Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-hawiyah and Al Khobar

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-hawiyah: $1,081 a month against $1,405 in Al Khobar, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Al-hawiyah
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Al-hawiyah Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Al Khobar
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Al Khobar Living Index

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Al-hawiyah

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,081

/mo nomad

Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,405

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al-hawiyah and in Al Khobar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,081 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,405 in Al Khobar.

Al-hawiyah $1,081
Al Khobar $1,405

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,603 in Al-hawiyah versus $2,186 in Al Khobar.

Al-hawiyah $1,603
Al Khobar $2,186

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,125 in Al-hawiyah versus $2,967 in Al Khobar.

Al-hawiyah $2,125
Al Khobar $2,967

Living in Al-hawiyah costs roughly 23% less than in Al Khobar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al-hawiyah is 20% below, Al Khobar is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.44 SAR 16.67

$6.53 SAR 24.51

-32.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.52 SAR 99.5

$59.2 SAR 222

-55.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 SAR 25.93

$7.86 SAR 29.50

-12.09%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 SAR 5.91

$2.74 SAR 10.28

-42.34%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 SAR 5.64

$2.68 SAR 10.05

-44.03%

Cappuccino

$2.63 SAR 9.88

$4.48 SAR 16.79

-41.29%

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

$0.70 SAR 2.63

$0.87 SAR 3.25

-19.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 SAR 0.94

$0.38 SAR 1.42

-34.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 SAR 6.85

$1.70 SAR 6.38

7.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 SAR 3.60

$1.28 SAR 4.80

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 SAR 8.25

$2.46 SAR 9.24

-10.57%

Eggs

$2.68 SAR 10.04

$2.32 SAR 8.69

15.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.85 SAR 21.94

$7.15 SAR 26.84

-18.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.70 SAR 43.90

$10.24 SAR 38.43

14.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.12 SAR 49.22

$11.69 SAR 43.86

12.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 SAR 7.64

$2.62 SAR 9.83

-22.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.92

$1.76 SAR 6.59

-10.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 SAR 6.88

$1.98 SAR 7.43

-7.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 SAR 5.60

$1.77 SAR 6.64

-15.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.87

$1.36 SAR 5.11

-4.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 SAR 5.63

$1.66 SAR 6.24

-9.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 SAR 4.09

$1.66 SAR 6.23

-34.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 SAR 2.77

$0.53 SAR 2.01

39.62%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.99 SAR 11.21

$2.63 SAR 9.88

13.69%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.87

$1.59 SAR 5.98

32.08%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

$1.84 SAR 6.91

-14.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.00 SAR 30.02

$6.66 SAR 25.00

20.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.13

$0.73 SAR 2.75

50.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.82 SAR 138

$67.2 SAR 252

-45.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 SAR 9.15

$3.23 SAR 12.14

-24.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.69 SAR 10.10

$2.72 SAR 10.20

-1.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.24 SAR 49.67

$6.48 SAR 24.31

104.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$0.63 SAR 2.37

-6.35%

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

$43.9K SAR 164.7K

$66.3K SAR 248.6K

-33.77%

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

$21.5K SAR 80.8K

$22.5K SAR 84.6K

-4.41%

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

$67.1 SAR 252

$99.6 SAR 374

-32.62%

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

$35.32 SAR 133

$33.32 SAR 125

6.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.5 SAR 235

$70.5 SAR 265

-11.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.6 SAR 302

$82.0 SAR 308

-1.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.23 SAR 140

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 SAR 56.6

$15.07 SAR 56.6

0.13%

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

$423 SAR 1,586

$589 SAR 2,210

-28.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,864 SAR 29.5K

$8,524 SAR 32.0K

-7.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.09 SAR 49.11

$62.0 SAR 233

-78.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 SAR 209

$83.0 SAR 312

-32.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.45 SAR 152

$97.2 SAR 365

-58.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.5 SAR 197

$93.9 SAR 352

-44.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 SAR 2,162

$630 SAR 2,363

-8.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 SAR 1,375

$499 SAR 1,873

-26.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 SAR 3,098

$1,187 SAR 4,454

-30.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$577 SAR 2,166

$860 SAR 3,226

-32.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,404 SAR 9,023

$2,404 SAR 9,020

0.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 SAR 5,158

$1,444 SAR 5,417

-4.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,829 SAR 6,864

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

5.88

-10.71%

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

Last update for Al-hawiyah: October 10, 2026

Last update for Al Khobar: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Al-hawiyah

$366 33.9%

Al Khobar

$499 35.5% 36.2% $133

Groceries & Markets

Al-hawiyah

$217 20.1%

Al Khobar

$217 15.5% 0.1% $0.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al-hawiyah

$165 15.3%

Al Khobar

$203 14.5% 23.3% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Al-hawiyah

$111 10.2%

Al Khobar

$112 8% 1.3% $1.4

Eating Out

Al-hawiyah

$92 8.5%

Al Khobar

$135 9.6% 46.7% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Al-hawiyah

$73 6.7%

Al Khobar

$151 10.8% 108% $78

Getting Around

Al-hawiyah

$57 5.3%

Al Khobar

$87 6.2% 52.3% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $576 in Al-hawiyah and $630 in Al Khobar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in Al-hawiyah vs $59.0 in Al Khobar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $217 per month, with Al-hawiyah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Al-hawiyah

🇸🇦 Al Khobar

🕒 Local time

02:25 2:25 AM

Same time as Al-hawiyah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

148,151

219,679

💱 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 Al Khobar 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Al-hawiyah
Al Khobar

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 Al Khobar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-hawiyah and Al Khobar differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,081 vs $1,405 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,621 in Al-hawiyah and $2,107 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: $576 in Al-hawiyah versus $630 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 $27.00 versus $59.0 in Al Khobar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,081 per month in Al-hawiyah versus $1,405 in Al Khobar – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,081 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,405 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 30% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.