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

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

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

Living in Al Khobar is roughly 10% more expensive than Al-hawiyah, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.75 SAR 25.34

$6.84 SAR 25.66

-1.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 SAR 197

$44.30 SAR 166

18.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.05 SAR 30.20

$7.80 SAR 29.27

3.21%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 SAR 7.59

$1.70 SAR 6.37

18.82%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 SAR 10.22

$1.85 SAR 6.92

47.03%

Cappuccino

$4.32 SAR 16.23

$3.61 SAR 13.54

19.67%

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

$1.00 SAR 3.75

$0.80 SAR 3.02

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 SAR 1.93

$0.29 SAR 1.07

75.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 SAR 6.34

$1.69 SAR 6.35

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 SAR 5.17

$0.96 SAR 3.60

43.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 SAR 8.75

$2.27 SAR 8.52

2.64%

Eggs

$2.91 SAR 10.91

$2.42 SAR 9.09

20.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.59 SAR 24.72

$6.73 SAR 25.27

-2.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.17 SAR 34.43

$7.61 SAR 28.55

20.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.70 SAR 47.65

$13.06 SAR 49.00

-2.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 SAR 9.38

$2.29 SAR 8.58

9.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 SAR 6.54

$1.64 SAR 6.17

6.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 SAR 7.90

$1.70 SAR 6.37

24.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.17

$1.56 SAR 5.84

5.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 SAR 5.38

$1.29 SAR 4.85

10.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 SAR 6.26

$1.26 SAR 4.75

32.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 SAR 6.59

$1.20 SAR 4.49

46.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 SAR 2.33

$0.55 SAR 2.08

12.73%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.68 SAR 10.05

$2.67 SAR 10.00

0.37%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 SAR 5.34

$1.77 SAR 6.64

-19.77%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 SAR 7.39

$2.10 SAR 7.87

-6.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.75 SAR 25.35

$6.89 SAR 25.88

-2.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 SAR 3.45

$1.05 SAR 3.94

-12.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.6 SAR 231

$40.44 SAR 152

52.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 SAR 8.44

$2.67 SAR 10.02

-15.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 SAR 4.87

$1.90 SAR 7.12

-31.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.59 SAR 24.74

$13.34 SAR 50.1

-50.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.25

$0.65 SAR 2.43

-7.69%

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

$21.2K SAR 79.4K

$26.6K SAR 99.9K

-20.51%

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

$22.7K SAR 85.1K

$22.1K SAR 83.1K

2.33%

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

$123 SAR 461

$106 SAR 397

16.09%

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

$34.93 SAR 131

$34.27 SAR 129

1.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.1 SAR 301

$73.7 SAR 277

8.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$107 SAR 400

$86.6 SAR 325

23.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.08 SAR 135

$36.20 SAR 136

-0.33%

Cinema Ticket

$17.66 SAR 66.3

$15.96 SAR 59.9

10.65%

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

$307 SAR 1,151

$350 SAR 1,313

-12.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,553 SAR 28.3K

$6,922 SAR 26.0K

9.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.8 SAR 239

$59.2 SAR 222

7.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.0 SAR 263

$61.4 SAR 231

13.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 SAR 370

$77.8 SAR 292

26.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.8 SAR 303

$82.6 SAR 310

-2.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 SAR 1,624

$433 SAR 1,627

-0.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 SAR 1,489

$374 SAR 1,405

5.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,031 SAR 3,869

$866 SAR 3,252

18.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 SAR 2,965

$625 SAR 2,346

26.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,419 SAR 9,077

$2,091 SAR 7,846

15.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,457 SAR 5,468

$1,170 SAR 4,390

24.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,866 SAR 7,005

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.84

4.42

-13.12%

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

Last update for Al Khobar: June 1, 2026

Last update for Al-hawiyah: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $433 in Al Khobar and $433 in Al-hawiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Al Khobar vs $44.00 in Al-hawiyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $196 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 10% in total monthly costs ($1,344 vs $1,222 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,016 in Al Khobar and $1,833 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: $433 in Al Khobar versus $433 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 $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 $1,344 per month in Al Khobar versus $1,222 in Al-hawiyah – 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 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 10% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.