Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Khobar and Al-hawiyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-hawiyah: $1,081 a month against $1,405 in Al Khobar, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Al Khobar
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Al Khobar Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Al-hawiyah
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Al-hawiyah Living Index

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Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,405

/mo nomad

Al-hawiyah

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,081

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al Khobar and in Al-hawiyah

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 Al-hawiyah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,405 in Al Khobar versus $1,081 in Al-hawiyah.

Al Khobar $1,405
Al-hawiyah $1,081

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,186 in Al Khobar versus $1,603 in Al-hawiyah.

Al Khobar $2,186
Al-hawiyah $1,603

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,967 in Al Khobar versus $2,125 in Al-hawiyah.

Al Khobar $2,967
Al-hawiyah $2,125

Living in Al Khobar is roughly 30% more expensive than in Al-hawiyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al Khobar is 4% above, Al-hawiyah is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.53 SAR 24.51

$4.44 SAR 16.67

47.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.2 SAR 222

$26.52 SAR 99.5

123.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 SAR 29.50

$6.91 SAR 25.93

13.75%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 SAR 10.28

$1.58 SAR 5.91

73.42%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 SAR 10.05

$1.50 SAR 5.64

78.67%

Cappuccino

$4.48 SAR 16.79

$2.63 SAR 9.88

70.34%

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

$0.87 SAR 3.25

$0.70 SAR 2.63

24.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 SAR 1.42

$0.25 SAR 0.94

52.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

$1.83 SAR 6.85

-7.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 SAR 4.80

$0.96 SAR 3.60

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.46 SAR 9.24

$2.20 SAR 8.25

11.82%

Eggs

$2.32 SAR 8.69

$2.68 SAR 10.04

-13.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.15 SAR 26.84

$5.85 SAR 21.94

22.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 SAR 38.43

$11.70 SAR 43.90

-12.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.69 SAR 43.86

$13.12 SAR 49.22

-10.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 SAR 9.83

$2.04 SAR 7.64

28.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 SAR 6.59

$1.58 SAR 5.92

11.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 SAR 7.43

$1.83 SAR 6.88

8.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 SAR 6.64

$1.49 SAR 5.60

18.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 SAR 5.11

$1.30 SAR 4.87

4.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 SAR 6.24

$1.50 SAR 5.63

10.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 SAR 6.23

$1.09 SAR 4.09

52.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 SAR 2.01

$0.74 SAR 2.77

-28.38%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.63 SAR 9.88

$2.99 SAR 11.21

-12.04%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.98

$2.10 SAR 7.87

-24.29%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 SAR 6.91

$1.57 SAR 5.88

17.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 SAR 25.00

$8.00 SAR 30.02

-16.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 SAR 2.75

$1.10 SAR 4.13

-33.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.2 SAR 252

$36.82 SAR 138

82.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 SAR 12.14

$2.44 SAR 9.15

32.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 SAR 10.20

$2.69 SAR 10.10

1.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.48 SAR 24.31

$13.24 SAR 49.67

-51.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.37

$0.59 SAR 2.23

6.78%

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

$66.3K SAR 248.6K

$43.9K SAR 164.7K

50.99%

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

$22.5K SAR 84.6K

$21.5K SAR 80.8K

4.62%

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

$99.6 SAR 374

$67.1 SAR 252

48.41%

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

$33.32 SAR 125

$35.32 SAR 133

-5.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 SAR 265

$62.5 SAR 235

12.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.0 SAR 308

$80.6 SAR 302

1.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.23 SAR 140

Cinema Ticket

$15.07 SAR 56.6

$15.09 SAR 56.6

-0.13%

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

$589 SAR 2,210

$423 SAR 1,586

39.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,524 SAR 32.0K

$7,864 SAR 29.5K

8.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 SAR 233

$13.09 SAR 49.11

373.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$83.0 SAR 312

$55.8 SAR 209

48.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.2 SAR 365

$40.45 SAR 152

140.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 SAR 352

$52.5 SAR 197

78.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$630 SAR 2,363

$576 SAR 2,162

9.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 SAR 1,873

$366 SAR 1,375

36.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 SAR 4,454

$826 SAR 3,098

43.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 SAR 3,226

$577 SAR 2,166

48.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,404 SAR 9,020

$2,404 SAR 9,023

-0.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 SAR 5,417

$1,375 SAR 5,158

5.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,829 SAR 6,864

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.88

5.25

12.00%

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

Last update for Al Khobar: October 10, 2026

Last update for Al-hawiyah: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Al Khobar

$499 35.5%

Al-hawiyah

$366 33.9% 26.6% $133

Groceries & Markets

Al Khobar

$217 15.5%

Al-hawiyah

$217 20.1% 0.1% $0.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Khobar

$203 14.5%

Al-hawiyah

$165 15.3% 18.9% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Al Khobar

$151 10.8%

Al-hawiyah

$73 6.7% 51.9% $78

Eating Out

Al Khobar

$135 9.6%

Al-hawiyah

$92 8.5% 31.8% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Al Khobar

$112 8%

Al-hawiyah

$111 10.2% 1.3% $1.4

Getting Around

Al Khobar

$87 6.2%

Al-hawiyah

$57 5.3% 34.3% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $630 in Al Khobar and $576 in Al-hawiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $59.0 in Al Khobar vs $27.00 in Al-hawiyah. Groceries flip the comparison at $217 vs $217, with Al Khobar cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Al-hawiyah

🕒 Local time

03:16 3:16 AM

Same time as Al Khobar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

219,679

148,151

💱 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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Between locations

Al Khobar Al-hawiyah 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Al Khobar
Al-hawiyah

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 Al-hawiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Khobar and Al-hawiyah differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,405 vs $1,081 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,107 in Al Khobar and $1,621 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: $630 in Al Khobar versus $576 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 $27.00 versus $59.0 in Al Khobar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,405 per month in Al Khobar versus $1,081 in Al-hawiyah – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,081 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,405 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 30% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.