Is the cost of food items rising?

For many households in Oman, the rising cost of food is becoming harder to ignore. From fish markets to vegetable stalls and restaurant counters, consumers and sellers say pressure is building on everyday food spending as weather disruptions, supply constraints and regional trade uncertainty begin to filter through to the local market.

The change is not uniform across all items, and not every product has seen a sharp jump. But in recent days, conversations in markets across Muscat and other parts of the country point to the same reality: some food staples are becoming more expensive, and shoppers are noticing.

The recent low-pressure system, Al Masarat, has added to that pressure. Rough weather kept many fishermen away from the sea for several days, reducing the supply of fresh fish and leaving some traders to rely more heavily on frozen imports.

At a fish shop in Ruwi, around 10 varieties of frozen fish were on display, imported from Myanmar. The scene reflected the strain on fresh local supply at a time when weather conditions had interrupted normal fishing activity.

At Muttrah fish market, Hussain Ahmed said strong winds had kept fishermen ashore and tightened the flow of fresh catch.

“Fishermen have not gone to sea because of the strong winds, and they are expecting rain on Friday,” he said. “Anchovies are expensive now. Kingfish is among the highest-priced varieties and can sell for more than RO 4 per kilogramme. It is now tuna season, and tuna is selling for around RO 1.4 to RO 1.6 per kilogramme. Sardine prices, however, remain stable.” For shoppers, fish remains one of the clearest signs of price pressure, but the market is far from uniform. Prices differ sharply from one wilayat to another, depending on supply, transport and local market conditions.

Rayd Mohammed said the export market had also been affected by regional geopolitical tensions, changing the way fish was priced inside Oman.

“Before, fish was sold to Gulf countries and fetched good prices there. Now it is more difficult to export, and some sellers want to sell it in Oman at the same prices for Gulf countries,” he said. "In some wilayats, such as Barka, fish is sold at much lower prices. But in places such as Sinaw, prices are high and can reach RO 4.5 per kilogramme.”

He said Shuwaymiyah remained one of the best fishing areas because of the variety of fish available there, with part of the catch transported to other parts of Oman and also to neighbouring countries.

In Nizwa, Ziad bin Hamad al Busaidy said some premium fish varieties were also selling at relatively high prices.

Even promotional offers now underline how closely shoppers are watching the market. A digital advertisement in Nizwa recently offered fresh kingfish at four kilogrammes for RO 10.

The pressure, however, is not limited to seafood.

Consumers say vegetables and other basic ingredients have also become more expensive, adding to the burden on household budgets. An ash gourd that would previously have sold for around 300 baisas is now being priced at about 700 baisas. Tomatoes are selling for around 850 baisas a kilogramme, while onion prices have also continued to rise.

For some shoppers, even a simple salad is no longer cheap.

“I paid 600 baisas for five tomatoes. One kilogramme of lemons now costs RO 1.500, whereas it used to be around 300 to 400 baisas. The price of Omani lettuce has also gone up,” one customer said.

The broader backdrop is also worrying. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization has warned that if tensions in the Middle East continue, higher fertiliser and energy costs could push global food prices higher still.

That concern is feeding into local business decisions as well.

Restaurant operators say they are already feeling the squeeze from rising input costs, even if many have so far resisted raising menu prices. Instead, some are cutting back on promotions and discounts in an effort to absorb the increase without driving customers away.

“We are still maintaining the same prices for our menu items, but we are no longer offering discounts because costs have gone up, especially for chicken,” one restaurant owner said. “We are buying locally, but demand has increased and, with it, the cost. However, we are not compromising on quantity or quality.” For now, the food market in Oman is not facing a single across-the-board surge. But the combination of rough weather, disrupted trade routes, transport strains and rising input costs is beginning to show in the prices that people pay each day.

For consumers, that means a trip to the fish market, the vegetable shop or a neighbourhood restaurant increasingly comes with the same question: how much more will the next meal cost?