Moving to California from Oman

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Oman to California — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Oman to California, you would find that California is 2.5 times more expensive than Oman overall. A OMR29,000 salary in Oman would need to be roughly $188,000 in California to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Los Angeles averages 75°F vs 91°F in Muscat, making it significantly cooler.

Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓

Is California cheaper than Oman?

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 2.8 times more

Groceries

pay 72.5% more

Transportation

pay 67.3% more

Housing

pay 4.2 times more

Childcare

pay 5.3 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 14.7% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 OMR = 2.61 USD (October 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

What salary do you need in California?

What does your salary buy?

OMR29,000 → $188,000

To maintain the same standard of living in California

Calculate with your salary →

Get free moving quotes to California

We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from Oman to California, based on official data.

Moved in 2023
30 ↓ 12% vs 2022

people moved from Oman to United States · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to United States?

Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Oman to California.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate World Health Organization, 2024

share of adults with obesity

OM
30.5%
CA
28.4%

California performs significantly better than Oman across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access World Bank, 2024

share of households with internet

OM
95.2%
CA
92.6%

Oman performs better than California across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

OM
3.2%
CA
5.1%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

OM
$19,947
CA
$84,028

Oman generally does better on employment & economy, though California leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

OM
80.2 yrs
CA
79.0 yrs

Oman performs better than California across all family life metrics.

Weather in California vs Oman

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Muscat Rain: 3.5 in/yr (90 mm)
91° / 75°F

Avg. annual high / low

Los Angeles Rain: 14.9 in/yr (379 mm)
75° / 56°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Muscat Los Angeles
Jan–Mar 81°/65°F (27°/18°C) 69°/49°F (21°/10°C)
Apr–Jun 100°/82°F (38°/28°C) 75°/57°F (24°/14°C)
Jul–Sep 97°/83°F (36°/28°C) 83°/64°F (29°/18°C)
Oct–Dec 87°/70°F (31°/21°C) 73°/53°F (23°/12°C)
View all months
Month Muscat Los Angeles
Jan 77°/62°F (25.1°/16.7°C) 68°/48°F (20.1°/8.8°C)
Feb 80°/64°F (26.4°/17.8°C) 69°/49°F (20.3°/9.6°C)
Mar 85°/69°F (29.5°/20.3°C) 70°/51°F (21.2°/10.6°C)
Apr 94°/76°F (34.7°/24.2°C) 73°/53°F (22.6°/11.9°C)
May 103°/84°F (39.6°/28.7°C) 74°/57°F (23.6°/13.9°C)
Jun 104°/87°F (40.0°/30.3°C) 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.7°C)
Jul 100°/86°F (38.0°/30.1°C) 83°/64°F (28.4°/17.6°C)
Aug 96°/83°F (35.6°/28.2°C) 84°/64°F (29.1°/17.8°C)
Sep 96°/80°F (35.6°/26.8°C) 83°/63°F (28.4°/17.3°C)
Oct 94°/76°F (34.6°/24.2°C) 78°/59°F (25.8°/14.8°C)
Nov 87°/69°F (30.3°/20.8°C) 73°/52°F (22.7°/11.1°C)
Dec 80°/65°F (26.8°/18.3°C) 68°/47°F (19.8°/8.6°C)

Data: Directorate General of Meteorology - Civil Aviation Authority Directorate General of Meteorology - Civil Aviation Authority, National Weather Service National Weather Service

Can you move from Oman to California?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Oman and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.

Oman passport

Oman passport holder visiting United States

Visa Required
Oman passport holders need a visa to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Oman

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Oman without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in California than Oman?

No — California is on average about 148% more expensive than Oman. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to California?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $47,000 in California on a OMR29,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from California?

Usually fine from major cities in California. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

How is healthcare in California compared to Oman?

California performs significantly better than Oman across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in California compared to Oman?

The average high temperature in Los Angeles is 75°F, compared to 91°F in Muscat. Los Angeles receives around 14.9 in of rainfall per year, while Muscat gets 3.5 in.

What language do they speak in California?

The official language in California is English. In Oman, the official language is Arabic.

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At a Glance

OM
Population 5,494,691 39,355,309
Currency Omani Rial (OMR) United States Dollar ($)
Languages Arabic English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +968 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 9999 911