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Doha vs Muscat cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ถ๐ฆ Doha
๐ด๐ฒ Muscat
At a glance
- Where Muscat is clearly cheaper: Laundry (68%โ), Studio rent (month) (56%โ), Street food (53%โ)
- Where Doha is clearly cheaper: Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (41%โ), Taxi (37%โ), Transit (30%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Doha is easier to travel (2.2 vs 2.8). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Doha 2 vs Muscat 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Doha | Muscat | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | QR 30$8.24 | OMR 2.5$6.5 | Muscat โ21% |
| Street food1 item | QR 10$2.75 | OMR 0.5$1.3 | Muscat โ53% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | QR 120$33 | OMR 7$18.2 | Muscat โ45% |
| Coffeeone cup | QR 20$5.49 | OMR 1.8$4.68 | Muscat โ15% |
| Beerone bottle | QR 50$13.7 | OMR 4.5$11.7 | Muscat โ15% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | QR 70$19.2 | OMR 6$15.6 | Muscat โ19% |
| Bottled water | QR 1.5$0.41 | OMR 0.1$0.26 | Muscat โ37% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | QR 3.5$0.96 | OMR 0.3$0.78 | Muscat โ19% |
| Taxi5 km in town | QR 15$4.12 | OMR 2.5$6.5 | Doha โ37% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | QR 10$2.75 | OMR 1.8$4.68 | Doha โ41% |
| Transitone ride | QR 2$0.55 | OMR 0.3$0.78 | Doha โ30% |
| Scooter rentalper day | QR 50$13.7 | OMR 7$18.2 | Doha โ25% |
| Hotel night3-star | QR 200$54.9 | OMR 28$72.8 | Doha โ25% |
| Studio rent (month) | QR 5,000$1,374 | OMR 230$598 | Muscat โ56% |
| Laundry | QR 30$8.24 | OMR 1$2.6 | Muscat โ68% |
| SIM card1 week data | QR 75$20.6 | OMR 5$13 | Muscat โ37% |
| Haircutcut | QR 35$9.62 | OMR 3$7.8 | Muscat โ19% |
| Massage1 hour | QR 200$54.9 | OMR 18$46.8 | Muscat โ15% |
| Half-day tourper person | QR 150$41.2 | OMR 20$52 | Doha โ21% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | QR 50$13.7 | OMR 5$13 | Muscat โ5% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Doha or Muscat?
Muscat is 23% cheaper than Doha. Daily budget $138 vs $138; a month $4,531 vs $2,486.
Which is easier to travel, Doha or Muscat?
Doha is easier: Doha 2.2/5 vs Muscat 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Doha and Muscat?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Doha is about $4,531 and Muscat about $2,486 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.