Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Muscat 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Muscat is 26.3% lower than in Dubai (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Muscat is 46.0% lower than in Dubai | |
| Rent Prices in Muscat are 72.9% lower than in Dubai | |
| Restaurant Prices in Muscat are 39.5% lower than in Dubai | |
| Groceries Prices in Muscat are 6.9% lower than in Dubai | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Muscat is 23.3% lower than in Dubai | |
Restaurants | Dubai Edit |
Muscat Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal at an Inexpensive Restaurant |
40.00 AED (4.19 ﷼) |
19.10 AED (2.00 ﷼) |
-52.2 % |
| Meal for Two at a Mid-Range Restaurant (Three Courses, Without Drinks) |
300.00 AED (31.41 ﷼) |
95.51 AED (10.00 ﷼) |
-68.2 % |
| Combo Meal at McDonald's (or Equivalent Fast-Food Meal) |
35.00 AED (3.66 ﷼) |
28.65 AED (3.00 ﷼) |
-18.1 % |
| Domestic Draft Beer (1 Pint) |
50.00 AED (5.23 ﷼) |
47.76 AED (5.00 ﷼) |
-4.5 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) |
50.00 AED (5.23 ﷼) |
47.76 AED (5.00 ﷼) |
-4.5 % |
| Cappuccino (Regular Size) |
22.28 AED (2.33 ﷼) |
17.53 AED (1.84 ﷼) |
-21.3 % |
| Soft Drink (Coca-Cola or Pepsi, 12 oz Small Bottle) |
5.49 AED (0.57 ﷼) |
4.47 AED (0.47 ﷼) |
-18.7 % |
| Bottled Water (12 oz) |
2.97 AED (0.31 ﷼) |
1.15 AED (0.12 ﷼) |
-61.2 % |
Markets | Dubai Edit |
Muscat Edit | |
| Milk (Regular, 1 Liter) |
6.62 AED (0.69 ﷼) |
7.63 AED (0.80 ﷼) |
+15.4 % |
| Fresh White Bread (1 lb Loaf) |
4.45 AED (0.47 ﷼) |
4.10 AED (0.43 ﷼) |
-8.0 % |
| White Rice (1 lb) |
4.02 AED (0.42 ﷼) |
2.91 AED (0.30 ﷼) |
-27.5 % |
| Eggs (12, Large Size) |
13.28 AED (1.39 ﷼) |
10.42 AED (1.09 ﷼) |
-21.5 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
18.99 AED (1.99 ﷼) |
10.30 AED (1.08 ﷼) |
-45.7 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
14.09 AED (1.48 ﷼) |
10.13 AED (1.06 ﷼) |
-28.1 % |
| Beef Round or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat (1 lb) |
19.41 AED (2.03 ﷼) |
16.14 AED (1.69 ﷼) |
-16.9 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
4.31 AED (0.45 ﷼) |
5.20 AED (0.54 ﷼) |
+20.8 % |
| Bananas (1 lb) |
3.12 AED (0.33 ﷼) |
3.17 AED (0.33 ﷼) |
+1.6 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
3.01 AED (0.32 ﷼) |
3.42 AED (0.36 ﷼) |
+13.6 % |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
2.29 AED (0.24 ﷼) |
2.06 AED (0.22 ﷼) |
-9.8 % |
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
1.80 AED (0.19 ﷼) |
1.89 AED (0.20 ﷼) |
+5.1 % |
| Onions (1 lb) |
1.74 AED (0.18 ﷼) |
2.07 AED (0.22 ﷼) |
+19.3 % |
| Lettuce (1 Head) |
5.12 AED (0.54 ﷼) |
5.64 AED (0.59 ﷼) |
+10.1 % |
| Bottled Water (50 oz) |
2.25 AED (0.24 ﷼) |
2.13 AED (0.22 ﷼) |
-5.0 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
70.00 AED (7.33 ﷼) |
71.64 AED (7.50 ﷼) |
+2.3 % |
| Domestic Beer (16.9 oz Bottle) |
9.27 AED (0.97 ﷼) |
16.81 AED (1.76 ﷼) |
+81.3 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) |
11.59 AED (1.21 ﷼) |
27.86 AED (2.92 ﷼) |
+140.4 % |
| Cigarettes (Pack of 20, Marlboro) |
23.00 AED (2.41 ﷼) |
23.88 AED (2.50 ﷼) |
+3.8 % |
Transportation | Dubai Edit |
Muscat Edit | |
| One-Way Ticket (Local Transport) |
6.00 AED (0.63 ﷼) |
4.78 AED (0.50 ﷼) |
-20.4 % |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (Regular Price) |
330.00 AED (34.55 ﷼) |
286.54 AED (30.00 ﷼) |
-13.2 % |
| Taxi Start (Standard Tariff) |
12.00 AED (1.26 ﷼) |
11.94 AED (1.25 ﷼) |
-0.5 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Standard Tariff) |
4.02 AED (0.42 ﷼) |
15.37 AED (1.61 ﷼) |
+282.1 % |
| Taxi 1 Hour Waiting (Standard Tariff) |
30.00 AED (3.14 ﷼) |
28.65 AED (3.00 ﷼) |
-4.5 % |
| Gasoline (1 Liter) |
2.82 AED (0.30 ﷼) |
2.29 AED (0.24 ﷼) |
