Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Abha and Jeddah

For one person, living is cheaper in Abha: $1,049 a month against $1,394 in Jeddah, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Abha, Saudi Arabia
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Abha
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,049
/mo nomad
Jeddah
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,394
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Abha and in Jeddah

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Abha and in Jeddah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,049 per month in Abha vs $1,394 in Jeddah, rent included.

  • Abha $1,049
  • Jeddah $1,394

A couple spends around $1,747 per month in Abha vs $2,161 in Jeddah, rent included.

  • Abha $1,747
  • Jeddah $2,161

A family of three spends $2,444 per month in Abha vs $2,928 in Jeddah, rent included.

  • Abha $2,444
  • Jeddah $2,928

Abha is about 25% cheaper than Jeddah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Abha sits 22% below the global median, while Jeddah is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Abha
Jeddah
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.18 SAR 19.45
$6.69 SAR 25.10
-22.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.7 SAR 190
$76.2 SAR 286
-33.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.22 SAR 27.09
$9.56 SAR 35.88
-24.48%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.64 SAR 6.14
$2.56 SAR 9.60
-35.94%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 SAR 4.90
$2.60 SAR 9.75
-50.00%
Cappuccino
$3.11 SAR 11.67
$3.80 SAR 14.26
-18.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.63 SAR 2.38
$1.03 SAR 3.87
-38.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.22 SAR 0.82
$0.25 SAR 0.94
-12.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Abha
Jeddah
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.63 SAR 6.10
$1.74 SAR 6.53
-6.32%
White Bread (500g)
$0.64 SAR 2.39
$1.27 SAR 4.78
-49.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.97 SAR 7.38
$2.29 SAR 8.59
-13.97%
Eggs
$3.10 SAR 11.65
$2.47 SAR 9.26
25.51%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.33 SAR 16.27
$6.44 SAR 24.19
-32.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.59 SAR 28.47
$8.32 SAR 31.23
-8.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.40 SAR 69.1
$13.26 SAR 49.79
38.76%
Apples (1kg)
$2.08 SAR 7.82
$2.08 SAR 7.80
-
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 SAR 7.27
$1.73 SAR 6.51
12.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.64 SAR 6.14
$1.56 SAR 5.84
5.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 SAR 6.05
$1.66 SAR 6.24
-3.01%
Potato (1kg)
$2.18 SAR 8.18
$1.12 SAR 4.20
94.64%
Onion (1kg)
$1.26 SAR 4.72
$1.24 SAR 4.65
1.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.34 SAR 1.27
$1.07 SAR 4.03
-68.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 SAR 1.93
$0.50 SAR 1.88
2.00%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$4.40 SAR 16.53
$4.18 SAR 15.70
5.26%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 SAR 4.61
$1.75 SAR 6.57
-29.71%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.43 SAR 5.35
$2.59 SAR 9.73
-44.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.12 SAR 34.21
$6.55 SAR 24.58
39.24%
🚌 Getting Around
Abha
Jeddah
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.85 SAR 3.20
$0.90 SAR 3.38
-5.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$37.06 SAR 139
$54.6 SAR 205
-32.15%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 SAR 11.22
$3.22 SAR 12.09
-7.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.63 SAR 9.87
$1.68 SAR 6.30
56.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.25 SAR 53.5
$14.37 SAR 53.9
-0.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.59 SAR 2.22
$0.64 SAR 2.42
-7.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.7K SAR 107.7K
$37.7K SAR 141.6K
-23.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.0K SAR 71.5K
$22.0K SAR 82.7K
-13.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Abha
Jeddah
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$86.9 SAR 326
$88.3 SAR 331
-1.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.53 SAR 137
$38.71 SAR 145
-5.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.9 SAR 285
$68.5 SAR 257
10.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Abha
Jeddah
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$91.5 SAR 343
$69.9 SAR 262
30.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$45.46 SAR 171
$37.61 SAR 141
20.87%
Cinema Ticket
$15.73 SAR 59.1
$11.72 SAR 43.98
34.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Abha
Jeddah
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$211 SAR 792
$781 SAR 2,930
-72.97%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,216 SAR 15.8K
$15.1K SAR 56.8K
-72.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Abha
Jeddah
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$30.04 SAR 113
$74.5 SAR 280
-59.67%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$69.8 SAR 262
$56.2 SAR 211
24.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.3 SAR 361
$99.0 SAR 372
-2.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$67.0 SAR 251
$92.3 SAR 347
-27.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Abha
Jeddah
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$305 SAR 1,144
$801 SAR 3,008
-61.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$246 SAR 923
$556 SAR 2,087
-55.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$541 SAR 2,030
$1,329 SAR 4,987
-59.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$570 SAR 2,141
$864 SAR 3,244
-34.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$935 SAR 3,511
$1,683 SAR 6,317
-44.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,334 SAR 5,008
$1,119 SAR 4,201
19.22%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Abha
Jeddah
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,239 SAR 8,402
$1,650 SAR 6,191
35.71%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6
5.39
11.32%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Abha: November 2, 2026

Last update for Jeddah: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Abha
$246
Jeddah
$556 126% $310
Groceries & Markets
Abha
$202
Jeddah
$201 0.4% $0.8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Abha
$199
Jeddah
$196 1.9% $3.8
Sport & Entertainment
Abha
$123
Jeddah
$93 24.1% $30
Clothing & Footwear
Abha
$118
Jeddah
$145 22.4% $27
Eating Out
Abha
$104
Jeddah
$133 28% $29
Getting Around
Abha
$57
Jeddah
$70 23.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $305 in Abha versus $801 in Jeddah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 36% higher in Abha, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51 in Abha versus $76 in Jeddah. Groceries tell a different story – $202 in Abha vs $201 in Jeddah – so Jeddah wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇸🇦 Abha
🇸🇦 Jeddah
🕒 Local time
21:00 9:00 PM
21:00 9:00 PM
Same time as Abha
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
236,157
3,430,697
💱 Currency
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Abha Jeddah 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Abha
  • Jeddah

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Abha vs Jeddah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Abha or Jeddah?
Jeddah costs about 33% more than Abha, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Abha and in Jeddah?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,574 per month in Abha and $2,091 in Jeddah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Abha or Jeddah?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Abha, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $305 there versus $801 in Jeddah.
How do dining costs compare in Abha and in Jeddah?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $51 in Abha and $76 in Jeddah. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How expensive is transport in Abha compared to Jeddah?
Public transport costs about 32% less in Abha. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Abha or in Jeddah?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,049 in Abha and $1,394 in Jeddah. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Abha – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Abha compared to Jeddah?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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