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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Ad Dammam versus $1,207 in Dammam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,891 in Ad Dammam versus $1,868 in Dammam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,575 in Ad Dammam versus $2,530 in Dammam.

Monthly costs are close between Ad Dammam and Dammam; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ad Dammam 10% lower, Dammam 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.49 SAR 28.13

$6.73 SAR 25.28

11.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.1 SAR 203

$40.67 SAR 153

33.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.78 SAR 29.22

$7.79 SAR 29.26

-0.13%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 SAR 7.17

$1.81 SAR 6.81

5.52%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.82

$1.77 SAR 6.64

2.82%

Cappuccino

$3.60 SAR 13.51

$3.64 SAR 13.67

-1.10%

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

$0.89 SAR 3.34

$0.81 SAR 3.05

9.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 SAR 1.31

$0.30 SAR 1.14

16.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 SAR 6.24

$1.64 SAR 6.15

1.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 SAR 5.45

$1.02 SAR 3.82

42.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 SAR 7.53

$2.36 SAR 8.85

-15.25%

Eggs

$2.24 SAR 8.41

$2.59 SAR 9.74

-13.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.01 SAR 22.58

$6.90 SAR 25.90

-12.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.22 SAR 27.12

$7.53 SAR 28.26

-4.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.97 SAR 37.43

$12.74 SAR 47.85

-21.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 SAR 8.16

$2.34 SAR 8.79

-7.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 SAR 5.62

$1.70 SAR 6.38

-11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 SAR 5.28

$1.57 SAR 5.90

-10.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 SAR 6.02

$1.57 SAR 5.88

1.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 SAR 4.59

$1.23 SAR 4.61

-0.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 SAR 5.22

$1.33 SAR 5.01

4.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 SAR 5.10

$1.37 SAR 5.13

-0.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$0.58 SAR 2.19

1.72%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.19 SAR 15.72

$2.93 SAR 10.99

43.00%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 SAR 6.09

$1.72 SAR 6.44

-5.81%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 SAR 7.50

$2.09 SAR 7.84

-4.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.84 SAR 29.45

$7.25 SAR 27.22

8.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 SAR 3.56

$1.08 SAR 4.06

-12.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.76 SAR 153

$39.81 SAR 149

2.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 SAR 12.61

$2.73 SAR 10.27

23.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.71 SAR 10.18

$1.91 SAR 7.15

41.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.53 SAR 50.8

$13.59 SAR 51.0

-0.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 SAR 2.28

$0.60 SAR 2.24

1.67%

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

$22.9K SAR 85.9K

$27.0K SAR 101.4K

-15.36%

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

$20.7K SAR 77.7K

$22.9K SAR 86.1K

-9.79%

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

$117 SAR 440

$106 SAR 399

10.21%

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

$38.94 SAR 146

$33.85 SAR 127

15.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.3 SAR 234

$70.6 SAR 265

-11.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 SAR 259

$95.4 SAR 358

-27.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.82 SAR 116

$34.96 SAR 131

-11.84%

Cinema Ticket

$15.05 SAR 56.5

$14.40 SAR 54.1

4.51%

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

$414 SAR 1,553

$355 SAR 1,332

16.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,178 SAR 30.7K

$7,665 SAR 28.8K

6.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.0 SAR 259

$55.8 SAR 209

23.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.6 SAR 254

$62.7 SAR 235

7.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 SAR 341

$85.0 SAR 319

6.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.9 SAR 323

$80.3 SAR 301

6.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 SAR 1,670

$430 SAR 1,613

3.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 SAR 1,447

$373 SAR 1,401

3.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$800 SAR 3,004

$874 SAR 3,283

-8.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 SAR 2,383

$632 SAR 2,372

0.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,331 SAR 4,998

$1,778 SAR 6,677

-25.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$804 SAR 3,020

$1,106 SAR 4,154

-27.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,884 SAR 7,075

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

4.42

-2.04%

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

Last update for Ad Dammam: June 6, 2026

Last update for Dammam: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $445 in Ad Dammam and $430 in Dammam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Ad Dammam vs $41.00 in Dammam. Groceries flip the comparison at $185 vs $198, with Ad Dammam cheaper for home cooking.

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 Dammam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You'd need roughly $1,811 in Ad Dammam and $1,810 in Dammam to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $445 in Ad Dammam versus $430 in Dammam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dammam runs roughly 2% less than in Ad Dammam. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in Ad Dammam pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,207 in Dammam versus $1,207 in Ad Dammam, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dammam but tight or insufficient in Ad Dammam. The gap between the two cities makes Dammam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Dammam delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,207 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Dammam hard to pass up.

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

It comes down to priorities – Dammam wins on affordability, Ad Dammam on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.