Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-hawiyah and Al Khobar Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-hawiyah and Al Khobar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,332 in Al Khobar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,854 in Al-hawiyah versus $2,100 in Al Khobar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,504 in Al-hawiyah versus $2,868 in Al Khobar.

Living in Al-hawiyah costs roughly 10% less than in Al Khobar, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al-hawiyah is 10% below, Al Khobar is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.52 SAR 24.50

$6.82 SAR 25.60

-4.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.75 SAR 164

$54.0 SAR 203

-19.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.91 SAR 29.72

$8.19 SAR 30.77

-3.42%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 SAR 6.66

$1.98 SAR 7.44

-10.61%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.82

$2.70 SAR 10.13

-32.59%

Cappuccino

$3.71 SAR 13.92

$4.26 SAR 16.01

-12.91%

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

$0.80 SAR 2.99

$0.96 SAR 3.61

-16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 SAR 1.17

$0.49 SAR 1.83

-36.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

$1.69 SAR 6.34

-2.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 SAR 3.82

$1.40 SAR 5.24

-27.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 SAR 8.71

$2.32 SAR 8.72

Eggs

$2.41 SAR 9.05

$2.88 SAR 10.81

-16.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.99 SAR 26.24

$6.94 SAR 26.05

0.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.58 SAR 28.48

$9.12 SAR 34.26

-16.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.84 SAR 48.23

$12.61 SAR 47.34

1.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 SAR 8.52

$2.54 SAR 9.53

-10.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 SAR 6.22

$1.72 SAR 6.45

-3.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 SAR 6.50

$2.13 SAR 8.00

-18.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 SAR 4.65

$1.41 SAR 5.31

-12.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.79

$1.72 SAR 6.47

-25.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 SAR 4.45

$1.70 SAR 6.38

-30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.07

$0.60 SAR 2.24

-8.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.02 SAR 11.36

$2.70 SAR 10.14

11.85%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

$1.46 SAR 5.48

19.86%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 SAR 7.61

$1.88 SAR 7.04

7.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.86 SAR 25.76

$6.51 SAR 24.45

5.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.94

$0.92 SAR 3.44

14.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.56 SAR 149

$60.1 SAR 226

-34.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 SAR 9.75

$2.26 SAR 8.48

15.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 SAR 7.10

$1.35 SAR 5.06

40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.43 SAR 50.4

$6.60 SAR 24.78

103.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.24

$0.65 SAR 2.43

-7.69%

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

$26.5K SAR 99.6K

$21.4K SAR 80.3K

24.10%

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

$22.3K SAR 83.7K

$22.7K SAR 85.4K

-2.02%

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

$105 SAR 393

$124 SAR 466

-15.64%

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

$33.27 SAR 125

$34.51 SAR 130

-3.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.6 SAR 269

$80.7 SAR 303

-11.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.9 SAR 334

$109 SAR 410

-18.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.66 SAR 134

$36.80 SAR 138

-3.10%

Cinema Ticket

$15.40 SAR 57.8

$17.36 SAR 65.2

-11.29%

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

$350 SAR 1,313

$306 SAR 1,147

14.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,026 SAR 26.4K

$7,541 SAR 28.3K

-6.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 SAR 219

$63.4 SAR 238

-7.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 SAR 228

$69.8 SAR 262

-13.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 SAR 292

$100 SAR 376

-22.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.1 SAR 312

$80.4 SAR 302

3.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$431 SAR 1,619

$433 SAR 1,628

-0.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 SAR 1,451

$401 SAR 1,505

-3.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 SAR 3,187

$1,059 SAR 3,978

-19.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 SAR 2,317

$813 SAR 3,054

-24.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,514 SAR 9,441

$2,442 SAR 9,170

2.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,367 SAR 5,135

$1,423 SAR 5,344

-3.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,856 SAR 6,971

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

3.84

15.10%

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

Last update for Al-hawiyah: July 14, 2026

Last update for Al Khobar: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $431 in Al-hawiyah and $433 in Al Khobar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44.00 in Al-hawiyah vs $54.0 in Al Khobar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $217 per month, with Al-hawiyah 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

Al-hawiyah vs Al Khobar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-hawiyah and Al Khobar differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,204 vs $1,332 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,805 in Al-hawiyah and $1,999 in Al Khobar 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: $431 in Al-hawiyah versus $433 in Al Khobar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Al-hawiyah – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $54.0 in Al Khobar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,204 per month in Al-hawiyah versus $1,332 in Al Khobar – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,204 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,332 in Al Khobar, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al-hawiyah but tight or insufficient in Al Khobar. 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 Al Khobar 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 Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.