Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ad Dammam and AL Kharj

For one person, living is cheaper in AL Kharj: $961 a month against $1,217 in Ad Dammam, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Ad Dammam
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Ad Dammam Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in AL Kharj
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AL Kharj Living Index

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Ad Dammam

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,217

/mo nomad

AL Kharj

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$961

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ad Dammam and in AL Kharj

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 AL Kharj actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,217 in Ad Dammam versus $961 in AL Kharj.

Ad Dammam $1,217
AL Kharj $961

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,838 in Ad Dammam versus $1,464 in AL Kharj.

Ad Dammam $1,838
AL Kharj $1,464

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,460 in Ad Dammam versus $1,966 in AL Kharj.

Ad Dammam $2,460
AL Kharj $1,966

Living in Ad Dammam is roughly 27% more expensive than in AL Kharj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ad Dammam 11% lower, AL Kharj 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.12 SAR 26.74

$4.79 SAR 17.99

48.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.16 SAR 128

$26.43 SAR 99.2

29.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.82 SAR 25.59

$8.14 SAR 30.56

-16.22%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 SAR 7.17

$2.16 SAR 8.11

-11.57%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 SAR 8.45

$1.32 SAR 4.93

70.45%

Cappuccino

$3.02 SAR 11.32

$3.06 SAR 11.49

-1.31%

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

$0.78 SAR 2.94

$0.85 SAR 3.21

-8.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 SAR 0.63

$0.12 SAR 0.44

41.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SAR 6.51

$1.49 SAR 5.58

16.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 SAR 4.85

$0.28 SAR 1.06

360.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 SAR 7.29

$2.44 SAR 9.17

-20.49%

Eggs

$2.18 SAR 8.20

$2.12 SAR 7.95

2.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.60 SAR 28.52

$10.38 SAR 38.95

-26.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.83 SAR 29.37

$4.95 SAR 18.59

58.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.77 SAR 47.91

$13.09 SAR 49.13

-2.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 SAR 8.33

$1.71 SAR 6.43

29.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 SAR 6.42

$1.37 SAR 5.15

24.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.15

$1.23 SAR 4.60

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

$1.38 SAR 5.18

14.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 SAR 4.21

$1.06 SAR 3.97

5.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 SAR 4.35

$1.05 SAR 3.94

10.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 SAR 4.98

$0.55 SAR 2.05

141.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 SAR 2.31

$0.54 SAR 2.02

14.81%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.06 SAR 15.23

$2.20 SAR 8.26

84.55%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SAR 5.66

$1.04 SAR 3.91

45.19%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 SAR 7.96

$2.47 SAR 9.28

-14.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.58 SAR 28.46

$6.45 SAR 24.21

17.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 SAR 3.41

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.54 SAR 145

$23.07 SAR 86.6

67.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 SAR 10.27

$2.66 SAR 9.97

3.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 SAR 10.28

$0.51 SAR 1.90

437.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.10 SAR 49.15

$13.22 SAR 49.59

-0.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.40

$0.61 SAR 2.27

4.92%

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

$29.1K SAR 109.1K

$26.6K SAR 100.0K

9.11%

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

$21.5K SAR 80.5K

$22.5K SAR 84.3K

-4.52%

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

$131 SAR 493

$107 SAR 400

23.12%

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

$32.48 SAR 122

$26.42 SAR 99.1

22.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.9 SAR 236

$50.6 SAR 190

24.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.9 SAR 273

$72.4 SAR 272

0.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.56 SAR 107

$40.69 SAR 153

-29.81%

Cinema Ticket

$13.54 SAR 50.8

$13.41 SAR 50.3

0.97%

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

$416 SAR 1,559

$289 SAR 1,084

43.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,051 SAR 30.2K

$3,810 SAR 14.3K

111.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.09 SAR 158

$57.5 SAR 216

-26.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 SAR 189

$52.4 SAR 197

-3.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 SAR 361

$46.60 SAR 175

106.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.6 SAR 347

$78.9 SAR 296

17.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 SAR 2,008

$692 SAR 2,597

-22.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 SAR 1,450

$267 SAR 1,002

44.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 SAR 3,640

$590 SAR 2,214

64.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 SAR 2,512

$461 SAR 1,729

45.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$962 SAR 3,610

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$707 SAR 2,653

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,475 SAR 5,536

$2,793 SAR 10.5K

-47.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.54

6.50%

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

Last update for Ad Dammam: October 24, 2026

Last update for AL Kharj: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ad Dammam

$386 31.8%

AL Kharj

$267 27.8% 30.9% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ad Dammam

$227 18.6%

AL Kharj

$184 19.1% 19% $43

Groceries & Markets

Ad Dammam

$201 16.5%

AL Kharj

$174 18.1% 13.7% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Ad Dammam

$127 10.4%

AL Kharj

$106 11% 16.3% $21

Eating Out

Ad Dammam

$117 9.7%

AL Kharj

$103 10.8% 12% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Ad Dammam

$100 8.2%

AL Kharj

$99 10.3% 0.8% $0.8

Getting Around

Ad Dammam

$59 4.8%

AL Kharj

$28 * 2.9% 51.8% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $535 in Ad Dammam and $692 in AL Kharj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

AL Kharj pays 89% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34 in Ad Dammam vs $26 in AL Kharj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $174 per month, with AL Kharj cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Ad Dammam

🇸🇦 AL Kharj

🕒 Local time

22:04 10:04 PM

Same time as Ad Dammam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

903,312

425,300

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ad Dammam AL Kharj 380 km

From you

Ad Dammam
AL Kharj

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 AL Kharj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

AL Kharj wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Ad Dammam. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making AL Kharj the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 47% lower in Ad Dammam. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $535 in Ad Dammam versus $692 in AL Kharj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,217 per month in Ad Dammam versus $961 in AL Kharj – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in AL Kharj runs roughly 40% less than in Ad Dammam. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

At $961 in AL Kharj versus $1,217 in Ad Dammam, a $1,200 budget is realistic in AL Kharj but tight or insufficient in Ad Dammam. The gap between the two cities makes AL Kharj the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ad Dammam and AL Kharj are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.