Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between AL Kharj and Riyadh

For one person, living is cheaper in AL Kharj: $957 a month against $1,738 in Riyadh, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in AL Kharj
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AL Kharj Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Riyadh
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Riyadh Living Index

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AL Kharj

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$957

/mo nomad

Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in AL Kharj and in Riyadh

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

A single person spends $957 per month in AL Kharj vs $1,738 in Riyadh, rent included.

AL Kharj $957
Riyadh $1,738

A couple spends around $1,464 per month in AL Kharj vs $2,567 in Riyadh, rent included.

AL Kharj $1,464
Riyadh $2,567

A family of three spends $1,971 per month in AL Kharj vs $3,396 in Riyadh, rent included.

AL Kharj $1,971
Riyadh $3,396

AL Kharj is about 45% cheaper than Riyadh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

AL Kharj sits 29% below the global median, while Riyadh is 29% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.74 SAR 17.77

$8.09 SAR 30.35

-41.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.64 SAR 100.0

$66.3 SAR 249

-59.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.05 SAR 30.22

$8.16 SAR 30.64

-1.35%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 SAR 7.87

$2.08 SAR 7.79

0.96%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 SAR 4.95

$2.98 SAR 11.19

-55.70%

Cappuccino

$3.08 SAR 11.54

$4.25 SAR 15.96

-27.53%

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

$0.88 SAR 3.31

$0.91 SAR 3.41

-3.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 SAR 0.48

$0.32 SAR 1.20

-59.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 SAR 5.39

$1.76 SAR 6.60

-18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.28 SAR 1.06

$1.26 SAR 4.72

-77.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 SAR 8.82

$2.43 SAR 9.13

-3.29%

Eggs

$2.17 SAR 8.16

$3.13 SAR 11.76

-30.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 SAR 39.36

$10.69 SAR 40.11

-1.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.15 SAR 19.33

$9.44 SAR 35.41

-45.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.51 SAR 50.7

$15.19 SAR 57.0

-11.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 SAR 6.66

$2.84 SAR 10.65

-37.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.88

$1.96 SAR 7.36

-33.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 SAR 4.54

$2.53 SAR 9.51

-52.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 SAR 5.11

$1.70 SAR 6.37

-20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 SAR 3.88

$1.18 SAR 4.44

-12.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 SAR 3.89

$1.28 SAR 4.81

-18.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 SAR 1.94

$1.70 SAR 6.37

-69.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 SAR 2.01

$0.57 SAR 2.12

-7.02%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.12 SAR 7.94

$7.83 SAR 29.38

-72.92%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 SAR 4.12

$1.80 SAR 6.77

-38.89%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SAR 8.94

$2.39 SAR 8.95

-0.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 SAR 24.56

$7.50 SAR 28.15

-12.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 SAR 4.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.40 SAR 87.8

$37.34 SAR 140

-37.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 SAR 10.10

$3.11 SAR 11.69

-13.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 SAR 1.92

$1.81 SAR 6.79

-71.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.11 SAR 49.21

$13.23 SAR 49.66

-0.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.40

$0.65 SAR 2.44

-1.54%

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

$34.6K SAR 129.8K

$34.7K SAR 130.1K

-0.20%

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

$22.8K SAR 85.7K

$22.9K SAR 85.8K

-0.12%

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

$107 SAR 402

$106 SAR 396

1.49%

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

$26.65 SAR 100

$29.61 SAR 111

-10.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.6 SAR 194

$70.7 SAR 265

-27.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.9 SAR 270

$91.6 SAR 344

-21.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.47 SAR 152

$56.9 SAR 214

-28.89%

Cinema Ticket

$13.11 SAR 49.21

$13.09 SAR 49.11

0.15%

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

$286 SAR 1,074

$523 SAR 1,963

-45.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,763 SAR 14.1K

$10.2K SAR 38.4K

-63.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 SAR 220

$58.8 SAR 221

-0.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 SAR 204

$53.1 SAR 199

2.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.41 SAR 178

$101 SAR 379

-53.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.2 SAR 301

$103 SAR 386

-22.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$700 SAR 2,626

$1,179 SAR 4,425

-40.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$259 SAR 972

$832 SAR 3,122

-68.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 SAR 2,236

$2,227 SAR 8,359

-73.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 SAR 1,711

$1,224 SAR 4,595

-62.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,996 SAR 11.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,913 SAR 7,177

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,790 SAR 10.5K

$2,067 SAR 7,757

34.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

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

Last update for AL Kharj: October 11, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

AL Kharj

$259 27.1%

Riyadh

$832 47.9% 221% $573

Monthly Utilities & Internet

AL Kharj

$185 19.4%

Riyadh

$206 11.8% 11.1% $21

Groceries & Markets

AL Kharj

$175 18.3%

Riyadh

$242 13.9% 38% $66

Clothing & Footwear

AL Kharj

$108 11.3%

Riyadh

$142 8.2% 31.3% $34

Eating Out

AL Kharj

$103 10.8%

Riyadh

$145 8.4% 40.9% $42

Sport & Entertainment

AL Kharj

$98 10.3%

Riyadh

$118 6.8% 20% $20

Getting Around

AL Kharj

$29 * 3%

Riyadh

$54 3.1% 87.7% $25

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $700 in AL Kharj versus $1,179 in Riyadh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 35% higher in AL Kharj, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in AL Kharj versus $66.0 in Riyadh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $175 vs $242 – making AL Kharj the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 AL Kharj

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🕒 Local time

14:12 2:12 PM

Same time as AL Kharj

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

425,300

5,188,286 Capital

💱 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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AL Kharj Riyadh 81 km

From you

AL Kharj
Riyadh

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 Kharj vs Riyadh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $957 in AL Kharj, $1,738 in Riyadh – roughly 82% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,436 per month in AL Kharj and $2,607 in Riyadh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in AL Kharj, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $286 per month in AL Kharj and $523 in Riyadh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Riyadh, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in AL Kharj, where all-in costs run around $957, than in Riyadh at $1,738. In AL Kharj it covers expenses comfortably, while in Riyadh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Riyadh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $957 in AL Kharj to $1,738 in Riyadh. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with AL Kharj. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Riyadh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.