cost of living in muscat

sanath wrote:

HI all,
i got an offer to work in muscat. the salary is 700 omr. Is it enough to live for a couple in muscat. can i save something from it?

Hello Sanath,

Let me give you the same answer which I gave some others too with similar queries here in this forum.

Anything above 1,000 Omani Rials in hand would be a good salary for an average Indian expatriate couple. R.O. 700 is not bad. There are hordes of Indians here who are earning and living on far, far less.

How much of this one can save is entirely up to the person.  It will also depend on where you live, the type of your residence you prefer, the car you choose to drive, etc.

In essence, you could save 600 Omani Rials a month, or end up borrowing at the end of the month depending entirely on your lifestyle, needs and requirements !

The good news for you is that house rents are expected to fall, particularly in places like Muscat and Sohar which have a large concentration of Indian expatriates.

The bad news is that many expatriates are heading back home as things have become difficult for them, because of the newly rejuvenated 'Omanisation'.

Reason also why so many houses are available as compared to a few years back when house rents were going through the roof.

You have not mentioned who will be paying your house rent - yourself, or your company. The average going rate of a good 1 bedroom apartment in a mostly Indian neighbourhood would be in the region of 275 - 350 rials.

The cost of living is relatively a little high. Again, it all depends on your lifestyle, wants and needs.

Answering to your question, according to me for 2 adults, leading a very normal lifestyle, living in a 1 bedroom apartment, without any extravagant entertainment expenditures, you should be able to easily save about 50% of your salary.

Do browse through my other responses here and you will be able to glean a lot of useful information.

Best wishes for a long and a happy stint in Oman !

Thank you very much for your reply Mr.Sumitran.

further to your question
i have to pay my house rent

sanath wrote:

Thank you very much for your reply Mr.Sumitran.

further to your question
i have to pay my house rent

So Sanath, straightaway reduce R.O. 250 - R.O. 300 from your salary. And, what about transport ? Utility payments - Electricity, Water, Internet ... ? If all of these would also have to be borne by you, then I'm afraid you won't be able to save much from your salary. But if your monthly salary is R.O. 700 in hand, then the saving potential is good.

Companies around here usually follow 2 kinds of remuneration system. (a) Consolidated package – Where the employee is given a fixed lump sum and he / she has to fend for themselves - everything, and (b) Company provided – Where the company takes care of the employees housing, furniture, vehicle, petrol, utility bills, etc., and pays the employee a monthly salary (which will work out to a bit less than the earlier option. The latter (b) is better as you don’t have any overheads. What you get is all yours for you to save or spend. The former is better for many low-income (blue-collar) employees who take as much money in hand as they can from the company and then live a life of compromise like sharing accommodation with others, using public transport, foregoing even some basic necessities like privacy, good food etc., and concentrate solely on saving and sending money back home.

Most companies prefer to give its employees a consolidated package as it rids them of many headaches, even though they may have to spend a little bit more on each employee. A few organisations still offer the ‘Company provided’ benefits as they might be having house, car etc., to spare.

Trust this information is of some help to you. Good luck !

Thank you once again.

My case comes under cat.(a)
I do feel that salary is low and I can’t compromise on the way I am living here in India.
I have a mechanical engineering degree and 6 years of experience, I am getting 6lakh per annum in Indian rupees.
In such a case I could save only 100-omr per month I guess.
I have to reconsider this offer and thank you very much for the information.

Hi Sumitran,

I am expecting an offer for Project Manager in Muscat Oman.. I wanted your help in quoting my expected salary. Whats the sal range for a Project Manager in Muscat - Oman..

Thanks & Regards,

Anosh

700 OMR is damnnnnnnnnn Good to live in Oman, You will be rich soon lolll..!! No, its a fact, i get 400 OMR and i can save 70% of my salary after having a good standard of life.

anosh2002 wrote:

Hi Sumitran,

I am expecting an offer for Project Manager in Muscat Oman.. I wanted your help in quoting my expected salary. Whats the sal range for a Project Manager in Muscat - Oman..

