Asia · Muscat
Cost of living in Oman
Oman is 51% cheaper than the US, ranking #87 of 203 countries we cover for cost of living.
World Bank data through 2024 · last reviewed 2026-06.
What drives the cost here
Price levels by category, where the world average = 100. Above 100 is pricier than the global norm; below it is cheaper.
In Oman, food & groceries is the priciest category relative to the world (109), while transport is the most affordable (62).
Category price levels: World Bank ICP 2021 (world average = 100) · source
What your money is worth here
A $100,000 US lifestyle would cost roughly $49,500 in Oman.
Quality of life
92/100 · #44 of 198Beyond cost — health, safety, and connectivity. The score is a transparent, equal-weight composite of the verified metrics below (see methodology).
About Oman
The inhabitants of the area of present-day Oman have long prospered from Indian Ocean trade. In the late 18th century, the nascent sultanate in Muscat signed the first in a series of friendship treaties with Britain. Over time, Oman's dependence on British political and military advisors increased, although the sultanate never became a British colony. In 1970, QABOOS bin Said Al Said overthrew his father and ruled as sultan for the next five decades.
Read the full background
His extensive modernization program opened the country to the outside world. He prioritized strategic ties to the UK and US, and his moderate, independent foreign policy allowed Oman to maintain good relations with its neighbors and avoid external entanglements.In 2011, the popular uprisings that swept the Middle East and North Africa inspired demonstrations in Oman that called for more jobs and economic benefits and an end to corruption. In response, QABOOS implemented economic and political reforms such as granting Oman’s legislative body more power and authorizing direct elections for its lower house. Additionally, the sultan increased unemployment benefits and issued a royal directive mandating a national public- and private-sector job creation plan. As part of the government's efforts to decentralize authority and allow greater citizen participation in local governance, Oman successfully conducted its first municipal council elections in 2012. QABOOS, Oman's longest reigning monarch, died in 2020. His cousin, HAYTHAM bin Tariq Al Said, former Minister of Heritage and Culture, was sworn in as Oman's new sultan the same day.
Background from the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived 2026-06-03.
Frequently asked
Is Oman expensive to live in?
Oman is 51% cheaper than the US, ranking #87 of the 203 countries we track. Its most expensive category relative to the world is food & groceries; transport costs the least.
How much money do you need to live in Oman?
A lifestyle that costs $100,000 in the United States would cost roughly $49,500 in Oman, going by overall price levels. The salary translator turns your own figure into a local equivalent.
Is Oman cheaper than the United States?
Yes. Its overall price level is 49.3, against 100 for the United States.
What is the quality of life in Oman?
Oman scores 92 out of 100 on our quality-of-life index (#44 of 198), a composite of life expectancy, safety, health, and connectivity, with life expectancy around 80 years.
Every number, sourced.
We cite the exact source and year for each figure. Derived values are computed at build time, never hand-entered.
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