Oman

Oman pairs Gulf-state amenities with an unusually low cost of living for the region. Numbeo's Mid-Year 2026 data puts the country's Cost of Living Index at 45.5 with purchasing power of 152.6, and LivingCost.org (June 2026) estimates a single person needs about $1,102/month including rent, with a one-bedroom in central Muscat around $507/month (numbeo.com; livingcost.org, both June–July 2026). There is currently no personal income tax; a 5% tax signed into law in June 2025 takes effect January 1, 2028 and only applies above OMR 42,000 (~$109,000) of annual income (ey.com; kpmg.com, 2025). Numbeo's Mid-Year 2026 Quality of Life Index ranked Oman 3rd globally and 1st in Asia (thearabianstories.com, 2026-07-27). Safety data is sharply split and must be read carefully. Oman's intrinsic, crime-based safety is elite — Numbeo Safety Index 81.7 (mid-2026) and Global Peace Index rank 42 of 163 (2025). But the US State Department raised Oman to Level 3: Reconsider Travel on March 13, 2026, citing risk of armed conflict and terrorism after the onset of US–Iran hostilities on February 28, 2026, ordered non-emergency US government employees and family members to leave, and maintains Do Not Travel guidance for the Yemen border area (travel.state.gov). Healthcare scores a solid 62.7 on Numbeo's 2026 Health Care Index; Muscat concentrates the best facilities, including JCI-accredited Muscat Private Hospital and triple-accredited Starcare Hospital, with English-speaking staff common (expatarrivals.com; starcarehospital.com). The Dhamani scheme is making employer-paid health insurance mandatory for private-sector expat workers (truescho.com; mercer.com). Residency runs through employment, family sponsorship, or the Golden Residency programme relaunched August 31, 2025 via the Invest Oman platform: 5-year residency from OMR 250,000 (~$650,000) invested, 10-year from OMR 500,000 (~$1.3M), plus a retiree track for those 60+ with OMR 4,000/month (~$10,400) income (envoyglobal.com; mirabelloconsultancy.com). There is no verified digital nomad visa — 2025–2026 blog claims of one (income requirement 'OMR 1,500/month') could not be confirmed against any Royal Oman Police or government source, and a March 2026 tracker states none exists. Expatriates are 43.3% of the population (NCSI, July 2026), though predominantly South Asian workers; the American community is small. English is workable in Muscat's business and medical settings despite Oman's 'Very low' EF EPI 2025 ranking (112th) among tested residents.