Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Khobar and Ad Dammam

For one person, living is cheaper in Ad Dammam: $1,217 a month against $1,487 in Al Khobar, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

72

Cost of Living Index in Al Khobar
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Al Khobar Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Ad Dammam
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Ad Dammam Living Index

Jump to prices

Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,487

/mo nomad

Ad Dammam

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,217

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al Khobar 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 Khobar and in Ad Dammam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,487 in Al Khobar versus $1,217 in Ad Dammam.

Al Khobar $1,487
Ad Dammam $1,217

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,252 in Al Khobar versus $1,838 in Ad Dammam.

Al Khobar $2,252
Ad Dammam $1,838

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Al Khobar versus $2,460 in Ad Dammam.

Al Khobar $3,016
Ad Dammam $2,460

Living in Al Khobar is roughly 22% more expensive than in Ad Dammam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al Khobar is 9% above, Ad Dammam is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.81 SAR 25.57

$7.12 SAR 26.74

-4.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.9 SAR 225

$34.16 SAR 128

75.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 SAR 30.01

$6.82 SAR 25.60

17.30%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.61 SAR 9.80

$1.91 SAR 7.17

36.65%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 SAR 9.92

$2.25 SAR 8.45

17.33%

Cappuccino

$4.43 SAR 16.64

$3.02 SAR 11.33

46.69%

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

$0.87 SAR 3.26

$0.78 SAR 2.94

11.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 SAR 1.52

$0.17 SAR 0.63

135.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 SAR 6.36

$1.73 SAR 6.51

-2.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 SAR 4.76

$1.29 SAR 4.85

-1.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 SAR 9.53

$1.94 SAR 7.29

30.93%

Eggs

$2.45 SAR 9.21

$2.18 SAR 8.20

12.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.28 SAR 27.33

$7.60 SAR 28.52

-4.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.16 SAR 38.14

$7.83 SAR 29.37

29.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.86 SAR 44.50

$12.77 SAR 47.91

-7.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 SAR 9.97

$2.22 SAR 8.33

19.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 SAR 6.36

$1.71 SAR 6.42

-1.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 SAR 7.66

$1.64 SAR 6.15

24.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 SAR 6.56

$1.58 SAR 5.94

10.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 SAR 5.27

$1.12 SAR 4.21

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 SAR 6.20

$1.16 SAR 4.35

42.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 SAR 6.55

$1.33 SAR 4.98

31.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 SAR 2.18

$0.62 SAR 2.31

-6.45%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.73 SAR 10.26

$4.06 SAR 15.24

-32.76%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

$1.51 SAR 5.67

9.27%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 SAR 7.13

$2.12 SAR 7.96

-10.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.75 SAR 25.31

$7.58 SAR 28.46

-10.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 SAR 3.55

$0.91 SAR 3.41

4.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.9 SAR 232

$38.54 SAR 145

60.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 SAR 10.88

$2.74 SAR 10.27

5.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 SAR 9.89

$2.74 SAR 10.28

-3.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.58 SAR 24.68

$13.10 SAR 49.15

-49.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.39

$0.64 SAR 2.40

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

$67.8K SAR 254.5K

$29.1K SAR 109.1K

133.26%

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

$21.6K SAR 81.0K

$21.5K SAR 80.5K

0.58%

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

$99.4 SAR 373

$131 SAR 493

-24.31%

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

$33.37 SAR 125

$32.48 SAR 122

2.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.9 SAR 259

$62.9 SAR 236

9.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.3 SAR 305

$72.9 SAR 273

11.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.86 SAR 138

$28.56 SAR 107

29.06%

Cinema Ticket

$15.26 SAR 57.3

$13.54 SAR 50.8

12.70%

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

$607 SAR 2,279

$416 SAR 1,560

46.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,542 SAR 32.1K

$8,051 SAR 30.2K

6.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 SAR 238

$42.09 SAR 158

50.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$82.3 SAR 309

$50.5 SAR 189

63.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 SAR 367

$96.1 SAR 361

1.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.4 SAR 354

$92.6 SAR 348

1.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$766 SAR 2,876

$535 SAR 2,008

43.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 SAR 2,189

$387 SAR 1,450

50.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 SAR 4,678

$970 SAR 3,640

28.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 SAR 3,401

$670 SAR 2,513

35.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,456 SAR 5,464

$962 SAR 3,610

51.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,072 SAR 4,025

$707 SAR 2,653

51.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,877 SAR 7,045

$1,475 SAR 5,536

27.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.88

5.9

-0.34%

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

Last update for Al Khobar: October 24, 2026

Last update for Ad Dammam: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Al Khobar

$583 39.2%

Ad Dammam

$386 31.8% 33.8% $197

Groceries & Markets

Al Khobar

$220 14.8%

Ad Dammam

$201 16.5% 8.4% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Khobar

$202 13.6%

Ad Dammam

$227 18.6% 12.4% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Al Khobar

$152 10.2%

Ad Dammam

$127 10.4% 16.8% $25

Eating Out

Al Khobar

$137 9.2%

Ad Dammam

$117 9.7% 14.1% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Al Khobar

$112 7.5%

Ad Dammam

$100 8.2% 10.6% $12

Getting Around

Al Khobar

$82 5.5%

Ad Dammam

$59 4.8% 28.3% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $766 in Al Khobar and $535 in Ad Dammam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Khobar pays 27% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $60 in Al Khobar vs $34 in Ad Dammam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $201 per month, with Ad Dammam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Ad Dammam

🕒 Local time

20:35 8:35 PM

Same time as Al Khobar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

219,679

903,312

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Al Khobar Ad Dammam 17 km

From you

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

Ad Dammam wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Al Khobar. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ad Dammam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 27% higher in Al Khobar, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $766 in Al Khobar versus $535 in Ad Dammam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,487 per month in Al Khobar versus $1,217 in Ad Dammam – Ad Dammam is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Ad Dammam runs roughly 38% less than in Al Khobar. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ad Dammam is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Ad Dammam is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Al Khobar, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Al Khobar and Ad Dammam are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Ad Dammam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.