Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Muscat vs Riyadh

Muscat vs Riyadh

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Muscat 26% cheaper Riyadh +73 Mbps High / High

Muscat

Anfal Shamsudeen/Unsplash

Riyadh

Hala AlGhanim/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,926

Muscat

$2,618

Riyadh

Internet

Mbps

151

Mbps

Safety

High

Muscat

High

Riyadh

Air Quality

5/5

Muscat

5/5

Riyadh

Healthcare

Low

Muscat

Moderate

Riyadh

Population

24.9k

Muscat

6.7m

Riyadh

Muscat (Oman) and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) 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 26% compared to Riyadh's $2618/mo — that's $8304 per year.

For families, Muscat costs $3106.795107875551/mo compared to Riyadh's $4009.475339534334/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Remote workers will appreciate Riyadh's 151 Mbps (global #59) — considerably faster than Muscat's 78 Mbps (#108).

Quality of Life

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

Riyadh offers better healthcare infrastructure than Muscat — an important consideration for longer stays.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Muscat is January (around 27 degrees, 0mm rain, score 432), while Riyadh peaks in March (25 degrees, 0mm rain, score 425). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

MuscatRiyadh

Nomad$1,926/mo$2,618/mo

Expat$1,246/mo$1,769/mo

Local$888/mo$1,146/mo

Family$3,107/mo$4,009/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

MuscatRiyadh

City Speed

78 Mbps#108

151 Mbps#59

Country Speed84 Mbps121 Mbps

Environment & Health

MuscatRiyadh

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionModerateHigh

ClimateModerateModerate

Humidity2827

Quality of Life

MuscatRiyadh

SafetyHighHigh

HealthcareLowModerate

Monthly Weather Comparison

Muscat

Riyadh

Jan

27°

0mm432

20°

0mm405

Feb

27°

0mm432

19°

0mm405

Mar

31°

0mm432

25°

0mm425

Apr

35°

0mm412

30°

0mm405

May

40°

0mm382

37°

0mm365

Jun

44°

0mm372

41°

0mm365

Jul

45°

0mm372

41°

0mm365

Aug

41°

0mm392

41°

0mm365

Sep

41°

0mm382

39°

0mm365

Oct

38°

0mm392

34°

0mm385

Nov

34°

0mm432

28°

0mm425

Dec

26°

0mm432

19°

0mm405

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

Who Should Choose Riyadh?

Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 151 Mbps
High safety rating for peace of mind
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Major city energy with 6.7m residents
Peak season in March — 25 degrees, score 425

Overall Verdict

For the typical digital nomad, Riyadh is the stronger pick. At $2618/mo it beats Muscat's $1926/mo by 26%, and the 151 Mbps internet handles video calls without issues.

Granular Price Comparison

Muscat Riyadh

ItemMuscatRiyadhDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$5.19$6.65

22%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$38.96$53.21

27%

McMeal or equivalent combo$6.49$6.92

Cappuccino (regular)$4.88$3.84

21%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$10.39$1.6

85%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$10.39$1.86

82%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.9$0.78

13%

Water (0.33L)$0.3$0.23

23%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.7$1.82

White bread (500g)$1.14$0.85

25%

White rice (1kg)$2.04$2.23

Eggs (12)$2.75$2.74

Chicken fillets (1kg)$5.59$7.37

24%

Beef round (1kg)$9.48$12.2

22%

Local cheese (1kg)$6.98$6.78

Apples (1kg)$2.48$2.13

14%

Bananas (1kg)$1.88$1.68

11%

Oranges (1kg)$1.83$1.62

11%

Tomatoes (1kg)$1.27$1.99

36%

Potatoes (1kg)$1.08$1.3

17%

Onions (1kg)$0.99$1.17

15%

Lettuce (1 head)$1.25$1.01

19%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.58$0.61

Wine, mid-range bottle$20.78$5.32

74%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$4.97$1.98

60%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$8.77$1.84

79%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$6.23$7.45

16%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$1.3$1.06

18%

Monthly transport pass$51.95$31.92

39%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$5.19$3.99

23%

Taxi per 1km$0.78$1.33

41%

Taxi 1hr waiting$12.99$13.3

Gasoline (1L)$0.63$0.61

Volkswagen Golf (new)$20,779.17$23,943.26

13%

Toyota Corolla (new)$19,740.21$20,843.94

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$89.02$92.83

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$77.24$72.34

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.16$0.15

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$43.87$96.34

54%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$30.84$47.22

35%

Cinema, 1 ticket$10.39$17.29

40%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$249.44$405.61

39%

International primary school/yr$7,733.1$6,814.2

12%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$52.76$45.85

13%

Summer dress (chain store)$36.76$61.56

40%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$86.33$107.63

20%

Men's leather business shoes$93.34$93.46

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$651.71$752.98

13%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$454.54$486.4

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$1,177.49$1,005.01

15%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$801.09$761.16

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$1,894.54$1,758.36

Price per m², outside centre$1,168.83$1,185.43

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$1,907.43$2,215.89

14%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$5$4

20%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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