Thanks & Regards,

Anosh

Hello Anosh,
I've absolutely no idea about your field. Nor do I know anyone who's a Project Manager here in Muscat.
Sorry, I cannot be of much assistance to you regarding your profession.
Good luck !
Sumitran

DEAR SUMITRAN,I HAVE AN OFFER OF 770 OMRS WITH NO ACCOMMODATION PACKAGE.IF I ASK FOR A FURNISHED ACCOMMODATION THEY WILL GIVE ME 590 OMR.SO TELL ME WHAT IS BETTER FOR ME.SECONDLY TELL ME ABT TRANSPORTATION AND DRIVING LICENSE .

muhammad ghaznain wrote:

DEAR SUMITRAN,I HAVE AN OFFER OF 770 OMRS WITH NO ACCOMMODATION PACKAGE.IF I ASK FOR A FURNISHED ACCOMMODATION THEY WILL GIVE ME 590 OMR.SO TELL ME WHAT IS BETTER FOR ME.SECONDLY TELL ME ABT TRANSPORTATION AND DRIVING LICENSE .

Hello muhammad ghaznain,

Since when have I become a resident expert on Muscat ?!? LOL ! Suggest you keep your queries open-ended so that all can participate in the discussion. Am quite sure there are others here who know more and better about Muscat, than I do.

Muhammad, I cannot tell you what is good, bad, better, or best for you ! Simply because I know nothing about you; your lifestyle; your family size; your wants, needs and requirements, and so much more. Only you'll have to decide that for yourself.

Like I've often mentioned in my earlier posts, you can save or spend as much or as little as you wish, want and can. It is entirely up to you. For instance, for some 590 Rials will be more than enough, but for some others it may not be. I don't know where you would fit in. In fact, no one but you can decide on that.

But what I can tell you is that acquiring an Omani driving licence is a costly, difficult, time consuming and a laborious affair. And without a driving licence, life can and will be quite hard. While public transport like taxis, 'baiza' buses and government buses are available, they are not as convenient as having your own mode of transport.

I have written more in-depth on all of these specific topics. Refer to my earlier posts for details.

Best wishes to you !

@sumitran lolz,
i saw  only u giving prompt replies n see u did respond within minutes thats y i specifically named u but u r right though post must be open for all..thanks for ur comments dear.well my actual question was...is it a good bid to go for furnished accommodation with 590 omrs or it is better to get 770 omrs and look for ur own residence.my lifestyle is like a middle class person of any asian .u knw what i mean.
please reply i have really a short time to decide.

muhammad ghaznain wrote:

@sumitran lolz,
i saw  only u giving prompt replies n see u did respond within minutes thats y i specifically named u but u r right though post must be open for all..thanks for ur comments dear.well my actual question was...is it a good bid to go for furnished accommodation with 590 omrs or it is better to get 770 omrs and look for ur own residence.my lifestyle is like a middle class person of any asian .u knw what i mean.
please reply i have really a short time to decide.

Hello muhammad ghaznain !

Again, we're back to square one ! Let me answer you nonetheless !

Which is better - an all inclusive company package, or a lump sum for you to fend for yourself ? It's a chicken and egg situation.

My personal opinion will always be, put the headaches and worries on your company's head. You live peacefully even though the money will be lesser. At least you're saved of a lot of bother.

However, it is now a published fact that house rents are expected to come drown drastically by the middle of this year. But then, the same has been predicted even last year too and no such thing ever happened. House rents are still going high. But should house rents crash, then your company would benefit. If you take it all on you, the furniture, and other things that go to make your home will become a big nuisance factor and not to mention an expensive proposition.

Hope my pointers will help you take an informed decision.

Good luck !

hmmm nice advice!
thanks dear,appreciated
what is the  cost of utilities i mean electricity bill internet in oman?imean monthly bill for a single bed apartment

Electricity + water around 10 RO, Internet 14 RO unlimited...

hi everybudy im in oman ,ibra is my appointment place.
14 ro unlimited internet?i have a doubt..coz here it it is 14 ro for 3 gb from omantel....is there any unlimted available?please guide

Nawras 15 RO unlimited ...but after 6GB speed will be slow... I am not sure nawras fixed line service is available there or not..

@deb..hmmm thnx budy...ill figure it out..at the moment my big issue is internet lolz ..the rest is quite fine here,markets r there food is gud ..i spent a great time in muscat for 3 days can anybudy tell about any worthseeing place for outing in ibra?

