Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ad Dammam and Taif

For one person, living is cheaper in Ad Dammam: $1,188 a month against $1,271 in Taif, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Ad Dammam
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Ad Dammam Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Taif
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Taif Living Index

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Ad Dammam

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,188

/mo nomad

Taif

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,271

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ad Dammam and in Taif

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,188 in Ad Dammam versus $1,271 in Taif.

Ad Dammam $1,188
Taif $1,271

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,803 in Ad Dammam versus $1,863 in Taif.

Ad Dammam $1,803
Taif $1,863

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,418 in Ad Dammam versus $2,456 in Taif.

Ad Dammam $2,418
Taif $2,456

Living in Ad Dammam costs roughly 7% less than in Taif, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ad Dammam 12% lower, Taif 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.74 SAR 25.28

$5.39 SAR 20.22

25.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.35 SAR 129

$37.10 SAR 139

-7.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.62 SAR 24.84

$7.55 SAR 28.35

-12.32%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 SAR 6.89

$2.17 SAR 8.14

-15.21%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 SAR 8.32

$1.36 SAR 5.11

63.24%

Cappuccino

$3.02 SAR 11.33

$2.20 SAR 8.27

37.27%

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

$0.77 SAR 2.87

$0.63 SAR 2.37

22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 SAR 0.59

$0.22 SAR 0.81

-27.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SAR 6.47

$1.81 SAR 6.80

-4.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 SAR 4.84

$0.28 SAR 1.05

360.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 SAR 7.07

$2.33 SAR 8.74

-19.31%

Eggs

$2.12 SAR 7.96

$2.68 SAR 10.05

-20.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.47 SAR 28.04

$5.82 SAR 21.83

28.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 SAR 28.91

$6.93 SAR 26.01

11.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.77 SAR 47.93

$9.46 SAR 35.52

34.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 SAR 8.59

$2.45 SAR 9.19

-6.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 SAR 6.13

$1.75 SAR 6.56

-6.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.16

$1.82 SAR 6.82

-9.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 SAR 5.83

$1.87 SAR 7.02

-17.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 SAR 4.04

$1.34 SAR 5.04

-19.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 SAR 4.37

$1.44 SAR 5.41

-18.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 SAR 4.71

$0.91 SAR 3.42

37.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 SAR 2.12

$0.78 SAR 2.92

-28.21%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.21 SAR 15.81

$3.01 SAR 11.32

39.87%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 SAR 5.49

$1.43 SAR 5.38

2.10%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.92

$2.06 SAR 7.75

2.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.80 SAR 29.29

$6.98 SAR 26.20

11.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 SAR 3.30

$1.07 SAR 4.03

-17.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.25 SAR 144

$37.71 SAR 142

1.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 SAR 8.57

$1.36 SAR 5.11

67.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 SAR 5.08

$1.96 SAR 7.34

-31.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 SAR 52.1

$9.54 SAR 35.80

45.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 SAR 2.28

$0.64 SAR 2.40

-4.69%

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

$29.1K SAR 109.2K

$26.8K SAR 100.6K

8.55%

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

$21.2K SAR 79.7K

$21.4K SAR 80.5K

-0.97%

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

$130 SAR 489

$141 SAR 530

-7.64%

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

$32.31 SAR 121

$27.63 SAR 104

16.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 SAR 241

$68.4 SAR 257

-6.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.4 SAR 264

$143 SAR 538

-50.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.59 SAR 107

$13.26 SAR 49.75

115.61%

Cinema Ticket

$13.39 SAR 50.3

$19.64 SAR 73.7

-31.82%

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

$414 SAR 1,554

$187 SAR 701

121.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K SAR 39.4K

$3,348 SAR 12.6K

213.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.50 SAR 160

$41.65 SAR 156

2.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.93 SAR 184

$50.6 SAR 190

-3.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 SAR 360

$94.2 SAR 354

1.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.0 SAR 345

$86.6 SAR 325

6.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$531 SAR 1,993

$569 SAR 2,136

-6.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 SAR 1,410

$399 SAR 1,496

-5.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 SAR 3,553

$897 SAR 3,366

5.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 SAR 2,495

$610 SAR 2,288

9.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,479 SAR 5,552

$1,992 SAR 7,478

-25.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$779 SAR 2,925

$1,188 SAR 4,459

-34.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,508 SAR 5,659

$1,573 SAR 5,905

-4.17%

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: November 3, 2026

Last update for Taif: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ad Dammam

$376 31.6%

Taif

$399 31.4% 6.1% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ad Dammam

$227 19.1%

Taif

$237 18.7% 4.5% $10

Groceries & Markets

Ad Dammam

$198 16.7%

Taif

$181 14.2% 8.9% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Ad Dammam

$126 10.6%

Taif

$123 9.7% 2.2% $2.8

Eating Out

Ad Dammam

$114 9.6%

Taif

$96 7.5% 15.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Ad Dammam

$97 8.2%

Taif

$183 14.4% 88.1% $86

Getting Around

Ad Dammam

$51 4.3%

Taif

$53 4.2% 4.6% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $531 in Ad Dammam and $569 in Taif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taif pays 4% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $34 in Ad Dammam vs $37 in Taif. Groceries flip the comparison at $198 vs $181, with Taif cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Ad Dammam

🇸🇦 Taif

🕒 Local time

02:52 2:52 AM

Same time as Ad Dammam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

903,312

579,970

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ad Dammam Taif 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Ad Dammam
Taif

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 Taif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ad Dammam wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Taif. 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 4% 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: $531 in Ad Dammam versus $569 in Taif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Taif pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $1,188 per month in Ad Dammam versus $1,271 in Taif – Ad Dammam is about 7% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.

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 Taif are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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