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: $1,222 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,344 in Al Khobar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,882 in Al-hawiyah versus $2,120 in Al Khobar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,542 in Al-hawiyah versus $2,897 in Al Khobar.

Living in Al-hawiyah costs roughly 9% less than in Al Khobar, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al-hawiyah is 9% below, Al Khobar is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.84 SAR 25.66

$6.75 SAR 25.34

1.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.30 SAR 166

$52.6 SAR 197

-15.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.80 SAR 29.27

$8.05 SAR 30.20

-3.11%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 SAR 6.37

$2.02 SAR 7.59

-15.84%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.92

$2.72 SAR 10.22

-31.99%

Cappuccino

$3.61 SAR 13.54

$4.32 SAR 16.23

-16.44%

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

$0.80 SAR 3.02

$1.00 SAR 3.75

-20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 SAR 1.07

$0.51 SAR 1.93

-43.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 SAR 6.35

$1.69 SAR 6.34

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 SAR 3.60

$1.38 SAR 5.17

-30.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 SAR 8.52

$2.33 SAR 8.75

-2.58%

Eggs

$2.42 SAR 9.09

$2.91 SAR 10.91

-16.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.73 SAR 25.27

$6.59 SAR 24.72

2.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.61 SAR 28.55

$9.17 SAR 34.43

-17.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.06 SAR 49.00

$12.70 SAR 47.65

2.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 SAR 8.58

$2.50 SAR 9.38

-8.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.17

$1.74 SAR 6.54

-5.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 SAR 6.37

$2.11 SAR 7.90

-19.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.84

$1.64 SAR 6.17

-4.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.85

$1.43 SAR 5.38

-9.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 SAR 4.75

$1.67 SAR 6.26

-24.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 SAR 4.49

$1.76 SAR 6.59

-31.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.08

$0.62 SAR 2.33

-11.29%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.67 SAR 10.00

$2.68 SAR 10.05

-0.37%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.64

$1.42 SAR 5.34

24.65%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.87

$1.97 SAR 7.39

6.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.89 SAR 25.88

$6.75 SAR 25.35

2.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.94

$0.92 SAR 3.45

14.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.44 SAR 152

$61.6 SAR 231

-34.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 SAR 10.02

$2.25 SAR 8.44

18.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 SAR 7.12

$1.30 SAR 4.87

46.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.34 SAR 50.1

$6.59 SAR 24.74

102.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.43

$0.60 SAR 2.25

8.33%

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

$26.6K SAR 99.9K

$21.2K SAR 79.4K

25.81%

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

$22.1K SAR 83.1K

$22.7K SAR 85.1K

-2.28%

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

$106 SAR 397

$123 SAR 461

-13.86%

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

$34.27 SAR 129

$34.93 SAR 131

-1.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.7 SAR 277

$80.1 SAR 301

-8.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.6 SAR 325

$107 SAR 400

-18.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.20 SAR 136

$36.08 SAR 135

0.33%

Cinema Ticket

$15.96 SAR 59.9

$17.66 SAR 66.3

-9.63%

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

$350 SAR 1,313

$307 SAR 1,151

14.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,922 SAR 26.0K

$7,553 SAR 28.3K

-8.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 SAR 222

$63.8 SAR 239

-7.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 SAR 231

$70.0 SAR 263

-12.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 SAR 292

$98.7 SAR 370

-21.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.6 SAR 310

$80.8 SAR 303

2.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 SAR 1,627

$433 SAR 1,624

0.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 SAR 1,405

$397 SAR 1,489

-5.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$866 SAR 3,252

$1,031 SAR 3,869

-15.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 SAR 2,346

$790 SAR 2,965

-20.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,091 SAR 7,846

$2,419 SAR 9,077

-13.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,170 SAR 4,390

$1,457 SAR 5,468

-19.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,866 SAR 7,005

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Al Khobar: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $433 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 $53.0 in Al Khobar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 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 10% in total monthly costs ($1,222 vs $1,344 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,833 in Al-hawiyah and $2,016 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: $433 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 $53.0 in Al Khobar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,222 per month in Al-hawiyah versus $1,344 in Al Khobar – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,222 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,344 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 10% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.