Hi muhammad ghaznain,

You should start a new topic with your questions on the Muscat forum.

The title of this thread is "Cost of living in Muscat".

Thank you.

it was a nice visit to oman ,may be ill cum back in june just to add sum info for new cumers cost of living reduces more if sumone is away frm muscat especially house rent .

i hope till then rents may recede to half lolz

Hi ,

     850OR with furnished accomadation is a better salary in Oman for a small family ( 3 members).How much I can save???

Hi All,
I am Analytics professional from India and currently earning around 930 OMR (Per month before tax) in India (If I convert my INR salary into OMR Salary).I am looking for a opportunity in Oman and in the process of one opportunity in similar domain (manager position).Please let me know if you have idea about salary range of analytics manager in Oman and how much should I quote to company ? Urgent.
Thanks for your help.

dasgupso wrote:

Hi All,
I am Analytics professional from India and currently earning around 930 OMR (Per month before tax) in India (If I convert my INR salary into OMR Salary).I am looking for a opportunity in Oman and in the process of one opportunity in similar domain (manager position).Please let me know if you have idea about salary range of analytics manager in Oman and how much should I quote to company ? Urgent.
Thanks for your help.

Hi dasgupso,

Oman is 100% tax-free - for employees.
This is perhaps the single most important reason why expatriates from taxpaying countries like India flock here to earn a living.
Saving potential is therefore high since whatever you'll be paying back home as tax will all be yours now.

Good luck !

hi mr. sumitran,

your posts are very helpful to us who are considering accepting job offers there in Oman. i have read all your comments here but the topic i would like to ask you wasn't discussed yet. my husband and i are optometrists and are being offered jobs there in muscat. at first the destination is in salalah. in your observation, which is better between the two. they offered us 450 OR each with furnished accommodations. we are planning to take our 11yr old son along since there is no one to look after him if we leave. i just want to ask if the environment there is friendly enough, for my child to stay at home for a few hours unaccompanied after school. and how about school expenses, do you have any idea how much would a year costs. our lifestyle is simple, mostly we spend only on what we "need" and a little on what we "want". do you think with that kind of salary, we will be able to same some every month. i hope you could give us feedback on this, to help us decide if we will accept the offer they gave us. thank you very much.

camil

camilv wrote:

hi mr. sumitran,

your posts are very helpful to us who are considering accepting job offers there in Oman. i have read all your comments here but the topic i would like to ask you wasn't discussed yet. my husband and i are optometrists and are being offered jobs there in muscat. at first the destination is in salalah. in your observation, which is better between the two. they offered us 450 OR each with furnished accommodations. we are planning to take our 11yr old son along since there is no one to look after him if we leave. i just want to ask if the environment there is friendly enough, for my child to stay at home for a few hours unaccompanied after school. and how about school expenses, do you have any idea how much would a year costs. our lifestyle is simple, mostly we spend only on what we "need" and a little on what we "want". do you think with that kind of salary, we will be able to same some every month. i hope you could give us feedback on this, to help us decide if we will accept the offer they gave us. thank you very much.

camil

Hello Camil,

Let me try to be as helpful as I possibly can in providing you with the information that you are seeking here.

Firstly, Salalah is a good 1,100 kms south of Muscat. It is actually right on the Oman-Yemen border.

Salalah is much smaller in size (and scope) than Muscat, but it still is one of the major towns alongside the likes of Nizwa, Sohar and Sur.

During the much looked forward to and extremely popular Khareef (Monsoon) season starting mid, or end of June, till end of July, Salalah transforms into a veritable heaven of sorts !

While the rest of Oman, as well as the GCC will be sweltering in the oppressive peak summer (with temperatures touching 50°C +), Salalah will sport overcast skies, continuous drizzle, sudden heavy showers, lush greenery and swirling mist all around. Needless to say, during the Khareef season, Salalah will turn out to be the preferred destination of choice for the millions and millions of visitors who would descend there to escape from the heat elsewhere in the region. For the expatriates and locals who stay there though, this would prove to be the worst period of the year – for very obvious reasons !! I would love to write more in detail on this, but I am digressing already.

Coming back to your queries, Muscat would be a better option for you any day, as you can enjoy a richer social life here than compared to Salalah. As you are probably aware, Muscat has a very healthy number of Pinoys and their community here is quite close-knit (for an outside observer, like me, that is !).

