Muscat vs Riyadh
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Riyadh edges it, 55 to 52, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Muscat is stronger on safety; Riyadh on air quality. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Where they differ
- Air quality. Riyadh leads on air quality, 59 to 39, against Muscat. PM2.5: 32.4 µg/m³ vs 23.6 µg/m³.
- Safety. Muscat leads on safety, 87 to 73, against Riyadh. Homicides per 100,000: 0.14 vs 0.8.
- Climate. Riyadh leads on climate, 50 to 42, against Muscat. Comfortable months: 5 vs 6.
Where they are close. Within five points on getting there & around, healthcare, cost of living, quality of life, visa ease.
Pick Muscat if you want
- faster internet (33.4 Mbps measured)
- the safer country figures
Pick Riyadh if you want
- to spend about $165 less a month
- cleaner air
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Muscat | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 36 | 40 ✓ |
| Safety | 87 ✓ | 73 |
| Healthcare | 79 | 83 ✓ |
| Internet | 69 ✓ | 62 |
| Visa ease | 34 | 34 |
| Getting there & around | 22 | 27 ✓ |
| Climate | 42 | 50 ✓ |
| Air quality | 39 | 59 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 66 ✓ | 65 |
Cost
| Metric | Muscat | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,202 | $2,037 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | $1,778 |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Muscat | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.14 ✓ | 0.8 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 76 ✓ | 65.9 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 73 | 83 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 80.2 yrs ✓ | 78.9 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Muscat | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 33.4 Mbps ✓ | 24.9 Mbps |
| Upload | 19.3 Mbps ✓ | 10.2 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Muscat | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
| Entry, EU passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
| Entry, UK passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Muscat | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 84 | 118 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 ✓ | 1 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Muscat | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 6 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 32.4 µg/m³ | 23.6 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Muscat or Riyadh?
- Riyadh is cheaper: about $2,037 per month versus $2,202 for one person.
- Is Muscat or Riyadh safer?
- Muscat scores higher on safety (87 vs 73), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Muscat or Riyadh?
- Muscat: a measured median of 33.4 Mbps versus 24.9 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.3. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.