Cost of Living Comparison Between Ad Dammam and Bucharest Cost of Living Comparison Between Ad Dammam and Bucharest

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,211 in Ad Dammam versus $1,362 in Bucharest.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,857 in Ad Dammam versus $2,133 in Bucharest.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,503 in Ad Dammam versus $2,903 in Bucharest.

Living in Ad Dammam costs roughly 11% less than in Bucharest, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ad Dammam is 9% below, Bucharest is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.45 SAR 27.99

$14.09 RON 64.3

-47.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.0 SAR 199

$68.8 RON 314

-22.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 SAR 29.73

$8.08 RON 36.87

-1.98%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 SAR 7.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.95

Cappuccino

$3.55 SAR 13.34

$3.39 RON 15.48

4.72%

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

$0.92 SAR 3.44

$2.24 RON 10.24

-58.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 SAR 1.42

$2.42 RON 11.04

-84.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 RON 15.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 RON 17.49

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 SAR 6.15

$1.72 RON 7.84

-4.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 SAR 5.32

$1.35 RON 6.16

5.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 SAR 7.96

$1.83 RON 8.37

15.85%

Eggs

$2.31 SAR 8.68

$3.65 RON 16.65

-36.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.99 SAR 22.48

$9.23 RON 42.12

-35.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.32 SAR 27.49

$6.85 RON 31.29

6.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.07 SAR 37.81

$12.03 RON 54.9

-16.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 SAR 7.85

$1.34 RON 6.12

55.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 SAR 5.82

$1.72 RON 7.86

-9.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 SAR 5.23

$1.82 RON 8.30

-23.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 SAR 6.20

$2.39 RON 10.92

-30.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.79

$1.04 RON 4.76

23.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 SAR 5.15

$1.02 RON 4.65

34.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 SAR 4.86

$0.98 RON 4.47

31.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.08

$0.95 RON 4.32

-42.11%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.12 SAR 15.47

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SAR 6.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 SAR 7.47

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.76 SAR 29.14

$6.40 RON 29.19

21.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.50 RON 29.67

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 RON 5.66

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 RON 8.82

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 SAR 3.51

$1.14 RON 5.19

-17.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.30 SAR 148

$19.82 RON 90.5

98.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 SAR 12.42

$0.71 RON 3.26

366.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.73 SAR 10.26

$0.65 RON 2.98

320.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.58 SAR 51.0

$6.93 RON 31.64

95.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 SAR 2.29

$1.66 RON 7.56

-63.25%

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

$22.2K SAR 83.5K

$29.0K RON 132.2K

-23.24%

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

$20.9K SAR 78.3K

$30.1K RON 137.3K

-30.65%

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

$118 SAR 444

$183 RON 837

-35.47%

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

$38.60 SAR 145

$8.95 RON 40.86

331.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.4 SAR 238

$11.12 RON 50.8

470.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 SAR 266

$54.4 RON 248

30.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.89 SAR 116

$29.49 RON 135

4.75%

Cinema Ticket

$15.30 SAR 57.5

$9.13 RON 41.68

67.58%

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

$427 SAR 1,602

$676 RON 3,088

-36.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,216 SAR 30.9K

$14.3K RON 65.4K

-42.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 SAR 255

$81.1 RON 370

-16.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.8 SAR 255

$44.42 RON 203

52.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 SAR 340

$89.8 RON 410

0.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.1 SAR 323

$108 RON 494

-20.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$452 SAR 1,697

$662 RON 3,022

-31.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 SAR 1,413

$441 RON 2,011

-14.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$792 SAR 2,976

$1,352 RON 6,173

-41.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$636 SAR 2,388

$849 RON 3,874

-25.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,320 SAR 4,956

$3,777 RON 17.2K

-65.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$812 SAR 3,051

$2,231 RON 10.2K

-63.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,502 SAR 5,640

$1,408 RON 6,427

6.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

7.1

-39.01%

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

Last update for Ad Dammam: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $452 in Ad Dammam and $662 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ad Dammam pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Ad Dammam vs $69.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $185 vs $230 per month, with Ad Dammam cheaper across the board.

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 Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ad Dammam wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Bucharest. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ad Dammam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 7% higher in Ad Dammam, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $452 in Ad Dammam versus $662 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,211 per month in Ad Dammam versus $1,362 in Bucharest – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ad Dammam runs roughly 98% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,211 in Ad Dammam versus $1,362 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ad Dammam but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Ad Dammam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ad Dammam delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,211 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ad Dammam hard to pass up.

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

Expats usually find Ad Dammam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.