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: $1,332 in Al Khobar versus $1,204 in Al-hawiyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,100 in Al Khobar versus $1,854 in Al-hawiyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,868 in Al Khobar versus $2,504 in Al-hawiyah.

Living in Al Khobar is roughly 11% more expensive than in Al-hawiyah, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al Khobar is 0% above, Al-hawiyah is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.82 SAR 25.60

$6.52 SAR 24.50

4.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.0 SAR 203

$43.75 SAR 164

23.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.19 SAR 30.77

$7.91 SAR 29.72

3.54%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 SAR 7.44

$1.77 SAR 6.66

11.86%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 SAR 10.13

$1.82 SAR 6.82

48.35%

Cappuccino

$4.26 SAR 16.01

$3.71 SAR 13.92

14.82%

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

$0.96 SAR 3.61

$0.80 SAR 2.99

20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 SAR 1.83

$0.31 SAR 1.17

58.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 SAR 6.34

$1.65 SAR 6.18

2.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 SAR 5.24

$1.02 SAR 3.82

37.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 SAR 8.72

$2.32 SAR 8.71

Eggs

$2.88 SAR 10.81

$2.41 SAR 9.05

19.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.94 SAR 26.05

$6.99 SAR 26.24

-0.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 SAR 34.26

$7.58 SAR 28.48

20.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.61 SAR 47.34

$12.84 SAR 48.23

-1.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 SAR 9.53

$2.27 SAR 8.52

11.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$1.66 SAR 6.22

3.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 SAR 8.00

$1.73 SAR 6.50

23.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 SAR 5.30

$1.24 SAR 4.65

13.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.47

$1.28 SAR 4.79

34.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

$1.19 SAR 4.45

42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 SAR 2.24

$0.55 SAR 2.07

9.09%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.70 SAR 10.14

$3.02 SAR 11.36

-10.60%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 SAR 5.48

$1.75 SAR 6.58

-16.57%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 SAR 7.04

$2.03 SAR 7.61

-7.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.51 SAR 24.45

$6.86 SAR 25.76

-5.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 SAR 3.44

$1.05 SAR 3.94

-12.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.1 SAR 225

$39.56 SAR 149

51.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 SAR 8.48

$2.60 SAR 9.75

-13.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 SAR 5.06

$1.89 SAR 7.10

-28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.60 SAR 24.78

$13.43 SAR 50.4

-50.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.43

$0.60 SAR 2.24

8.33%

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

$21.4K SAR 80.2K

$26.5K SAR 99.6K

-19.42%

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

$22.7K SAR 85.4K

$22.3K SAR 83.7K

2.06%

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

$124 SAR 466

$105 SAR 393

18.54%

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

$34.51 SAR 130

$33.27 SAR 125

3.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.7 SAR 303

$71.6 SAR 269

12.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$109 SAR 410

$88.9 SAR 334

22.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.80 SAR 138

$35.66 SAR 134

3.20%

Cinema Ticket

$17.36 SAR 65.2

$15.40 SAR 57.8

12.73%

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

$306 SAR 1,147

$350 SAR 1,313

-12.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,541 SAR 28.3K

$7,026 SAR 26.4K

7.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 SAR 238

$58.4 SAR 219

8.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.8 SAR 262

$60.7 SAR 228

15.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 SAR 376

$77.9 SAR 292

28.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 SAR 302

$83.1 SAR 312

-3.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 SAR 1,627

$431 SAR 1,619

0.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$401 SAR 1,505

$386 SAR 1,451

3.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,059 SAR 3,977

$849 SAR 3,187

24.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$813 SAR 3,054

$617 SAR 2,317

31.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,442 SAR 9,169

$2,514 SAR 9,441

-2.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,423 SAR 5,344

$1,367 SAR 5,135

4.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,856 SAR 6,971

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Al-hawiyah: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $433 in Al Khobar and $431 in Al-hawiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Al Khobar vs $44.00 in Al-hawiyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $197 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 11% in total monthly costs ($1,332 vs $1,204 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,999 in Al Khobar and $1,805 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 $431 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 $54.0 in Al Khobar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,332 per month in Al Khobar versus $1,204 in Al-hawiyah – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,204 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,332 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 11% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.