smurtaza

Hi,

I would really appreciate any advice about living expenses in Muscat,Oman. I have an offer of 12600 OMR + allowance for house OMR8280 per year + Car allowance OMR2280 per year + school allowance for my two kids (10%) per year + tickets home +medical?

I live in Australia and have no experience in that region, but I heard that it very expensive?

Where is the best place to live if my work is in Ruwi Muscat?

Many thanks,

smurtaza

OMR 12600 per year.
I was getting USD$9000 per month (after tax) here in US.

Yoohoo

Just as a bit of background, I actually live in Muscat and have done for the past 2.5 years.

OMR 12600 is just under $33K US. If you're making just a tad over OMR 1000 per month you should rethink this job. Schooling is expensive - on your salary you would definitely need full schooling costs paid for you.

Then there's housing. It's not very much and won't get you anything particularly nice. Having said that, I know many people who get around what you've been offered for housing and they're still in Muscat.

If you were being paid $9K/month in the US I'd probably stay there if I were you.

HTH.

Yoohoo

Forgot to mention that the best place for you to live would probably be Al Khuwair. Not many western expats live in Ruwi or the immediately surrounding areas, although I think Wadi Al Kabir is getting some newer/nicer stuff built now. Al Amerat looks like it's going great guns too, and I'm sure you'd find something to fit your budget there.

Cheers,

Yoohoo

Worldismine

While that salary might be low compared to western standards, and also what westerners get paid in UAE and Saudi etc, for Oman it is good. Oman is very cheap to live in, and very relaxed. From the outsiders perspective, rent for a Villa in Khuram beach is ridiculously cheap, but then not many are on the salaries that can afford it, (my friends in Salalah, are on between 200-500 Or per month, but still drive new cars and live well for their ages)

Just to put stuff into perspective for you
1200km journey from Muscat to Salalah on a top coach company is around 7 Or
Mixed grill, cold drink, Shisha from Khuram beach tourist restaurant 7-8 or

rent 100+ per month, average middle class apartment probably around 400-700.

Yoohoo

There is a big difference between Muscat and Salalah!

Also, this is a family of four and they're only getting paid 10% of their schooling costs. The cheapest primary school I know of is 40 odd km away from Ruwi and charges around 800 OR per term per child. That means that 4 months of salary goes to a school! If you have secondary school aged children you pay much more than that. Yes, you can eke out a living on 1000 OR (less schooling and vehicle costs) but it won't be the same as life would be on 9,000 US (nett) per month.

If you get more of your schooling costs paid for you I think you might be able to do this. Even then you will definitely not save any money and you won't be going anywhere else for short breaks except maybe Salalah on a 1000km bus journey across desert.

Personally, I wouldn't do it but if you're after the adventure you might. You just might not see as much of Oman as you thought you would.

smurtaza

Hi,

10% of basic annually salary/child per annum, from 4 up to 19 years old.

Which means 1260 per annum schholing.....

Thanks,

Yoohoo

Well then, that's better than I originally thought, although you will still be up for quite a bit out of your own pocket. If you have to pay 2400 per child you're still up for 2.5 months of salary or thereabouts for schooling. If they're older than primary school age you're up for even more.

I believe the average Omani public servant earns about 700 OR per month and they're complaining loud and long about how the cost of living is hurting. They don't have to go to a Western country for holidays either. We're currently in Oz and whilst we're having a lovely time I have to admit that the riyal doesn't go very far. We're staying wih family and driving borrowed cars so it's not even like we're living it up.

What sort of job will you be doing?

Desert Dweller

My first job in Oman paid RO275 per month and three of us shared a 5-bed villa in the then newly built Al Khuwair. I had a Land Rover and Nissan Sunny and we used to go the Gulf Hotel most nights!
Reckon I could still do that??!!

Costs in Oman are set to increase so try and factor something to do with inflation into it as well.

Just Browsing

Housing is expensive here (nothing compared to UAE though) but the Governement has introduced a 4 year rent cap of 0% with a 7% (I think) increased allowed only at the end of 4 years.

Desert Dweller

I certainly hope they manage to keep it all in check and avoid the fallout that Dubai had with their rent cap which just made landlords start charging for parking spaces, lift usage etc, etc.

kamel

Sorry, but I am missing a detail here: you use to make around $9k per month and you were offered a job for around $33k per year?

Lexylou

We are thinking of a move to Oman, was thinking of Dubai sometime ago but we would prefer Oman and it is now looking like that could be an option, so the package that we could get would be (approx)

48,000 per year salary
7000 housing
4800 bills
schooling (most of it I believe)
usual things like medical etc

We would quite like to buy a property there rather than rent as I believe that this is now an option in Muscat. What are the good areas to live in? We have a small dog and small child.....so a garden a must. How easy (or hard) is it to get a mortgage out there? We would have a fairly good deposit.

Thanks

LL

Yoohoo

Wow - 48000 OR is great, but 7000 OR is not exactly generous for housing. Most villas in Azaiba or MQ are a minimum of 1200 OR per month and that's what you're looking at. Having said that if you topped up you'd still be on a very good wicket.

If you're a non GCC citizen you can buy at The Wave or the Muscat Golf Club. There are also some leasehold apartments in Darsait that have recently been released, but they won't fit your bill.

Properties at The Wave are very expensive. They've only just started to be built and the stage one townhouses are now going for around 150,000 OR - or more. Do a Google search on The Wave and Muscat property agents and you should get some good info.

Hope that helps,

YH

Lexylou

Thanks for that. A great help. The wave looks great - but maybe a tad expensive! They are not cheap the villas! Might be renting after all!!