MUSCAT : Oman recorded a Quality of Life Index score of 203.89 in Numbeo’s 2026 Mid-Year rankings, placing behind only the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Denmark recorded the same score as Oman but was listed fourth in the ranking. Oman had occupied fourth place in the corresponding mid-year index in 2025.

The result is particularly significant because the index looks beyond traditional measures such as GDP and economic output. Instead, it assesses the conditions residents experience in their everyday lives, from safety and purchasing power to housing affordability, healthcare, traffic, pollution, cost of living and climate.

What is driving Oman’s ranking?

A closer look at the data shows that Oman’s strength lies not in one single factor, but in the combination of high safety, strong purchasing power, affordable housing, relatively short commutes and lower living costs.

Oman recorded a Safety Index of 81.67, considerably higher than several European countries near the top of the overall Quality of Life rankings. Its Purchasing Power Index stood at 152.56, indicating relatively strong spending power among residents compared with the cost of goods and services.

Housing affordability is another major advantage. Oman recorded a property price-to-income ratio of just 3.79, significantly below the Netherlands at 7.71, Luxembourg at 9.10 and Switzerland at 11.41. A lower figure broadly indicates that residential property prices are more affordable relative to incomes.

Daily mobility also works in Oman’s favour. Its Traffic Commute Time Index stood at 24.78, reflecting relatively short commuting times compared with many large international cities and countries where congestion can significantly affect residents’ daily lives.

Oman also scored 36.51 on the Pollution Index, while its Cost of Living Index stood at 45.53. Together, these indicators help explain why Oman performs strongly even against wealthier economies that may offer higher incomes but also face considerably higher housing and living costs.

In effect, Oman’s advantage is the balance between income, affordability, security and the amount of time residents spend navigating everyday life.

Oman’s performance becomes even clearer when compared regionally.

It continues to lead Asian and Arab countries in the Quality of Life rankings, ahead of other Gulf economies that also perform strongly in areas such as safety and purchasing power.

This shows how Oman has been able to combine many of the advantages associated with Gulf economies security, infrastructure and purchasing power with relatively affordable housing and lower congestion.

The ranking also comes as Oman accelerates a major transformation of its urban landscape under Oman Vision 2040.

Rather than focusing solely on expanding cities, current planning strategies increasingly emphasise integrated communities, shorter journeys, green spaces, walkability, efficient infrastructure and access to services.

The Greater Muscat Structure Plan is central to that transformation. The government-led framework seeks to coordinate land use, transport, residential development, business centres, infrastructure and investment across the capital region rather than allowing growth to take place independently in different areas.

The approach is particularly relevant to quality of life because the way cities are designed directly influences several factors measured by Numbeo including commuting time, housing access, pollution and residents’ ability to reach everyday services.

Among the most prominent projects is Sultan Haitham City, being developed west of Muscat as a new-generation urban community.

Spread across 14.8 sq km, the city is planned to accommodate approximately 100,000 residents in 20,000 residential units across 18 neighbourhoods, with around 2.9 million sq metres of green space.

Schools, healthcare facilities, universities, retail areas, offices, mosques and public services are planned across its neighbourhoods, reducing the need for residents to travel long distances for everyday necessities. Walkability, shaded corridors, smart mobility, renewable energy and climate-responsive design also form part of the development model.

Construction is progressing, with enabling works for the first phase completed and multiple neighbourhoods under development. The first residents are expected during 2026–2027, according to Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning project information.

The wider urban programme also includes A’Thuraya City, Future Salalah City, Al Jabal Al Aali and Al Khuwair Downtown, alongside the Greater Muscat planning framework. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning describes these developments as part of Oman’s Future Cities programme, integrating sustainability, smart infrastructure, mobility, tourism and mixed-use development.

Al Khuwair Downtown, for example, is intended to transform part of Muscat into a more walkable commercial and cultural centre, while A’Thuraya City incorporates shaded pedestrian routes, protected wadis, native landscaping and passive cooling principles into its planning.

Oman’s position in the Quality of Life Index illustrates an increasingly important distinction between economic wealth and everyday liveability.

A country can have high incomes yet lose ground through expensive housing, congestion, pollution or high everyday expenses. Numbeo attempts to capture this broader equation by combining indicators that directly influence how residents experience their cities and communities.

Oman’s results indicate that its competitive advantage lies in maintaining that balance: strong purchasing power without disproportionately high housing costs, high perceptions of safety, manageable commuting times and comparatively moderate living expenses.

It should also be noted that Numbeo is a crowdsourced database rather than an official intergovernmental statistical ranking. Its indices are calculated using user-submitted information and statistical methodologies, with country results aggregated from contributions covering cities within each country. Numbeo says its database covers cost of living, housing, crime, healthcare, transport and other everyday indicators worldwide.

Nevertheless, Oman’s consistent position near the top of the table moving from fourth globally in the 2025 Mid-Year Index to third in 2026 and maintaining the highest position in Asia reinforces its growing international reputation as a country offering a distinctive combination of security, affordability, stability and liveability.

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