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: $1,210 in Ad Dammam versus $1,336 in Bucharest.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,872 in Ad Dammam versus $2,162 in Bucharest.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,533 in Ad Dammam versus $2,988 in Bucharest.

Living in Ad Dammam costs roughly 9% less than in Bucharest, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ad Dammam is 10% below, Bucharest is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.31 SAR 27.42

$13.58 RON 61.4

-46.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 SAR 201

$68.1 RON 308

-21.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 SAR 29.94

$8.05 RON 36.38

-0.87%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 SAR 6.86

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.82

Cappuccino

$3.70 SAR 13.89

$3.40 RON 15.36

8.82%

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

$0.92 SAR 3.43

$2.32 RON 10.50

-60.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 SAR 1.30

$2.38 RON 10.74

-85.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.54 RON 15.99

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 RON 18.14

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 SAR 6.43

$1.74 RON 7.88

-1.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 SAR 5.43

$1.42 RON 6.42

2.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 SAR 7.85

$1.93 RON 8.73

8.29%

Eggs

$2.24 SAR 8.42

$3.54 RON 15.99

-36.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.06 SAR 22.73

$9.27 RON 41.90

-34.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.15 SAR 26.85

$7.13 RON 32.21

0.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.62 SAR 36.12

$12.28 RON 55.5

-21.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 SAR 7.93

$1.35 RON 6.11

56.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 SAR 5.62

$1.74 RON 7.86

-13.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 SAR 5.20

$1.76 RON 7.98

-21.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 SAR 6.24

$2.40 RON 10.83

-30.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.80

$1.05 RON 4.72

21.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 SAR 4.99

$0.96 RON 4.35

38.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 SAR 5.06

$0.92 RON 4.15

46.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.07

$0.91 RON 4.09

-39.56%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.19 SAR 15.73

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 SAR 6.01

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 SAR 7.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.92 SAR 29.73

$6.38 RON 28.82

24.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.45 RON 29.16

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 RON 5.51

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 RON 8.95

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 SAR 3.36

$1.16 RON 5.27

-23.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.16 SAR 151

$19.48 RON 88.0

106.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 SAR 12.35

$0.72 RON 3.25

356.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 SAR 9.96

$0.62 RON 2.79

327.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.28 SAR 49.85

$6.94 RON 31.35

91.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.42

$1.71 RON 7.75

-62.57%

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

$23.1K SAR 86.6K

$29.0K RON 131.0K

-20.41%

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

$21.3K SAR 79.8K

$30.3K RON 137.0K

-29.83%

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

$117 SAR 438

$178 RON 803

-34.36%

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

$38.34 SAR 144

$9.16 RON 41.40

318.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.5 SAR 238

$11.12 RON 50.3

471.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.9 SAR 266

$54.7 RON 247

29.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.51 SAR 114

$29.04 RON 131

5.06%

Cinema Ticket

$15.54 SAR 58.3

$9.27 RON 41.92

67.64%

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

$415 SAR 1,559

$677 RON 3,060

-38.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,170 SAR 30.7K

$14.9K RON 67.2K

-45.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 SAR 251

$79.8 RON 361

-16.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.2 SAR 256

$45.29 RON 205

50.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 SAR 341

$89.2 RON 403

1.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.5 SAR 321

$109 RON 493

-21.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$447 SAR 1,678

$662 RON 2,992

-32.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 SAR 1,408

$432 RON 1,953

-13.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$800 SAR 3,002

$1,355 RON 6,126

-40.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$641 SAR 2,407

$841 RON 3,802

-23.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,309 SAR 4,914

$3,857 RON 17.4K

-66.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$805 SAR 3,020

$2,305 RON 10.4K

-65.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,895 SAR 7,110

$1,463 RON 6,615

29.46%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $447 in Ad Dammam and $662 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ad Dammam pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Ad Dammam vs $68.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $184 vs $233 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 10% 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.

Ad Dammam pays 29% more on average, 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: $447 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 $1,210 per month in Ad Dammam versus $1,336 in Bucharest – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ad Dammam runs roughly 106% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,210 in Ad Dammam versus $1,336 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 $1,210 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 10% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.