Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sur and Ruwi

For one person, living is cheaper in Ruwi: $641 a month against $1,149 in Sur, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. The total is higher in Sur despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Sur
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Sur Living Index

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Sur

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,149

/mo nomad

Ruwi

🇴🇲 Oman

$641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,149 in Sur versus $641 in Ruwi.

Sur $1,149
Ruwi $641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,653 in Sur versus $830 in Ruwi.

Sur $1,653
Ruwi $830

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,156 in Sur versus $1,020 in Ruwi.

Sur $2,156
Ruwi $1,020

Living in Sur is roughly 79% more expensive than in Ruwi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sur 16% lower, Ruwi 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 OMR 1.49

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.96 OMR 9.99

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.63 OMR 2.94

Cappuccino

$5.05 OMR 1.94

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

$0.73 OMR 0.28

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.80 OMR 4.93

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.79 OMR 4.92

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 OMR 0.61

$2.05 OMR 0.79

-22.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 OMR 0.48

$2.02 OMR 0.78

-39.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 OMR 0.66

$1.02 OMR 0.39

69.61%

Eggs

$1.95 OMR 0.75

$1.18 OMR 0.45

65.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.19 OMR 2.77

$1.95 OMR 0.75

268.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.81 OMR 2.62

$1.95 OMR 0.75

249.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.99 OMR 3.46

$5.05 OMR 1.95

78.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 OMR 0.91

$1.02 OMR 0.39

130.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 OMR 0.49

$1.01 OMR 0.39

26.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 OMR 0.41

$1.01 OMR 0.39

4.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.80 OMR 0.31

$1.02 OMR 0.39

-21.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 OMR 0.29

$1.02 OMR 0.39

-25.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 OMR 0.21

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 OMR 0.60

$1.02 OMR 0.39

51.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 OMR 0.21

$1.03 OMR 0.40

-48.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.38 OMR 2.45

Wine (Bottle)

$15.86 OMR 6.11

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.10 OMR 2.35

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.30 OMR 3.96

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 OMR 1.28

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 OMR 1.01

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 OMR 2.98

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.53 OMR 0.20

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

$24.7K OMR 9,491

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

$20.7K OMR 7,965

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

$77.7 OMR 29.90

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

$23.09 OMR 8.89

$26.10 OMR 10.05

-11.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 OMR 26.85

$79.4 OMR 30.57

-12.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.3 OMR 33.21

Cinema Ticket

$10.25 OMR 3.95

$9.07 OMR 3.49

13.01%

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

$502 OMR 193

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,458 OMR 2,486

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.9 OMR 21.89

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.07 OMR 16.97

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 OMR 34.23

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 OMR 34.01

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$257 OMR 99.0

$385 OMR 148

-33.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 OMR 104

$397 OMR 153

-31.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$467 OMR 180

$911 OMR 351

-48.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 OMR 148

$569 OMR 219

-32.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$583 OMR 224

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$515 OMR 198

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,660 OMR 1,024

$4,443 OMR 1,711

-40.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

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

Last update for Sur: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ruwi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sur

$271 23.5%

Ruwi

–

Groceries & Markets

Sur

$252 21.9%

Ruwi

–

Eating Out

Sur

$208 18.1%

Ruwi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sur

$170 14.8%

Ruwi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sur

$125 10.9%

Ruwi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sur

$107 9.3%

Ruwi

–

Getting Around

Sur

$16 * 1.4%

Ruwi

–

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $257 in Sur and $385 in Ruwi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ruwi pays 67% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Sur

🇴🇲 Ruwi

🕒 Local time

18:00 6:00 PM

Same time as Sur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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

Sur Ruwi 150 km

From you

Sur
Ruwi

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

Sur vs Ruwi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sur and Ruwi differ by about 79% in total monthly costs ($1,149 vs $641 including rent). Ruwi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 40% lower in Sur. 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: $257 in Sur versus $385 in Ruwi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 110% higher in Sur. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,149 per month in Sur versus $641 in Ruwi – a 79% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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, Sur 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.