Short answer: A single person in Muscat spends about OMR 550 to 700 a month (USD 1,400 to 1,800), and the biggest line is a one-bedroom rent of OMR 175 to 260. A family of four with two children in an international school needs OMR 2,100 to 2,500. There is no personal income tax until 2028, petrol is 229 baisa a litre and utilities for an 85 m² apartment run about OMR 66 a month.
"What is the cost of living in Oman?" is the question that follows "what does a house cost?" for almost everyone who writes to us about moving or buying a second home here, usually with a qualifier: for a single person, per month, for a family of four, compared with Dubai or India. This guide answers all of them with September 2026 figures. Day-to-day prices come from Numbeo's crowd-sourced Muscat data (updated 15 September 2026, 712 entries from 61 contributors over 12 months), fuel from the government's monthly announcement, and rents from live Muscat listings. The rial is pegged: OMR 1 is USD 2.60.
Monthly budget at a glance
| Lifestyle | Rent | Everything else | Monthly total (OMR) | About USD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single, modest, one-bedroom outside the centre | 175 to 260 | 335 (food, transport, utilities, internet, leisure) | 550 to 700 | 1,400 to 1,800 |
| Couple, good one or two-bedroom | 300 to 450 | 550 to 650 | 900 to 1,100 | 2,300 to 2,900 |
| Family of four, three-bedroom, two children at an international school | 325 to 520 | 1,166 plus about 670 of school fees (monthly share) | 2,100 to 2,500 | 5,500 to 6,500 |
"Everything else" for one person is Numbeo's estimate of OMR 333.6 a month without rent; for a family of four it is OMR 1,166.2 without rent and without school fees. The same data puts the average net monthly salary in Muscat at OMR 667, which is why most expats live comfortably from about OMR 800 upwards.
Rent in Oman: the biggest line
| Unit | Muscat, city centre | Muscat, outside centre |
|---|---|---|
| One-bedroom | OMR 258 | OMR 175 |
| Three-bedroom | OMR 521 | OMR 324 |
Those are Numbeo medians. Live 2026 listings run a little wider: studios around OMR 210, one-bedrooms OMR 250 to 450, two-bedrooms OMR 400 to 700. The cheapest districts are Al Khuwair, Al Ghubra, Ruwi and Al Mawaleh; the most expensive are Al Mouj, Qurum, Azaiba and Muscat Hills, where a standard two-bedroom is OMR 500 to 800. Rents rose about 4 percent over the past year.
Two things newcomers learn late: many landlords take the annual rent in one to four cheques rather than monthly, and new apartments usually come unfurnished. If you want to know how many years of that rent equal a purchase price, jump to the rent-or-buy section.
Food and groceries
| Item | Price (OMR) |
|---|---|
| Milk, 1 litre | 0.88 |
| Bread, 500 g | 0.48 |
| Eggs, 12 | 1.11 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | 2.59 |
| Rice, 1 kg | 0.72 |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | 2 |
| Dinner for two, mid-range | 13 |
A single person's monthly supermarket bill is typically OMR 90 to 130 and a family of four's OMR 250 to 350. VAT is 5 percent, with basic food items exempt.
Utilities, internet and mobile
- Electricity, water, cooling and refuse for an 85 m² apartment: about OMR 66 a month, peaking in summer when the air conditioning runs all day.
- Home internet, 60 Mbps or more: about OMR 27.
- Mobile plan with data: OMR 10 to 15.
In freehold communities the annual service charge is separate and priced per square metre; ask us for the figure of any project before you buy.
Transport and fuel
Fuel is cheap and state-priced: in September 2026 it is 229 baisa a litre for M91 and 239 baisa for M95, about OMR 0.24. A 50-litre tank costs under OMR 12. Muscat is a car city: an economy rental is OMR 120 to 180 a month and a good used Japanese car starts around OMR 2,500. Taxis start at OMR 1.25 plus about OMR 1 per kilometre, and a monthly bus pass is OMR 30.
Schools and nursery
Full-time nursery is about OMR 110 a month. International school fees in Muscat run OMR 3,500 to 10,300 a year depending on the grade; Cheltenham Muscat at Al Mouj charges OMR 3,899 to 8,111 and The British School Muscat OMR 4,240 to 10,280. Budget about OMR 8,000 a year, or OMR 670 a month, for two primary-age children. Curricula, locations and fees are listed on our international schools in Oman page. Indian and Pakistani curriculum schools charge far less and suit many families.
Health and insurance
Residents need health insurance to renew their residency. Basic individual cover starts around OMR 100 to 250 a year and comprehensive family cover reaches about OMR 1,000. A GP visit at a private clinic is OMR 10 to 20, and Muscat's private hospitals are of a good standard.
Leisure
A gym membership is about OMR 24 a month and a cinema ticket OMR 4. Beaches and the wadis are free, and Muscat is quiet and safe, so much of family life happens outside the malls at little cost.
Tax: what separates Oman from Dubai
- No personal income tax until 2028, and from 2028 only income above OMR 42,000 a year is taxed, at 5 percent.
- No annual property tax; the one-off transfer fee is 3 percent.
- VAT is 5 percent, with exemptions for basic food, education and healthcare.
Details are in taxes in Oman and the numbers side by side in Oman vs Dubai property.
Rent or buy?
A one-bedroom outside the centre at OMR 175 to 260 a month is OMR 2,100 to 3,100 a year in rent. The cheapest freehold apartment on our books today is OMR 61,635 at Wadi Zaha in Sultan Haitham City. With annual rent at roughly 3.5 to 5 percent of the purchase price and no annual tax, an owner's gross yield is effectively the net yield. More important for a newcomer: buying that unit brings a sponsor-free owner visa for the family, whereas a tenant depends on an employer or sponsor. The ITC rules are in buying property in Oman as a foreigner, and the full purchase budget in how much money you need to buy property in Oman.
FAQ
What is the cost of living in Oman for a single person?
With a one-bedroom outside the centre, about OMR 550 to 700 a month, or USD 1,400 to 1,800. Without rent, about OMR 335.
What is the cost of living in Oman per month for a family of four?
About OMR 2,100 to 2,500 with a three-bedroom apartment and two children at an international school, or OMR 1,500 to 1,700 without school fees.
How much is rent in Oman?
A one-bedroom in Muscat is OMR 175 to 260 a month depending on the district, a two-bedroom OMR 400 to 700 and a three-bedroom OMR 325 to 520.
Is Oman cheaper than Dubai?
Yes, mainly on rent and schooling. A Muscat one-bedroom usually costs less than half of its Dubai equivalent, and neither country taxes personal income today; Dubai offers higher salaries and more jobs in return.
Do I pay income tax in Oman?
Not until 2028. From 2028 only annual income above OMR 42,000 is taxed, at 5 percent.
Is Oman expensive compared with India or Pakistan?
Groceries and fuel cost about the same or less than in Indian metros, but rent and international schooling are several times higher, which is why the family budget above is dominated by those two lines.
Next step
If you would rather own than rent, tell us your budget and a consultant will send the available units in that range with the service charge and payment plan within one working day.
Related guides
- Moving to Oman in 2026: visas, costs and schools
- How much money you need to buy property in Oman
- Oman residency by buying property
- Property tax in Oman
- International schools in Oman
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Every unit below is priced from live developer inventory and updated as stock moves.