Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ad Dammam and Al Khobar

For one person, living is cheaper in Ad Dammam: $1,217 a month against $1,487 in Al Khobar, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 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
72

Cost of Living Index in Al Khobar
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Al Khobar Living Index

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Ad Dammam

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,217

/mo nomad

Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,487

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ad Dammam and in Al Khobar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,217 in Ad Dammam versus $1,487 in Al Khobar.

Ad Dammam $1,217
Al Khobar $1,487

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,838 in Ad Dammam versus $2,252 in Al Khobar.

Ad Dammam $1,838
Al Khobar $2,252

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,460 in Ad Dammam versus $3,016 in Al Khobar.

Ad Dammam $2,460
Al Khobar $3,016

Living in Ad Dammam costs roughly 18% less than in Al Khobar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ad Dammam is 11% below, Al Khobar is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.12 SAR 26.74

$6.81 SAR 25.57

4.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.16 SAR 128

$59.9 SAR 225

-42.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.82 SAR 25.60

$8.00 SAR 30.01

-14.75%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 SAR 7.17

$2.61 SAR 9.80

-26.82%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 SAR 8.45

$2.64 SAR 9.92

-14.77%

Cappuccino

$3.02 SAR 11.33

$4.43 SAR 16.64

-31.83%

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

$0.78 SAR 2.94

$0.87 SAR 3.26

-10.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 SAR 0.63

$0.40 SAR 1.52

-57.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SAR 6.51

$1.69 SAR 6.36

2.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 SAR 4.85

$1.27 SAR 4.76

1.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 SAR 7.29

$2.54 SAR 9.53

-23.62%

Eggs

$2.18 SAR 8.20

$2.45 SAR 9.21

-11.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.60 SAR 28.52

$7.28 SAR 27.33

4.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.83 SAR 29.37

$10.16 SAR 38.14

-22.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.77 SAR 47.91

$11.86 SAR 44.50

7.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 SAR 8.33

$2.66 SAR 9.97

-16.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 SAR 6.42

$1.69 SAR 6.36

1.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.15

$2.04 SAR 7.66

-19.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

$1.75 SAR 6.56

-9.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 SAR 4.21

$1.40 SAR 5.27

-20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 SAR 4.35

$1.65 SAR 6.20

-29.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 SAR 4.98

$1.75 SAR 6.55

-24.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 SAR 2.31

$0.58 SAR 2.18

6.90%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.06 SAR 15.24

$2.73 SAR 10.26

48.72%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SAR 5.67

$1.65 SAR 6.18

-8.48%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 SAR 7.96

$1.90 SAR 7.13

11.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.58 SAR 28.46

$6.75 SAR 25.31

12.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 SAR 3.41

$0.95 SAR 3.55

-4.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.54 SAR 145

$61.9 SAR 232

-37.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 SAR 10.27

$2.90 SAR 10.88

-5.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 SAR 10.28

$2.64 SAR 9.89

3.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.10 SAR 49.15

$6.58 SAR 24.68

99.09%

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

$67.8K SAR 254.5K

-57.13%

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

$21.5K SAR 80.5K

$21.6K SAR 81.0K

-0.58%

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

$131 SAR 493

$99.4 SAR 373

32.11%

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

$32.48 SAR 122

$33.37 SAR 125

-2.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.9 SAR 236

$68.9 SAR 259

-8.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.9 SAR 273

$81.3 SAR 305

-10.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.56 SAR 107

$36.86 SAR 138

-22.52%

Cinema Ticket

$13.54 SAR 50.8

$15.26 SAR 57.3

-11.27%

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

$416 SAR 1,560

$607 SAR 2,279

-31.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,051 SAR 30.2K

$8,542 SAR 32.1K

-5.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.09 SAR 158

$63.4 SAR 238

-33.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 SAR 189

$82.3 SAR 309

-38.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 SAR 361

$97.8 SAR 367

-1.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.6 SAR 348

$94.4 SAR 354

-1.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 SAR 2,008

$766 SAR 2,876

-30.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 SAR 1,450

$583 SAR 2,189

-33.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 SAR 3,640

$1,247 SAR 4,678

-22.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 SAR 2,513

$906 SAR 3,401

-26.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$962 SAR 3,610

$1,456 SAR 5,464

-33.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$707 SAR 2,653

$1,072 SAR 4,025

-34.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,475 SAR 5,536

$1,877 SAR 7,045

-21.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.88

0.34%

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 Khobar: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ad Dammam

$386 31.8%

Al Khobar

$583 39.2% 51% $197

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ad Dammam

$227 18.6%

Al Khobar

$202 13.6% 11% $25

Groceries & Markets

Ad Dammam

$201 16.5%

Al Khobar

$220 14.8% 9.2% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Ad Dammam

$127 10.4%

Al Khobar

$152 10.2% 20.1% $25

Eating Out

Ad Dammam

$117 9.7%

Al Khobar

$137 9.2% 16.4% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Ad Dammam

$100 8.2%

Al Khobar

$112 7.5% 11.9% $12

Getting Around

Ad Dammam

$59 4.8%

Al Khobar

$82 5.5% 39.5% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $535 in Ad Dammam and $766 in Al Khobar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Khobar pays 27% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $34 in Ad Dammam vs $60 in Al Khobar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $220 per month, with Ad Dammam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Ad Dammam

🇸🇦 Al Khobar

🕒 Local time

20:35 8:35 PM

Same time as Ad Dammam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

903,312

219,679

💱 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 Khobar 17 km

From you

Ad Dammam
Al Khobar

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 Khobar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ad Dammam wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Al Khobar. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ad Dammam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 21% 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 $766 in Al Khobar. 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 $1,487 in Al Khobar – Ad Dammam is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Ad Dammam runs roughly 38% less than in Al Khobar. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ad Dammam is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Ad Dammam is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Al Khobar, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ad Dammam and Al Khobar are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Ad Dammam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.