Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Erbil vs Muscat

Erbil vs Muscat

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Muscat 41% cheaper Muscat +75 Mbps N/A / High

Erbil

Saad Salim/Unsplash

Muscat

Anfal Shamsudeen/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$3,240

Erbil

$1,926

Muscat

Internet

Mbps

Safety

N/A

Erbil

High

Muscat

Air Quality

5/5

Erbil

5/5

Muscat

Healthcare

N/A

Erbil

Low

Muscat

Population

485.0k

Erbil

24.9k

Muscat

Erbil (Kurdistan) and Muscat (Oman) are both in Middle East, offering different takes on the nomad lifestyle. Here is how they compare across the metrics that matter most.

Cost of Living

Budget-conscious nomads take note: Muscat costs $1926/mo, saving 41% compared to Erbil's $3240/mo — that's $15768 per year.

For families, Erbil costs $4041.59375/mo compared to Muscat's $3106.795107875551/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Remote workers will appreciate Muscat's 78 Mbps (global #108) — considerably faster than Erbil's 3 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

Both Erbil and Muscat share the same safety rating — travelers can feel equally comfortable in either city.

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Erbil and Muscat.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Erbil is April (around 27 degrees, 0mm rain, score 354), while Muscat peaks in January (27 degrees, 0mm rain, score 432). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

ErbilMuscat

Nomad$3,240/mo$1,926/mo

Expat$1,878/mo$1,246/mo

Local$1,155/mo$888/mo

Family$4,042/mo$3,107/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

ErbilMuscat

City Speed

3 Mbps

78 Mbps#108

Country Speed0 Mbps84 Mbps

Environment & Health

ErbilMuscat

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionN/AModerate

ClimateN/AModerate

Humidity3028

Quality of Life

ErbilMuscat

SafetyN/AHigh

HealthcareN/ALow

Monthly Weather Comparison

Erbil

Muscat

Jan

11°

0mm299

27°

0mm432

Feb

12°

0mm304

27°

0mm432

Mar

15°

0mm301

31°

0mm432

Apr

27°

0mm354

35°

0mm412

May

28°

0mm354

40°

0mm382

Jun

40°

0mm294

44°

0mm372

Jul

42°

0mm294

45°

0mm372

Aug

42°

0mm294

41°

0mm392

Sep

36°

0mm304

41°

0mm382

Oct

28°

0mm354

38°

0mm392

Nov

18°

0mm334

34°

0mm432

Dec

12°

0mm304

26°

0mm432

Who Should Choose Erbil?

Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Smaller city feel with 485.0k residents
Peak season in April — 27 degrees, score 354

Who Should Choose Muscat?

High safety rating for peace of mind
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $3106.795107875551/mo for families
Smaller city feel with 24.9k residents
Peak season in January — 27 degrees, score 432

Overall Verdict

For the typical digital nomad, Muscat is the stronger pick. At $1926/mo it beats Erbil's $3240/mo by 41%, and the 78 Mbps internet handles video calls without issues.

Granular Price Comparison

Erbil Muscat

ItemErbilMuscatDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$5.49$5.19

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$24.5$38.96

37%

McMeal or equivalent combo$10$6.49

35%

Cappuccino (regular)$3.5$4.88

28%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$2$10.39

81%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.71$10.39

84%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.5$0.9

44%

Water (0.33L)$0.29$0.3

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.13$1.7

34%

White bread (500g)$0.78$1.14

32%

White rice (1kg)$1.4$2.04

31%

Eggs (12)$1.62$2.75

41%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$3.65$5.59

35%

Beef round (1kg)$10.1$9.48

Local cheese (1kg)$6.8$6.98

Apples (1kg)$1.01$2.48

59%

Bananas (1kg)$1.01$1.88

46%

Oranges (1kg)$0.97$1.83

47%

Tomatoes (1kg)$0.74$1.27

42%

Potatoes (1kg)$0.57$1.08

47%

Onions (1kg)$0.6$0.99

39%

Lettuce (1 head)$0.71$1.25

43%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.46$0.58

21%

Wine, mid-range bottle$10.28$20.78

51%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$1.39$4.97

72%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.49$8.77

83%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$2.02$6.23

68%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.34$1.3

74%

Monthly transport pass$25.35$51.95

51%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$2.05$5.19

61%

Taxi per 1km$2.03$0.78

62%

Taxi 1hr waiting$4.23$12.99

67%

Gasoline (1L)$0.73$0.63

14%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$19,945.78$20,779.17

Toyota Corolla (new)$20,956.21$19,740.21

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$98.88$89.02

10%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$30.31$77.24

61%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.07$0.16

56%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$49.53$43.87

11%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$11.37$30.84

63%

Cinema, 1 ticket$10$10.39

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$232.48$249.44

International primary school/yr$3,210.98$7,733.1

58%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$37.07$52.76

30%

Summer dress (chain store)$26.81$36.76

27%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$67.15$86.33

22%

Men's leather business shoes$66.04$93.34

29%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$492.96$651.71

24%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$295.11$454.54

35%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$765.75$1,177.49

35%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$517.82$801.09

35%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$945.35$1,894.54

50%

Price per m², outside centre$659.96$1,168.83

44%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$641.26$1,907.43

66%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$17$5

71%

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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