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Jeddah vs Muscat cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ธ๐ฆ Jeddah
๐ด๐ฒ Muscat
At a glance
- Where Muscat is clearly cheaper: Street food (59%โ), SIM card (51%โ), Bottled water (35%โ)
- Where Jeddah is clearly cheaper: Beer (66%โ), Cocktail & wine (49%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (32%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Jeddah 2 vs Muscat 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Jeddah | Muscat | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | SAR 30$8 | OMR 2.5$6.5 | Muscat โ19% |
| Street food1 item | SAR 12$3.2 | OMR 0.5$1.3 | Muscat โ59% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | SAR 90$24 | OMR 7$18.2 | Muscat โ24% |
| Coffeeone cup | SAR 17$4.53 | OMR 1.8$4.68 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | SAR 15$4 | OMR 4.5$11.7 | Jeddah โ66% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | SAR 30$8 | OMR 6$15.6 | Jeddah โ49% |
| Bottled water | SAR 1.5$0.4 | OMR 0.1$0.26 | Muscat โ35% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | SAR 3$0.8 | OMR 0.3$0.78 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | SAR 20$5.33 | OMR 2.5$6.5 | Jeddah โ18% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | SAR 12$3.2 | OMR 1.8$4.68 | Jeddah โ32% |
| Transitone ride | SAR 3.45$0.92 | OMR 0.3$0.78 | Muscat โ15% |
| Scooter rentalper day | SAR 100$26.7 | OMR 7$18.2 | Muscat โ32% |
| Hotel night3-star | SAR 350$93.3 | OMR 28$72.8 | Muscat โ22% |
| Studio rent (month) | SAR 2,000$533 | OMR 230$598 | Jeddah โ11% |
| Laundry | SAR 12$3.2 | OMR 1$2.6 | Muscat โ19% |
| SIM card1 week data | SAR 100$26.7 | OMR 5$13 | Muscat โ51% |
| Haircutcut | SAR 35$9.33 | OMR 3$7.8 | Muscat โ16% |
| Massage1 hour | SAR 200$53.3 | OMR 18$46.8 | Muscat โ12% |
| Half-day tourper person | SAR 150$40 | OMR 20$52 | Jeddah โ23% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | SAR 40$10.7 | OMR 5$13 | Jeddah โ18% |
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, Jeddah or Muscat?
Muscat is 7% cheaper than Jeddah. Daily budget $167 vs $138; a month $2,420 vs $2,486.
Which is easier to travel, Jeddah or Muscat?
About the same: Jeddah 2.6/5, Muscat 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Jeddah and Muscat?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Jeddah is about $2,420 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.