R.O. 900/- between your husband and you, plus with furnished accommodations for both is indeed a good deal. Since you will need only 1 furnished accommodation (I hope), you can ask for one of your salaries be given as a ‘Total Package'. So 1 of your 2 salaries would be, say, in the region of about R.O. 650/-.

I can well imagine your concerns about the safety of your son. The Sultanate of Oman is a much safer country than most other GCC countries. And, Muscat is amongst the safest of all cities in the entire region. But then you’ll find rotten apples everywhere. So just make sure that you live in a good neighbourhood (if I knew where your work spot would be, then I could suggest some decent neighbourhoods in and around your work place). Have as many neighbours as friends as possible, so that they can keep ‘an eye’ on your house in your absence. Never trust any stranger, however trustworthy he / she might seem to be. Be cautious always and keep your eyes and ears open. Teach your son to follow the same.

I am not familiar with how much the Philippine School Muscat is charging. You can glean a lot of information about that online.

And lastly, yes, between the 2 of you, you sure can save substantially given your lifestyle as you’ve mentioned.

Good luck !

thank you for the prompt reply, mr. Sumitran. it is very informative. the clinic is in Al-Qurum. what can you say about the vicinity.

camilv wrote:

thank you for the prompt reply, mr. Sumitran. it is very informative. the clinic is in Al-Qurum. what can you say about the vicinity.

Hello Camil,

Have replied in good detail to your private message.

Check it out.

Cheers.

Dear All,

This blog and your comments are extremely informative and I explicitly appreciate that.

I have taken a job offer and I will soon be moving to Muscat. The salary is OR 1,050 and the medical insurance and accommodation is provided by the company. I have three questions:

- What is the expected savings potential with this salary? I will be staying there as bechelor and I dont drink or smoke. But I do have a (sort of) lavish lifestyle and I like to go to restaurants etc. and I dont bother to do any household work like laundry, cleaning (though the provided accommodation is expected to be furnished and serviced).

- What are the issues with switching jobs in Oman? For example, there are strict regulations in Saudi Arabia regarding that and UAE also have some sort of option for the employer like banning the outgoing employee for 6 months.

- What is the expected rent of a 3 bedroom apartment in a decent locality in Muscat? I also plan to move my family in 6 months to one year.


Thanks in advance for all the valuable comments


Regards

Kamran

HELLO MR. SUMITRAN,

                       MY NAME IS MANISH AND I AM FROM NEW DELHI. I KNOW IT WOULD BE QUITE IRRITATING TO YOU TO ANSWER THE SAME QUESTION AGAIN AND AGAIN BUT JUST A REQUEST FROM MY SIDE. I HAVE BEEN OFFERED A JOB IN OMAN. I WOULD BE MOVING THERE BY JULY 2012. THE PACKAGE OFFERED TO ME IS 500 OR + FURNISHED ACCOMODATION (FAMILY), COMPANY MAINTAINED VEHICLE, ALL UTILITY BILLS TO BE BORN BY THE COMPANY, MEDICAL BENEFITS FOR FAMILY, MOBILE. I AM MARRIED AND HAVE 2 SONS. THOUGH I WOULD BE MOVING THERE INITIALLY ALONE AND AFTER GETTNG SETTLED WOULD BRING MY FAMILY THERE. SO THE COMPANY IS PROVIDING ME WITH A SINGLE BACHELORS ACCOMODATION INITIALLY AND FAMILY ACCOMODATION AFTER I BRING MY FAMILY. SO IT WOULD TAKE ANOTHER 6 MONTHS - 1 YEAR.  JUST WANT TO KNOW IF THIS PACKAGE OFFERED TO ME IS GOOD OR NOT. WOULD I BE ABLE TO SAVE ? I WOULD BE REALLY GREATFUL IF YOU CAN GUIDE ME ABOUT THE SAME.

THANKS AND REGARDS

MANISH RUHELLA

Hi Manish and welcome to Expat.com!

Could you please lower Caps Lock when you write in the forum, to ease the reading?

Thanks,
Harmonie.

Hi Harmonie ! Thanks for writing and it would be done...but could you please help me in my query.

