Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ad Dammam and Unaizah

For one person, living is cheaper in Ad Dammam: $1,188 a month against $1,221 in Unaizah, rent and utilities included – about $400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Unaizah outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Ad Dammam
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Ad Dammam Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Unaizah
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Unaizah Living Index

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Ad Dammam

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,188

/mo nomad

Unaizah

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,221

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,188 in Ad Dammam versus $1,221 in Unaizah.

Ad Dammam $1,188
Unaizah $1,221

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,803 in Ad Dammam versus $1,813 in Unaizah.

Ad Dammam $1,803
Unaizah $1,813

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,418 in Ad Dammam versus $2,405 in Unaizah.

Ad Dammam $2,418
Unaizah $2,405

Living in Ad Dammam costs roughly 3% less than in Unaizah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ad Dammam 12% lower, Unaizah 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.74 SAR 25.28

$6.68 SAR 25.07

0.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.35 SAR 129

$40.07 SAR 150

-14.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.62 SAR 24.84

$7.05 SAR 26.48

-6.10%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 SAR 6.89

$1.91 SAR 7.19

-3.66%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 SAR 8.32

$1.83 SAR 6.88

21.31%

Cappuccino

$3.02 SAR 11.33

$4.40 SAR 16.52

-31.36%

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

$0.77 SAR 2.87

$0.73 SAR 2.73

5.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 SAR 0.59

$0.28 SAR 1.06

-42.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SAR 6.47

$1.64 SAR 6.17

4.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 SAR 4.84

$0.44 SAR 1.67

193.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 SAR 7.07

$2.27 SAR 8.51

-17.18%

Eggs

$2.12 SAR 7.96

$4.76 SAR 17.87

-55.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.47 SAR 28.04

$4.55 SAR 17.09

64.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 SAR 28.90

$4.66 SAR 17.50

65.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.77 SAR 47.93

$12.69 SAR 47.64

0.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 SAR 8.59

$1.82 SAR 6.83

25.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 SAR 6.13

$1.98 SAR 7.44

-17.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.16

$1.82 SAR 6.85

-9.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 SAR 5.83

$2.00 SAR 7.51

-22.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 SAR 4.04

$2.11 SAR 7.92

-48.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 SAR 4.37

$2.60 SAR 9.76

-55.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 SAR 4.71

$1.28 SAR 4.81

-2.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 SAR 2.12

$0.64 SAR 2.40

-12.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.21 SAR 15.81

$2.82 SAR 10.60

49.29%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 SAR 5.49

$2.01 SAR 7.53

-27.36%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.92

$2.16 SAR 8.09

-2.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.80 SAR 29.28

$6.74 SAR 25.29

15.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 SAR 3.30

$0.95 SAR 3.56

-7.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.25 SAR 144

$40.56 SAR 152

-5.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 SAR 8.57

$2.60 SAR 9.76

-12.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 SAR 5.08

$1.57 SAR 5.88

-14.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 SAR 52.1

$16.03 SAR 60.2

-13.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 SAR 2.28

$0.55 SAR 2.08

10.91%

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

$29.1K SAR 109.2K

$27.6K SAR 103.5K

5.44%

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

$21.2K SAR 79.7K

$21.7K SAR 81.6K

-2.34%

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

$130 SAR 489

$103 SAR 386

26.88%

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

$32.31 SAR 121

$32.41 SAR 122

-0.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 SAR 241

$67.2 SAR 252

-4.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.4 SAR 264

$54.1 SAR 203

30.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.59 SAR 107

Cinema Ticket

$13.39 SAR 50.3

$13.23 SAR 49.64

1.21%

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

$414 SAR 1,554

$471 SAR 1,767

-12.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K SAR 39.4K

$9,262 SAR 34.8K

13.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.50 SAR 160

$45.34 SAR 170

-6.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.93 SAR 184

$53.0 SAR 199

-7.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 SAR 360

$100 SAR 377

-4.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.0 SAR 345

$80.4 SAR 302

14.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$531 SAR 1,993

$588 SAR 2,207

-9.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 SAR 1,410

$440 SAR 1,651

-14.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 SAR 3,553

$760 SAR 2,853

24.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 SAR 2,495

$684 SAR 2,567

-2.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,479 SAR 5,552

$2,056 SAR 7,716

-28.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$779 SAR 2,925

$1,255 SAR 4,711

-37.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,508 SAR 5,659

$2,550 SAR 9,570

-40.87%

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 Unaizah: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ad Dammam

$376 31.6%

Unaizah

$440 36% 17.1% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ad Dammam

$227 19.1%

Unaizah

$202 16.6% 10.8% $25

Groceries & Markets

Ad Dammam

$198 16.7%

Unaizah

$187 15.3% 5.9% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Ad Dammam

$126 10.6%

Unaizah

$126 10.3% 0.1% $0.2

Eating Out

Ad Dammam

$114 9.6%

Unaizah

$131 10.8% 15.7% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Ad Dammam

$97 8.2%

Unaizah

$81 6.6% 17.1% $17

Getting Around

Ad Dammam

$51 4.3%

Unaizah

$55 4.5% 7.9% $4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $531 in Ad Dammam and $588 in Unaizah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Unaizah pays 69% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $34 in Ad Dammam vs $40 in Unaizah. Groceries flip the comparison at $198 vs $187, with Unaizah cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Ad Dammam

🇸🇦 Unaizah

🕒 Local time

08:12 8:12 AM

Same time as Ad Dammam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

903,312

163,729

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Ad Dammam Unaizah 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ad Dammam
Unaizah

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 Unaizah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ad Dammam wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Unaizah. 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 41% 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 $588 in Unaizah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,188 per month in Ad Dammam versus $1,221 in Unaizah – Ad Dammam is about 3% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Ad Dammam runs roughly 6% less than in Unaizah. 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.

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 Unaizah 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, Unaizah on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.