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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,402 in Al Khobar versus $1,172 in Al-hawiyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,205 in Al Khobar versus $1,774 in Al-hawiyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,008 in Al Khobar versus $2,375 in Al-hawiyah.

Living in Al Khobar is roughly 20% more expensive than in Al-hawiyah, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al Khobar is 2% above, Al-hawiyah is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.53 SAR 24.53

$6.77 SAR 25.42

-3.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.0 SAR 225

$37.01 SAR 139

62.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.77 SAR 29.18

$7.84 SAR 29.45

-0.89%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 SAR 10.00

$1.68 SAR 6.29

58.33%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 SAR 10.15

$1.96 SAR 7.37

37.76%

Cappuccino

$4.49 SAR 16.88

$3.43 SAR 12.87

30.90%

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

$0.91 SAR 3.41

$0.82 SAR 3.06

10.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 SAR 1.53

$0.24 SAR 0.90

70.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 SAR 6.15

$1.74 SAR 6.52

-5.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 SAR 4.73

$1.01 SAR 3.81

24.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.46 SAR 9.24

$2.13 SAR 8.00

15.49%

Eggs

$2.39 SAR 8.97

$2.33 SAR 8.76

2.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.18 SAR 26.95

$7.52 SAR 28.23

-4.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.91 SAR 37.21

$7.85 SAR 29.48

26.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.61 SAR 43.59

$13.03 SAR 48.92

-10.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 SAR 10.01

$2.14 SAR 8.03

24.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 SAR 6.54

$1.62 SAR 6.10

7.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 SAR 7.70

$1.59 SAR 5.98

28.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 SAR 6.86

$1.60 SAR 6.02

14.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 SAR 5.23

$1.15 SAR 4.31

20.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

$1.30 SAR 4.89

26.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 SAR 6.16

$1.20 SAR 4.49

36.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 SAR 2.15

$0.59 SAR 2.23

-3.39%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.63 SAR 9.86

$2.82 SAR 10.59

-6.74%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 SAR 6.17

$1.73 SAR 6.50

-5.20%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 SAR 7.10

$2.09 SAR 7.83

-9.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.59 SAR 24.74

$6.48 SAR 24.31

1.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 SAR 2.95

$1.08 SAR 4.06

-27.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.3 SAR 253

$35.32 SAR 133

90.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 SAR 12.21

$2.97 SAR 11.15

9.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.71 SAR 10.18

$1.78 SAR 6.68

52.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.81 SAR 25.57

$13.14 SAR 49.33

-48.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.38

$0.65 SAR 2.42

-3.08%

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

$65.6K SAR 246.2K

$44.6K SAR 167.6K

46.88%

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

$21.9K SAR 82.2K

$21.3K SAR 79.9K

2.86%

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

$98.6 SAR 370

$103 SAR 387

-4.25%

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

$32.61 SAR 122

$32.87 SAR 123

-0.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 SAR 264

$65.2 SAR 245

7.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.9 SAR 300

$82.7 SAR 310

-3.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.21 SAR 136

$37.50 SAR 141

-3.44%

Cinema Ticket

$15.15 SAR 56.9

$13.42 SAR 50.4

12.89%

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

$600 SAR 2,253

$347 SAR 1,303

72.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,271 SAR 31.1K

$6,759 SAR 25.4K

22.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.5 SAR 238

$49.88 SAR 187

27.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.4 SAR 306

$59.5 SAR 223

36.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.5 SAR 366

$97.7 SAR 367

-0.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 SAR 347

$86.8 SAR 326

6.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$620 SAR 2,328

$572 SAR 2,149

8.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 SAR 1,872

$344 SAR 1,292

44.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 SAR 4,445

$880 SAR 3,306

34.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$847 SAR 3,180

$551 SAR 2,067

53.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,411 SAR 9,054

$2,308 SAR 8,667

4.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,423 SAR 5,342

$1,388 SAR 5,210

2.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,843 SAR 6,920

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.88

5.47

7.50%

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

Last update for Al Khobar: September 1, 2026

Last update for Al-hawiyah: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $620 in Al Khobar and $572 in Al-hawiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $60.0 in Al Khobar vs $37.00 in Al-hawiyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $199 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 Khobar vs Al-hawiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Khobar and Al-hawiyah differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,402 vs $1,172 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,103 in Al Khobar and $1,759 in Al-hawiyah 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: $620 in Al Khobar versus $572 in Al-hawiyah. 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 $37.00 versus $60.0 in Al Khobar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,402 per month in Al Khobar versus $1,172 in Al-hawiyah – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,172 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,402 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 Khobar and Al-hawiyah 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 20% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.