-18.7 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.5 (or Equivalent New Compact Car) |
120,000.00 AED (12,563.65 ﷼) |
93,593.83 AED (9,799.00 ﷼) |
-22.0 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6 (or Equivalent New Mid-Size Car) |
81,505.88 AED (8,533.43 ﷼) |
82,714.82 AED (8,660.00 ﷼) |
+1.5 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Dubai Edit |
Muscat Edit | |
| Basic Utilities for 915 Square Feet Apartment (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) |
917.42 AED (96.05 ﷼) |
478.52 AED (50.10 ﷼) |
-47.8 % |
| Mobile Phone Plan (Monthly, with Calls and 10GB+ Data) |
221.38 AED (23.18 ﷼) |
124.17 AED (13.00 ﷼) |
-43.9 % |
| Broadband Internet (Unlimited Data, 60 Mbps or Higher) |
352.31 AED (36.89 ﷼) |
256.85 AED (26.89 ﷼) |
-27.1 % |
Sports And Leisure | Dubai Edit |
Muscat Edit | |
| Monthly Fitness Club Membership |
272.62 AED (28.54 ﷼) |
214.62 AED (22.47 ﷼) |
-21.3 % |
| Tennis Court Rental (1 Hour, Weekend) |
176.59 AED (18.49 ﷼) |
103.60 AED (10.85 ﷼) |
-41.3 % |
| Cinema Ticket (International Release) |
51.00 AED (5.34 ﷼) |
38.21 AED (4.00 ﷼) |
-25.1 % |
Childcare | Dubai Edit |
Muscat Edit | |
| Private Full-Day Preschool or Kindergarten, Monthly Fee per Child |
3,052.38 AED (319.58 ﷼) |
958.81 AED (100.38 ﷼) |
-68.6 % |
| International Primary School, Annual Tuition per Child |
61,386.52 AED (6,426.99 ﷼) |
39,000.61 AED (4,083.25 ﷼) |
-36.5 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Dubai Edit |
Muscat Edit | |
| Jeans (Levi's 501 or Similar) |
265.75 AED (27.82 ﷼) |
210.13 AED (22.00 ﷼) |
-20.9 % |
| Summer Dress in a Chain Store (e.g. Zara or H&M) |
239.50 AED (25.07 ﷼) |
144.33 AED (15.11 ﷼) |
-39.7 % |
| Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
412.38 AED (43.18 ﷼) |
312.59 AED (32.73 ﷼) |
-24.2 % |
| Men's Leather Business Shoes |
420.00 AED (43.97 ﷼) |
357.65 AED (37.44 ﷼) |
-14.8 % |
Rent Per Month | Dubai Edit |
Muscat Edit | |
| 1 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre |
8,699.80 AED (910.84 ﷼) |
2,371.52 AED (248.29 ﷼) |
-72.7 % |
| 1 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre |
5,365.79 AED (561.78 ﷼) |
1,545.50 AED (161.81 ﷼) |
-71.2 % |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre |
16,541.24 AED (1,731.82 ﷼) |
4,662.80 AED (488.18 ﷼) |
-71.8 % |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre |
11,320.00 AED (1,185.17 ﷼) |
2,794.91 AED (292.62 ﷼) |
-75.3 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Dubai Edit |
Muscat Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
2,470.07 AED (258.61 ﷼) |
908.05 AED (95.07 ﷼) |
-63.2 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
1,375.86 AED (144.05 ﷼) |
530.53 AED (55.55 ﷼) |
-61.4 % |
Salaries And Financing | Dubai Edit |
Muscat Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
15,450.72 AED (1,617.65 ﷼) |
6,397.24 AED (669.77 ﷼) |
-58.6 % |
| Annual Mortgage Interest Rate (20-Year Fixed, in %) | 4.50 | 5.25 | +16.6 % |
| Last update: | 6 February 2026 | 4 February 2026 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 368 | 53 | |
Moving to Dubai? Explore:
Moving to Muscat? Explore:
Cities near Dubai: | Cost of Living in Ras al-Khaimah | 62.60 miles |
| Cost of Living in Fujairah | 80.82 miles |
| Cost of Living in Kalba | 84.26 miles |
| Cost of Living in Abu Dhabi | 94.68 miles |
Cities near Muscat: | Cost of Living in Al-`awabi | 77.93 miles |
| Cost of Living in Ar-rustaq | 97.30 miles |
| Cost of Living in Izki | 113.83 miles |
| Cost of Living in Saham | 128.95 miles |
| Cost of Living in Al-hamra' | 140.50 miles |
| Cost of Living in Sohar | 146.21 miles |
| Cost of Living in Shinas | 170.33 miles |
| Cost of Living in Sur | 210.02 miles |
| Cost of Living in Yanqul | 218.61 miles |
| Cost of Living in Dank | 222.09 miles |