Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ad Dammam and Abha

For one person, living is cheaper in Abha: $1,062 a month against $1,217 in Ad Dammam, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ad Dammam outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

58

Cost of Living Index in Ad Dammam
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Ad Dammam Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Abha
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Abha Living Index

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Ad Dammam

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,217

/mo nomad

Abha

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,062

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ad Dammam and in Abha

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

A single person spends $1,217 per month in Ad Dammam vs $1,062 in Abha, rent included.

Ad Dammam $1,217
Abha $1,062

A couple spends around $1,838 per month in Ad Dammam vs $1,754 in Abha, rent included.

Ad Dammam $1,838
Abha $1,754

A family of three spends $2,460 per month in Ad Dammam vs $2,445 in Abha, rent included.

Ad Dammam $2,460
Abha $2,445

Ad Dammam costs about 15% more than Abha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ad Dammam and Abha are more affordable than the global median – Ad Dammam 11% lower, Abha 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.12 SAR 26.74

$5.36 SAR 20.12

32.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.16 SAR 128

$50.4 SAR 189

-32.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.82 SAR 25.59

$7.61 SAR 28.57

-10.38%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 SAR 7.17

$1.63 SAR 6.13

17.18%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 SAR 8.45

$1.35 SAR 5.07

66.67%

Cappuccino

$3.02 SAR 11.32

$3.21 SAR 12.05

-5.92%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 SAR 2.94

$0.58 SAR 2.18

34.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 SAR 0.63

$0.22 SAR 0.82

-22.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SAR 6.51

$1.63 SAR 6.11

6.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 SAR 4.85

$0.59 SAR 2.22

118.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 SAR 7.29

$2.01 SAR 7.53

-3.48%

Eggs

$2.18 SAR 8.20

$3.08 SAR 11.57

-29.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.60 SAR 28.52

$4.36 SAR 16.35

74.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.83 SAR 29.37

$7.46 SAR 27.99

4.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.77 SAR 47.91

$18.35 SAR 68.8

-30.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 SAR 8.33

$2.00 SAR 7.49

11.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 SAR 6.42

$1.91 SAR 7.17

-10.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.15

$1.58 SAR 5.94

3.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

$1.65 SAR 6.18

-4.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 SAR 4.21

$2.21 SAR 8.28

-49.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 SAR 4.35

$1.27 SAR 4.75

-8.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 SAR 4.98

$0.37 SAR 1.41

259.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 SAR 2.31

$0.47 SAR 1.78

31.91%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.06 SAR 15.23

$4.34 SAR 16.28

-6.45%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SAR 5.66

$1.17 SAR 4.37

29.06%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 SAR 7.96

$1.51 SAR 5.67

40.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.58 SAR 28.46

$9.39 SAR 35.22

-19.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 SAR 3.41

$0.80 SAR 3.00

13.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.54 SAR 145

$37.99 SAR 143

1.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 SAR 10.27

$3.01 SAR 11.31

-8.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 SAR 10.28

$2.73 SAR 10.24

0.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.10 SAR 49.15

$13.48 SAR 50.6

-2.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.40

$0.64 SAR 2.39

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.1K SAR 109.1K

$29.2K SAR 109.4K

-0.28%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$21.5K SAR 80.5K

$19.7K SAR 74.0K

8.77%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$131 SAR 493

$87.8 SAR 329

49.54%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$32.48 SAR 122

$37.47 SAR 141

-13.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.9 SAR 236

$76.2 SAR 286

-17.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.9 SAR 273

$93.4 SAR 350

-21.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.56 SAR 107

$44.58 SAR 167

-35.94%

Cinema Ticket

$13.54 SAR 50.8

$16.19 SAR 60.7

-16.37%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$416 SAR 1,559

$213 SAR 798

95.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,051 SAR 30.2K

$4,133 SAR 15.5K

94.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.09 SAR 158

$31.20 SAR 117

34.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 SAR 189

$70.1 SAR 263

-27.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 SAR 361

$96.0 SAR 360

0.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.6 SAR 347

$65.8 SAR 247

40.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 SAR 2,008

$317 SAR 1,189

68.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 SAR 1,450

$251 SAR 942

53.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 SAR 3,640

$539 SAR 2,023

79.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 SAR 2,512

$560 SAR 2,101

19.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$962 SAR 3,610

$934 SAR 3,504

3.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$707 SAR 2,653

$1,313 SAR 4,929

-46.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,475 SAR 5,536

$2,204 SAR 8,271

-33.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

-1.67%

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

Last update for Ad Dammam: October 24, 2026

Last update for Abha: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ad Dammam

$386 31.8%

Abha

$251 23.6% 35% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ad Dammam

$227 18.6%

Abha

$201 19% 11.1% $25

Groceries & Markets

Ad Dammam

$201 16.5%

Abha

$200 18.9% 0.5% $0.9

Clothing & Footwear

Ad Dammam

$127 10.4%

Abha

$118 11.1% 6.5% $8.2

Eating Out

Ad Dammam

$117 9.7%

Abha

$107 10.1% 8.5% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Ad Dammam

$100 8.2%

Abha

$126 11.8% 25.8% $26

Getting Around

Ad Dammam

$59 4.8%

Abha

$58 5.5% 1.3% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $535 in Ad Dammam versus $317 in Abha. 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 49% 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 $34 in Ad Dammam versus $50 in Abha. Groceries tell a different story – $201 in Ad Dammam vs $200 in Abha – so Abha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Ad Dammam

🇸🇦 Abha

🕒 Local time

16:03 4:03 PM

Same time as Ad Dammam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

903,312

236,157

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ad Dammam Abha 1,200 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Ad Dammam
Abha

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

Ad Dammam vs Abha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ad Dammam costs about 15% 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,825 per month in Ad Dammam and $1,593 in Abha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Abha, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $317 there versus $535 in Ad Dammam.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,217 in Ad Dammam and $1,062 in Abha. That’s a gap of about 15%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Ad Dammam and $50 in Abha. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,217 in Ad Dammam and $1,062 in Abha. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.