GeoRealityMatch
Aerial shot of Muscat's skyline with coastal view and mountains. Ideal for travel and geography content.Oman
Beautiful view of Riyadh Water Tower silhouetted against a stunning sunset sky.Saudi Arabia

Compare countries · Oman vs Saudi Arabia

Oman vs Saudi Arabia

OmanWestern AsiaSaudi ArabiaWestern Asia

The FCDO advises against all travel to parts of Saudi Arabia and all but essential travel to other areas.Oman is more peaceful (Global Peace Index 1.850 vs 2.067).Saudi Arabia scores higher on human development (0.900 vs 0.858) and has the higher income per person ($36,070 vs $19,520).About the same on living costs (Oman 43.6, Saudi Arabia 43.9) and life expectancy (80.2, 79.0 years).

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Safety

Oman is the more peaceful

Global Peace Indexlower is more peaceful
Oman1.850High safety#59 of 161IEP GPI · 2026
Saudi Arabia2.067Medium safety#94 of 161IEP GPI · 2026
Homicidesper 100,000 people a year
Oman0.1Very lowUNODC / World Bank · 2023
Saudi Arabia0.9LowUNODC / World Bank · 2019
Safety indexNumbeo's safety index, higher is safer
Oman81.6Very highNumbeo · 2026
Saudi Arabia76.7Very highNumbeo · 2026
UK travel adviceFCDO, for British travellers
OmanNo advice against travelFCDO foreign travel advice, GOV.UK · read 2026-10-29
Saudi ArabiaAgainst all travel to parts, all but essential to other areasFCDO foreign travel advice, GOV.UK · read 2026-10-29
Money

Income per person is higher in Saudi Arabia

GNI per personnational income per person, US dollars
Oman$19,520HighWorld Bank · 2024
Saudi Arabia$36,070Very highWorld Bank · 2025
Cost of living indexexcluding rent, New York = 100
Oman43.6AffordableNumbeo · 2026
Saudi Arabia43.9AffordableNumbeo · 2026
Rent indexNew York = 100
Oman13.2ModerateNumbeo · 2026
Saudi Arabia13.5ModerateNumbeo · 2026
Property price to incomeyears of median income to buy a median flat
Oman3.8Very affordableNumbeo · 2026
Saudi Arabia4.3Very affordableNumbeo · 2026
Health

Life expectancy: Oman 80.2, Saudi Arabia 79.0

Life expectancyyears, at birth
Oman80.2Very high#40 of 195World Bank · 2024
Saudi Arabia79.0High#45 of 195World Bank · 2024
Health coverageWHO universal health coverage index, 0 to 100
Oman73ModerateWHO · 2023
Saudi Arabia83Very highWHO · 2023
Air pollutionPM2.5, micrograms per cubic metre, national average
Oman30.0Very highWHO · 2023
Saudi Arabia43.9Very highWHO · 2023
Work and internet

Broadband is faster in Saudi Arabia

Home internetmedian download speed
Oman95 MbpsFast#68 of 149Ookla Speedtest · 2025
Saudi Arabia164 MbpsVery fast#43 of 149Ookla Speedtest · 2025
English proficiencyEF English Proficiency Index score
OmanNo figure from EF EPI
Saudi Arabia404Very lowEF EPI · 2025
How it changed

Human development: Saudi Arabia 0.900, Oman 0.858

OmanSaudi Arabia

UNDP Human Development Report, 1990–2023.

Year by year:OmanSaudi Arabia

Practical facts

Capital
Muscat
Riyadh
Population
5.5M (2025)
37.0M (2025)
Languages
Arabic
Arabic
Currency
Omani rial (OMR)
Saudi riyal (SAR)
Area
309,500 km²
2,149,690 km²
Plug type
Type G
Type G
Drives on the
right
right
Short visit
Visa-free for UK, EU and US passports
Visa-free for UK, EU and US passports

Short visits: passport-index-dataset, 2024, for UK, EU (German) and US passports. Population and area: World Bank. Languages, currency and driving side: restcountries.com. Plug types: worldstandards.eu.

Every figure

Oman and Saudi Arabia, side by side

The same figures as a facts file

Quick answers

Is Oman cheaper than Saudi Arabia?

Numbeo's 2026 cost-of-living index (NYC = 100) puts Oman at 43.6 and Saudi Arabia at 43.9. The two are effectively tied (under 2% apart).

Is Oman or Saudi Arabia safer?

On the Global Peace Index (lower = more peaceful), Oman scores 1.85 and Saudi Arabia scores 2.07. Oman ranks as the more peaceful of the two.

Which has the higher quality of life, Oman or Saudi Arabia?

On the UN Human Development Index, Oman scores 0.858 and Saudi Arabia scores 0.900. Saudi Arabia scores higher on this composite of income, health and education. Single indexes hide trade-offs; the full comparison above shows where each country wins.

What is life like in Oman compared to Saudi Arabia?

GNI per capita runs $19,520 in Oman against $36,070 in Saudi Arabia; people live 80.2 years on average against 79.0; Numbeo users rate healthcare 64 against 62. Those are national averages and they hide the thing you actually feel: capital-city costs run well ahead of the national figure in most countries, and rural provision of healthcare and internet often lags the number shown here. The table below splits it indicator by indicator.

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Every figure is sourced where it is shown. A dash means the country has no figure from that source.Photographs by Joerg Hartmann, Alamin Prodhania on Pexels