Muscat
Oman · Asia · 1.6M people
Oman's calm, low-rise capital along a dramatic mountainous coastline.
Ranked #158 of 303 overall · 23.59, 58.38
Overview
Muscat, Oman, is home to about 1.6 million residents and has built a reputation that goes beyond its size. It's known for warm, sun-heavy weather for most of the year. Muscat stands out for how safe it feels compared to cities of a similar size. People who choose to settle in Muscat tend to point to a strong sense of safety, solid infrastructure for remote work, and reliable healthcare as the deciding factors. Against its 76 tracked peers in Asia, Muscat's 6.6/10 overall score sits 0.1 points above the regional average of 6.5. On CityMatch, Muscat scores 6.6/10 overall across cost of living, safety, environment, transport, climate, healthcare and internet, ranking #158 of 303 cities in our database. Its strongest single criterion is safety at 9/10, while cost of living is its softest spot at 5/10 — the full breakdown, honest trade-offs, and who this city actually suits are below.
Full scorecard
Worth budgeting carefully, especially rent.
Consistently rated among the safer picks.
No major pollution concerns on average.
Public transport has real gaps.
Reasonably comfortable year-round.
Standard care access, nothing exceptional.
Fast, reliable connectivity.
Is Muscat right for you?
Set your own priorities and see where it ranks against every city in the dataset.
Run the recommender →How are these scores calculated?
Every city on CityMatch is scored 1-10 on seven criteria — cost of living, safety, environment, transport, climate, healthcare and internet — and those seven numbers are combined into the overall score shown throughout the site using a consistent, automated formula (an equal-weighted average by default, or your own weighting via the recommender tool). The same method is applied identically to every city, so scores are comparable across the full database.
Sources & data provenance
The current dataset is an internally curated starter dataset built for this version of the site, reflecting each city's general reputation on each criterion rather than a live feed from a single external provider. It is not yet sourced from a specific third-party API. If that changes, this section will be updated to name the exact sources in use.
Last updated: 17 July 2026
Strengths & trade-offs
Strengths
A 9/10 safety score puts Muscat among the more reassuring cities to walk around, day or night.
Internet and connectivity score 8/10, making remote work a non-issue rather than a workaround.
Healthcare scores 7/10, a meaningful factor for families, retirees, or anyone planning to stay long-term.
Trade-offs
Cost of living is the toughest line item, at 5/10 — budget accordingly, especially on rent.
Transport is the soft spot at 5/10 — plan on a car or regular rideshares rather than relying on public transit alone.
Is Muscat safe?
Muscat scores 9/10 on safety — one of the more reassuring cities in our database. Most residents and visitors report feeling comfortable with ordinary city awareness rather than specific precautions.
At night
Walking at night is generally low-stress here, though sticking to lit, populated streets is always sensible advice anywhere.
For tourists
Tourists rarely report serious issues beyond the ordinary pickpocket risk that exists in any well-visited city — normal vigilance in crowded areas is enough.
For families
Safety, healthcare (7/10) and environment (6/10) together suggest a reasonable, if not exceptional, environment for families.
For solo travelers
Cities scoring this well on safety (9/10) are generally considered comfortable for solo travelers, though — as anywhere — checking current, specific local advice before a trip is always worth the ten minutes it takes.
On public transport
Transport is reasonably safe day-to-day; late-night service quality and crowd levels are worth checking if you'll rely on it after dark.
Practical tips
- →Standard city awareness is genuinely enough here — no need for unusual precautions.
- →Keep half an eye on belongings in busy tourist spots, the same as anywhere.
What's the climate like in Muscat?
Climate here (6/10) is comfortably in the "fine, not exceptional" range — a normal seasonal cycle rather than anything punishing.
Seasonal character
Expect a normal four-season rhythm (or a wet/dry split closer to the equator), without extremes dominating the calendar.
Comfort level
Comfort is generally good, with the odd day or short stretch that calls for planning ahead rather than year-round ease.
Best time to live here
Shoulder-season months (spring and autumn, broadly) tend to be the safest bet if you can choose when to visit or move.
Note: this reflects our single aggregate 1-10 climate score rather than month-by-month temperature, humidity or rainfall data, which we don't currently track — treat it as a general read rather than a forecast.
Quality of life in Muscat
Put together, quality of life in Muscat is shaped less by any single number and more by the combination: muscat doesn't lean strongly toward any particular pace — it's neither a nightlife-driven city nor a notably sleepy one, more of a middle-ground, live-and-let-live kind of place, paired with an outdoor/environment picture that's generally favorable and transport that's worth planning around.
Pace & lifestyle
Muscat doesn't lean strongly toward any particular pace — it's neither a nightlife-driven city nor a notably sleepy one, more of a middle-ground, live-and-let-live kind of place.
Nature & outdoors
Outdoor time is reasonably pleasant, with environment (6/10) and climate (6/10) scores that don't get in the way, without being a specific draw either.
Getting around
Transport (5/10) has real gaps — plan on a mix of public options, walking and rideshares depending on where you end up living.
Culture & leisure
Muscat isn't specifically marketed on culture or nightlife in our data, which usually means a more everyday, less tourist-oriented pace of life — good for routine, less exciting for a short visit.
