR 40.24

181.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,075 OMR 2,724

$1,925 OMR 741

267.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 OMR 19.60

$29.01 OMR 11.17

75.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.78 OMR 16.86

$31.47 OMR 12.12

39.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 OMR 30.50

$59.0 OMR 22.69

34.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.40 OMR 18.25

$46.02 OMR 17.72

3.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 OMR 189

$244 OMR 94.1

101.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 OMR 148

$205 OMR 79.0

87.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$821 OMR 316

$626 OMR 241

31.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 OMR 265

$387 OMR 149

77.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,173 OMR 452

$1,999 OMR 770

-41.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$784 OMR 302

$1,203 OMR 463

-34.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,443 OMR 941

$1,769 OMR 681

38.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

4.58

38.21%

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

Last update for Sohar: October 12, 2026

Last update for Salalah: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sohar

$384 26.8%

Salalah

$205 19.4% 46.6% $179

Groceries & Markets

Sohar

$346 24.2%

Salalah

$231 21.9% 33.3% $115

Eating Out

Sohar

$235 16.4%

Salalah

$222 21% 5.9% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sohar

$222 15.5%

Salalah

$200 19% 9.8% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Sohar

$100 7%

Salalah

$74 7.1% 25.2% $25

Getting Around

Sohar

$73 5.1%

Salalah

$69 6.5% 5.9% $4.3

Sport & Entertainment

Sohar

$72 5%

Salalah

$54 5.2% 24.1% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $492 in Sohar versus $244 in Salalah. 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 38% higher in Sohar, 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 $26.00 in Salalah. Groceries tell a different story – $346 in Sohar vs $231 in Salalah – so Salalah wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Sohar

🇴🇲 Salalah

🕒 Local time

08:32 8:32 AM

Same time as Sohar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

221,605

178,469

💱 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 Salalah 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sohar
Salalah

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 Salalah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sohar costs about 36% more than Salalah, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,148 per month in Sohar and $1,583 in Salalah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Salalah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Salalah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $294 per month in Sohar and $105 in Salalah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Salalah, where all-in costs run around $1,055, than in Sohar at $1,432. In Salalah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sohar it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Salalah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Salalah. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sohar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.