Sohar vs Duqm: Which City Wins for Expats in 2026?
Duqm ranks meaningfully higher on safety. Use our tool below to personalize the estimate based on your income and lifestyle.
Duqm is approximately less expensive than Sohar based on cost of living including rent. This makes Duqm a more budget-friendly option for expats considering a move.
Duqm has a FIRE Score of N/A/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The city's safety index is 68, which is relatively safe.
Recommended profile: Duqm is well-suited for retirees seeking a balanced lifestyle.
About Sohar
Sohar is a solid mid-tier pick for expats who want Gulf wages without Dubai prices, with a 1-bedroom in the center running $494/mo and a comfortable single life landing near $1,155/mo. The catch is the air: an air quality index of 85 and healthcare rated only Fair mean you are trading clean lungs and top hospitals for cheap rent. With a FIRE score of 75/100 but a retiree score of 55/100, it suits savers and remote workers far better than pensioners, and the $4,000/mo income floor on the Retirement Residency program locks out most budget retirees anyway.
About Oman
Digital nomads are shut out entirely, no visa exists. Retirement demands a steep OMR 4000/mo income, filtering out most FIRE budgets despite zero income tax and cheap rent ($560/mo center). This fits high-net-worth retirees seeking tax-free stability with US Travel Advisory Level 3 (reconsider travel) and Arabic-only bureaucracy, not budget expats.
$2,041/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
About Duqm
Duqm is a small industrial port town of 12 thousand people where a $13 mid-range dinner for two and $560/mo city-center rent make the cost of living genuinely cheap, and 70 Mbps internet plus a 68/100 safety index keep remote work comfortable. The catch is that English proficiency is limited, healthcare quality is only fair, and an air quality index of 75 is nothing to brag about. With an overall expat score of 49/100 but a retiree score of 59/100, this is a place for patient savers and oil-and-port workers, not for anyone chasing culture, cuisine, or conversation.
About Oman
Digital nomads are shut out entirely, no visa exists. Retirement demands a steep OMR 4000/mo income, filtering out most FIRE budgets despite zero income tax and cheap rent ($560/mo center). This fits high-net-worth retirees seeking tax-free stability with US Travel Advisory Level 3 (reconsider travel) and Arabic-only bureaucracy, not budget expats.
N/A/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
Battle of Lifestyles
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| Metric | Sohar | Duqm |
|---|---|---|
| 1BR Apartment (Center) | $494.16 | N/A |
| 1BR Apartment (Outside) | $383.63 | N/A |
| 3BR Apartment (Center) | $812.77 | N/A |
| 3BR Apartment (Outside) | $676.22 | N/A |
| Safety Index | 58 | 68 |
| Internet Speed | 40Mbps | 70Mbps |
| Walkability Score | N/A | N/A |
Monthly cost by categoryOne person, computed from each city's own average prices
| Category | Sohar | Duqm |
|---|---|---|
| Total (rent included) | $1,044/mo | N/A |
| Excluding rent | $660/mo | N/A |
| Rent | $384/mo | N/A |
| Groceries | $192/mo | N/A |
| Dining out | $65.00/mo | N/A |
| Entertainment & lifestyle | $130/mo | N/A |
| Utilities & connectivity | $221/mo | N/A |
| Transport | $52.00/mo | N/A |
Usage-based estimates from this city's own average prices. A row marked N/A means that city is missing data, so no figure is shown instead of a stale one.
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