Regards

Manish Ruhella

I would invite you to start a new thread on Muscat forum for better visibility.

manish_123prime wrote:

HELLO MR. SUMITRAN,

                       MY NAME IS MANISH AND I AM FROM NEW DELHI. I KNOW IT WOULD BE QUITE IRRITATING TO YOU TO ANSWER THE SAME QUESTION AGAIN AND AGAIN BUT JUST A REQUEST FROM MY SIDE. I HAVE BEEN OFFERED A JOB IN OMAN. I WOULD BE MOVING THERE BY JULY 2012. THE PACKAGE OFFERED TO ME IS 500 OR + FURNISHED ACCOMODATION (FAMILY), COMPANY MAINTAINED VEHICLE, ALL UTILITY BILLS TO BE BORN BY THE COMPANY, MEDICAL BENEFITS FOR FAMILY, MOBILE. I AM MARRIED AND HAVE 2 SONS. THOUGH I WOULD BE MOVING THERE INITIALLY ALONE AND AFTER GETTNG SETTLED WOULD BRING MY FAMILY THERE. SO THE COMPANY IS PROVIDING ME WITH A SINGLE BACHELORS ACCOMODATION INITIALLY AND FAMILY ACCOMODATION AFTER I BRING MY FAMILY. SO IT WOULD TAKE ANOTHER 6 MONTHS - 1 YEAR.  JUST WANT TO KNOW IF THIS PACKAGE OFFERED TO ME IS GOOD OR NOT. WOULD I BE ABLE TO SAVE ? I WOULD BE REALLY GREATFUL IF YOU CAN GUIDE ME ABOUT THE SAME.

THANKS AND REGARDS

MANISH RUHELLA

Hi Manish,

500 OMR is very less, even though your company will be taking care of all your expenses. More so if you are planning to shift your family here.

If your boys are school going you will find it even more difficult, with their school fee etc.

You may not be able to save much.

Suggest you come here first (as you've planned) and see for yourself how it goes. Then decide on the way forward.

Good luck !

Sumitran

Thank you Mr. Sumitran ! Thank you for all your inputs. I guess through this blog site I would be able to plan accordingly. I would definitely like to bring my family with me but only after I am well settled and feel that I am earning enough to support us and save as well. My wife is a teacher by profession. So she is also interested to join there on professional terms. That would be of great help as well. Need a little bit of guidance more from you. How much would it cost per month on food items and other basic necessities (just an approximate idea). I rarely go to restaurants, neither do i drink nor smoke. I do go to watch movies occassionally. I am quite conservative by nature.

manish_123prime wrote:

Thank you Mr. Sumitran ! Thank you for all your inputs. I guess through this blog site I would be able to plan accordingly. I would definitely like to bring my family with me but only after I am well settled and feel that I am earning enough to support us and save as well. My wife is a teacher by profession. So she is also interested to join there on professional terms. That would be of great help as well. Need a little bit of guidance more from you. How much would it cost per month on food items and other basic necessities (just an approximate idea). I rarely go to restaurants, neither do i drink nor smoke. I do go to watch movies occassionally. I am quite conservative by nature.

Hi Manish,

Glad I could be of help to you, through this forum.

Given your frugal lifestyle, I guess you could restrict your monthly household expenses to within about 200 OMR, excluding the educational expenses and school transport for your boys.

Good luck !

Thanks Again ! These 200 OR which you have mentioned, are they the expenses incurred by me alone or me and my family ??

manish_123prime wrote:

Thanks Again ! These 200 OR which you have mentioned, are they the expenses incurred by me alone or me and my family ??

All of you of course !

You can, if you get cheap accommodation. Will you have to pay for your own?

hi, we are moving to muscut withing next 2 months . please help me out with the culture and education system.

i got an offer to work in sohar,muscat. the salary is 800 omr complete package. Is it enough to live for a couple in sohar?how much is the rent for studio flat? how much i can save?

Hello Mr. Sumitran,
I am moving to Oman in June 2012. I am moving there alone for 6 months. My company is providing me accommodation, transportation and medical insurance. I want to know how much OMR will I require for a month for utilities like water, electricity , internet etc and for grocery and food etc? Also, I want to know if accommodation there are furnished with air- conditioner, Gas, washing machine, Television?