Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Khobar and Beirut

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Khobar: $1,487 a month against $1,657 in Beirut, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia
Beirut, Lebanon
Al Khobar
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,487
/mo nomad
Beirut
🇱🇧 Lebanon
$1,657
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al Khobar and in Beirut

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 Beirut actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,487 in Al Khobar versus $1,657 in Beirut.

  • Al Khobar $1,487
  • Beirut $1,657

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,252 in Al Khobar versus $2,643 in Beirut.

  • Al Khobar $2,252
  • Beirut $2,643

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Al Khobar versus $3,628 in Beirut.

  • Al Khobar $3,016
  • Beirut $3,628

Living in Al Khobar costs roughly 10% less than in Beirut, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Al Khobar 9% above, Beirut 22% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Al Khobar
Beirut
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.81 SAR 25.57
$12.13 LBP 1.1M
-43.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$59.9 SAR 225
$68.2 LBP 6.1M
-12.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.00 SAR 30.01
$9.86 LBP 882.6K
-18.86%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.61 SAR 9.80
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.64 SAR 9.92
-
-
Cappuccino
$4.43 SAR 16.64
$4.46 LBP 399.2K
-0.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 SAR 3.26
$2.34 LBP 209.6K
-62.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.40 SAR 1.52
$0.90 LBP 80.9K
-55.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$5.10 LBP 456.3K
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.89 LBP 437.7K
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Al Khobar
Beirut
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.69 SAR 6.36
$2.02 LBP 180.5K
-16.34%
White Bread (500g)
$1.27 SAR 4.76
$0.91 LBP 81.4K
39.56%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.54 SAR 9.53
$2.20 LBP 196.6K
15.45%
Eggs
$2.45 SAR 9.21
$3.61 LBP 323.5K
-32.13%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.28 SAR 27.34
$10.87 LBP 973.3K
-33.03%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.16 SAR 38.14
$10.58 LBP 947.2K
-3.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.86 SAR 44.50
$15.12 LBP 1.4M
-21.56%
Apples (1kg)
$2.66 SAR 9.97
$3.10 LBP 277.0K
-14.19%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 SAR 6.36
$1.67 LBP 149.2K
1.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.04 SAR 7.66
$1.70 LBP 151.9K
20.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.75 SAR 6.56
$1.54 LBP 137.9K
13.64%
Potato (1kg)
$1.40 SAR 5.27
$1.26 LBP 113.1K
11.11%
Onion (1kg)
$1.65 SAR 6.20
$1.53 LBP 137.3K
7.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.75 SAR 6.55
$1.16 LBP 103.9K
50.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 SAR 2.18
$0.71 LBP 63.8K
-18.31%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$2.73 SAR 10.26
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.65 SAR 6.18
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.90 SAR 7.13
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.75 SAR 25.31
$2.96 LBP 265.2K
128.04%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$11.04 LBP 988.5K
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.32 LBP 118.0K
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.60 LBP 233.0K
-
🚌 Getting Around
Al Khobar
Beirut
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.95 SAR 3.55
$1.53 LBP 136.9K
-37.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$61.9 SAR 232
$75.4 LBP 6.7M
-17.93%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.90 SAR 10.88
$5.04 LBP 451.2K
-42.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.64 SAR 9.89
$2.28 LBP 204.0K
15.79%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.58 SAR 24.68
$22.53 LBP 2.0M
-70.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.64 SAR 2.39
$1.04 LBP 93.2K
-38.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$67.8K SAR 254.5K
$53.3K LBP 4.8B
27.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.6K SAR 81.0K
$33.3K LBP 3.0B
-35.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Al Khobar
Beirut
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$99.4 SAR 373
$210 LBP 18.8M
-52.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.37 SAR 125
$23.80 LBP 2.1M
40.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.9 SAR 259
$37.87 LBP 3.4M
81.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Al Khobar
Beirut
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$81.3 SAR 305
$95.9 LBP 8.6M
-15.24%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$36.86 SAR 138
$33.37 LBP 3.0M
10.46%
Cinema Ticket
$15.26 SAR 57.3
$10.16 LBP 909.0K
50.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Al Khobar
Beirut
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$607 SAR 2,279
$677 LBP 60.6M
-10.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,542 SAR 32.1K
$10.5K LBP 940.9M
-18.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Al Khobar
Beirut
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$63.4 SAR 238
$66.4 LBP 5.9M
-4.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$82.3 SAR 309
$49.92 LBP 4.5M
64.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.8 SAR 367
$141 LBP 12.7M
-30.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.4 SAR 354
$121 LBP 10.8M
-21.71%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Al Khobar
Beirut
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$766 SAR 2,876
$946 LBP 84.7M
-19.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$583 SAR 2,189
$495 LBP 44.3M
17.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,247 SAR 4,678
$2,209 LBP 197.7M
-43.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$906 SAR 3,401
$1,044 LBP 93.4M
-13.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,456 SAR 5,464
$4,473 LBP 400.3M
-67.45%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,072 SAR 4,025
$1,892 LBP 169.3M
-43.32%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Al Khobar
Beirut
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,877 SAR 7,046
$710 LBP 63.6M
164.34%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.88
11
-46.55%

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

Last update for Al Khobar: October 24, 2026

Last update for Beirut: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Al Khobar
$583
Beirut
$495 15.1% $88
Groceries & Markets
Al Khobar
$220
Beirut
$277 26.2% $58
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Al Khobar
$202
Beirut
$271 34.6% $70
Clothing & Footwear
Al Khobar
$152
Beirut
$170 12% $18
Eating Out
Al Khobar
$137
Beirut
$228 66.9% $92
Sport & Entertainment
Al Khobar
$112
Beirut
$116 3.9% $4.4
Getting Around
Al Khobar
$82
Beirut
$98 19.8% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $766 in Al Khobar and $946 in Beirut. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Khobar pays about 2.6 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $60 in Al Khobar vs $68 in Beirut for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $277 per month, with Al Khobar cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇸🇦 Al Khobar
🇱🇧 Beirut
🕒 Local time
16:58 4:58 PM
15:58 3:58 PM
1 h behind Al Khobar
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
219,679
1,916,100 Capital
💱 Currency
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.18 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 99,611 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Al Khobar Beirut 1,640 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Al Khobar
  • Beirut

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 Beirut: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Al Khobar or Beirut?
Al Khobar wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Beirut. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Al Khobar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Al Khobar or in Beirut?
Average pay in Al Khobar is about 2.6 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Al Khobar compared to Beirut?
Rent for a central apartment: $766 in Al Khobar versus $946 in Beirut. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Al Khobar compared to Beirut?
A monthly transit pass in Al Khobar runs roughly 18% less than in Beirut. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in Al Khobar and in Beirut?
Childcare runs $607 in Al Khobar versus $677 in Beirut. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Al Khobar or in Beirut?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Al Khobar is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city is better for families?
For families, Al Khobar is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Beirut, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Al Khobar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Beirut. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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