Popular cities
Muscat vs Riyadh cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ด๐ฒ Muscat
๐ธ๐ฆ Riyadh
At a glance
- Where Riyadh is clearly cheaper: Beer (77%โ), Cocktail & wine (52%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (32%โ)
- Where Muscat is clearly cheaper: Street food (51%โ), Studio rent (month) (32%โ), Scooter rental (32%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Riyadh is easier to travel (2.4 vs 2.8). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Muscat 3 vs Riyadh 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Muscat | Riyadh | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | OMR 2.5$6.5 | SAR 30$8 | Muscat โ19% |
| Street food1 item | OMR 0.5$1.3 | SAR 10$2.67 | Muscat โ51% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | OMR 7$18.2 | SAR 75$20 | Muscat โ9% |
| Coffeeone cup | OMR 1.8$4.68 | SAR 16$4.27 | Riyadh โ9% |
| Beerone bottle | OMR 4.5$11.7 | SAR 10$2.67 | Riyadh โ77% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | OMR 6$15.6 | SAR 28$7.47 | Riyadh โ52% |
| Bottled water | OMR 0.1$0.26 | SAR 1$0.27 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | OMR 0.3$0.78 | SAR 3$0.8 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | OMR 2.5$6.5 | SAR 18$4.8 | Riyadh โ26% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | OMR 1.8$4.68 | SAR 12$3.2 | Riyadh โ32% |
| Transitone ride | OMR 0.3$0.78 | SAR 4$1.07 | Muscat โ27% |
| Scooter rentalper day | OMR 7$18.2 | SAR 100$26.7 | Muscat โ32% |
| Hotel night3-star | OMR 28$72.8 | SAR 300$80 | Muscat โ9% |
| Studio rent (month) | OMR 230$598 | SAR 3,300$880 | Muscat โ32% |
| Laundry | OMR 1$2.6 | SAR 10$2.67 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | OMR 5$13 | SAR 40$10.7 | Riyadh โ18% |
| Haircutcut | OMR 3$7.8 | SAR 30$8 | similar |
| Massage1 hour | OMR 18$46.8 | SAR 200$53.3 | Muscat โ12% |
| Half-day tourper person | OMR 20$52 | SAR 250$66.7 | Muscat โ22% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | OMR 5$13 | SAR 70$18.7 | Muscat โ30% |
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, Muscat or Riyadh?
Muscat is 13% cheaper than Riyadh. Daily budget $138 vs $147; a month $2,486 vs $3,041.
Which is easier to travel, Muscat or Riyadh?
Riyadh is easier: Riyadh 2.4/5 vs Muscat 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Muscat and Riyadh?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Muscat is about $2,486 and Riyadh about $3,041 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.