Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-hawiyah and Ad Dammam

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-hawiyah: $1,081 a month against $1,198 in Ad Dammam, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Al-hawiyah
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Al-hawiyah Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Ad Dammam
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Ad Dammam Living Index

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Al-hawiyah

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,081

/mo nomad

Ad Dammam

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,198

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al-hawiyah and in Ad Dammam

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Al-hawiyah and in Ad Dammam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,081 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,198 in Ad Dammam.

Al-hawiyah $1,081
Ad Dammam $1,198

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,603 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,835 in Ad Dammam.

Al-hawiyah $1,603
Ad Dammam $1,835

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,125 in Al-hawiyah versus $2,471 in Ad Dammam.

Al-hawiyah $2,125
Ad Dammam $2,471

Living in Al-hawiyah costs roughly 10% less than in Ad Dammam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al-hawiyah 20% lower, Ad Dammam 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.44 SAR 16.67

$7.24 SAR 27.17

-38.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.52 SAR 99.5

$35.15 SAR 132

-24.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 SAR 25.93

$6.63 SAR 24.89

4.22%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 SAR 5.91

$1.82 SAR 6.84

-13.19%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 SAR 5.64

$2.32 SAR 8.70

-35.34%

Cappuccino

$2.63 SAR 9.88

$3.06 SAR 11.48

-14.05%

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

$0.70 SAR 2.63

$0.70 SAR 2.64

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 SAR 0.94

$0.19 SAR 0.72

31.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 SAR 6.85

$1.82 SAR 6.82

0.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 SAR 3.60

$1.33 SAR 5.00

-27.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 SAR 8.25

$1.93 SAR 7.26

13.99%

Eggs

$2.68 SAR 10.04

$2.16 SAR 8.12

24.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.85 SAR 21.94

$7.52 SAR 28.21

-22.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.70 SAR 43.90

$8.07 SAR 30.28

44.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.12 SAR 49.22

$12.76 SAR 47.89

2.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 SAR 7.64

$2.20 SAR 8.27

-7.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.92

$1.66 SAR 6.23

-4.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 SAR 6.88

$1.65 SAR 6.18

10.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 SAR 5.60

$1.60 SAR 6.01

-6.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.87

$1.09 SAR 4.08

19.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 SAR 5.63

$1.19 SAR 4.48

26.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 SAR 4.09

$1.28 SAR 4.80

-14.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 SAR 2.77

$0.57 SAR 2.14

29.82%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.99 SAR 11.21

$4.07 SAR 15.26

-26.54%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.87

$1.50 SAR 5.61

40.00%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

$2.16 SAR 8.12

-27.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.00 SAR 30.02

$7.54 SAR 28.30

6.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.13

$0.92 SAR 3.44

19.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.82 SAR 138

$35.31 SAR 132

4.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 SAR 9.15

$2.59 SAR 9.73

-5.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.69 SAR 10.10

$2.63 SAR 9.86

2.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.24 SAR 49.67

$13.24 SAR 49.69

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$0.60 SAR 2.24

-1.67%

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

$43.9K SAR 164.7K

$65.8K SAR 247.1K

-33.36%

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

$21.5K SAR 80.8K

$21.0K SAR 78.8K

2.54%

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

$67.1 SAR 252

$130 SAR 486

-48.24%

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

$35.32 SAR 133

$33.20 SAR 125

6.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.5 SAR 235

$62.2 SAR 233

0.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.6 SAR 302

$77.1 SAR 289

4.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.97 SAR 105

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 SAR 56.6

$13.47 SAR 50.5

12.03%

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

$423 SAR 1,586

$414 SAR 1,555

1.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,864 SAR 29.5K

$7,796 SAR 29.3K

0.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.09 SAR 49.11

$41.50 SAR 156

-68.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 SAR 209

$48.82 SAR 183

14.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.45 SAR 152

$94.6 SAR 355

-57.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.5 SAR 197

$91.4 SAR 343

-42.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 SAR 2,162

$580 SAR 2,176

-0.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 SAR 1,375

$370 SAR 1,388

-0.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 SAR 3,098

$1,002 SAR 3,760

-17.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$577 SAR 2,166

$677 SAR 2,539

-14.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,404 SAR 9,023

$1,405 SAR 5,271

71.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 SAR 5,158

$604 SAR 2,268

127.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,487 SAR 5,581

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

5.9

-11.02%

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

Last update for Al-hawiyah: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ad Dammam: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Al-hawiyah

$366 33.9%

Ad Dammam

$370 30.9% 1% $3.5

Groceries & Markets

Al-hawiyah

$217 20.1%

Ad Dammam

$202 16.9% 6.9% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al-hawiyah

$165 15.3%

Ad Dammam

$225 18.8% 36.4% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Al-hawiyah

$111 10.2%

Ad Dammam

$104 8.7% 6% $6.7

Eating Out

Al-hawiyah

$92 8.5%

Ad Dammam

$118 9.9% 28.9% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Al-hawiyah

$73 6.7%

Ad Dammam

$124 10.4% 70.8% $52

Getting Around

Al-hawiyah

$57 5.3%

Ad Dammam

$55 4.6% 4.2% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $576 in Al-hawiyah and $580 in Ad Dammam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in Al-hawiyah vs $35.00 in Ad Dammam. Groceries flip the comparison at $217 vs $202, with Ad Dammam cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Al-hawiyah

🇸🇦 Ad Dammam

🕒 Local time

03:16 3:16 AM

Same time as Al-hawiyah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

148,151

903,312

💱 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

Al-hawiyah Ad Dammam 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Al-hawiyah
Ad Dammam

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

Al-hawiyah vs Ad Dammam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-hawiyah wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Ad Dammam. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Al-hawiyah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,621 in Al-hawiyah and $1,798 in Ad 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: $576 in Al-hawiyah versus $580 in Ad Dammam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,081 per month in Al-hawiyah versus $1,198 in Ad Dammam – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Al-hawiyah runs roughly 4% less than in Ad Dammam. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,081 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,198 in Ad Dammam, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al-hawiyah but tight or insufficient in Ad Dammam. The gap between the two cities makes Al-hawiyah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Al-hawiyah and Ad 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.

Expats usually find Al-hawiyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Ad Dammam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.