Based on its actual score profile, Muscat tends to suit people who prioritize safety and internet & connectivity over cost of living — see "Who Muscat suits" above for the specific profiles that fit best.
How clean is Muscat?
Environment scores 6/10 here, solidly average: no particular pollution concern, but not a headline strength either.
Public spaces
Public space quality isn't separately measured in our data; the environment score above is the closest proxy we have, and it points to an unremarkable, workable baseline.
Infrastructure maintenance
General infrastructure maintenance isn't a criterion we score independently, so treat any specific claims about road quality, public bins, or graffiti with caution unless they come from a recent, first-hand source.
The "environment" score behind all of this is CityMatch's single combined measure of air quality and general environmental conditions — 10 meaning consistently clean air, 1 meaning significant pollution. It doesn't separately break out waste management, noise, or visual upkeep, which aren't part of our current dataset.
Who Muscat suits
Safety-first mover
Safety-first movers — people relocating somewhere unfamiliar who weigh personal safety above all (fit score 7.0/10 here).
Expat
Expats — expatriates relocating for work who lean on safety, healthcare and internet to stay settled and connected (fit score 7.0/10 here).
Digital nomad
Digital nomads — remote workers who need fast internet and an affordable, pleasant base (fit score 6.6/10 here).
Retiree
Retirees — retirees prioritizing healthcare, climate and a calm environment over nightlife or internet speed (fit score 6.5/10 here).
In depth
Cost of living
Muscat isn't cheap — its 5/10 cost-of-living score puts it above average on price, so it's worth costing out rent and groceries before committing.
Safety
At 9/10 on our safety score, Muscat ranks among the more secure cities we track, which tends to matter most for families and first-time movers.
Climate
Weather here (6/10) is reasonably pleasant most of the year, with a normal seasonal cycle rather than anything punishing.
Quality of life
Quality of life in Muscat is uneven rather than uniformly good or bad — a 6.6/10 average built on a clear high point in safety and a clear weak point in cost of living. The average across all seven criteria is 6.6/10.
Transport
Muscat's transport score of 5/10 suggests public options exist but don't cover everything — expect to lean on other ways of getting around at times.
Internet & remote work
At 8/10 for internet, Muscat is squarely in "video-call without worrying about it" territory.
Why choose Muscat?
Muscat makes the most sense if safety matters more to you than cost of living — at 6.6/10 overall, it's a solid rather than perfect pick, and the trade-offs above are worth weighing against your own priorities rather than the headline score alone.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Muscat safe?
Yes — Muscat scores 9/10 on safety, among the higher end of the 303 cities we track. Normal city awareness is enough for most visitors and residents.
What budget do I need to live in Muscat?
Muscat scores 5/10 on affordability, on the pricier side of our database. Plan a proper budget, particularly for rent.
Is Muscat good for families?
Muscat is a reasonable family option — safety (9/10) and healthcare (7/10) are solid enough, without being standout strengths.
Is Muscat a good city for students?
Muscat isn't an obvious student pick: affordability (5/10) and transport (5/10) average out lower than the cities we specifically tag for students.
Is Muscat suitable for digital nomads?
Remote work is possible in Muscat, but it's not an obvious pick — internet (8/10) and cost of living (5/10) are less favorable than our dedicated digital-nomad cities.
What's the climate like in Muscat?
Muscat scores 6/10 on climate — a normal seasonal mix without real extremes.
Is Muscat pleasant to live in year-round?
Reasonably — Muscat scores 6/10 on climate and 6/10 on environment, a fair rather than exceptional combination across the year.
Is Muscat a good choice for a first move abroad?
It's a reasonable choice for a first move: safety, healthcare, transport and environment average out to 6.8/10 here, a fairly forgiving combination for someone settling in for the first time.
Is the internet good enough for remote work in Muscat?
Yes — Muscat scores 8/10 on internet and connectivity, comfortably enough for video calls and day-to-day remote work.
Is Muscat a good place to retire?
It has real appeal for retirees: healthcare, climate and safety average out to 7.3/10 here — the three criteria that tend to matter most for that stage of life.
What are good alternatives to Muscat?
Based on continent, tags and overall score, Riyadh and Jeddah are the closest matches to Muscat in our database — worth comparing directly if you're still deciding.
Is Muscat worth living in?
Reasonably — Muscat scores 6.6/10 overall, a solid if unremarkable all-round profile. Whether it's "worth it" depends more on which specific criteria matter most to you than on the average alone.
Who should move to Muscat?
Based on its score profile, Muscat suits people who value safety and internet & connectivity more than the average mover — see the "Who Muscat suits" section above for the specific profiles (families, digital nomads, students, etc.) that fit best.
Is Muscat walkable, and is public transport good?
Not especially — Muscat scores just 5/10 on transport, so expect to lean on a car, bike or rideshares more than public transit alone.
What's the biggest advantage of living in Muscat?
Safety is Muscat's standout strength, scoring 9/10 — the highest of its seven criteria on CityMatch.
What's the biggest downside of living in Muscat?
Cost of living is the clearest trade-off, scoring just 5/10 — the lowest of Muscat's seven criteria, and worth weighing against its strengths.