Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Khobar and Dammam Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Khobar and Dammam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,415 in Al Khobar versus $1,227 in Dammam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,187 in Al Khobar versus $1,878 in Dammam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,960 in Al Khobar versus $2,530 in Dammam.

Living in Al Khobar is roughly 15% more expensive than in Dammam, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al Khobar is 3% above, Dammam is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.69 SAR 25.13

$6.59 SAR 24.74

1.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.3 SAR 223

$39.22 SAR 147

51.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 SAR 29.73

$7.95 SAR 29.87

-0.38%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 SAR 9.74

$1.82 SAR 6.82

42.31%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 SAR 10.15

$1.79 SAR 6.71

50.84%

Cappuccino

$4.32 SAR 16.21

$3.56 SAR 13.36

21.35%

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

$1.00 SAR 3.74

$0.80 SAR 3.00

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 SAR 1.42

$0.28 SAR 1.04

35.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 SAR 6.08

$1.64 SAR 6.16

-1.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 SAR 4.75

$1.05 SAR 3.95

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 SAR 9.13

$2.34 SAR 8.79

3.85%

Eggs

$2.40 SAR 9.02

$2.46 SAR 9.23

-2.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.11 SAR 26.72

$6.75 SAR 25.33

5.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.25 SAR 38.48

$7.30 SAR 27.41

40.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.75 SAR 44.13

$13.01 SAR 48.85

-9.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 SAR 10.44

$2.39 SAR 8.97

16.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$1.64 SAR 6.16

4.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 SAR 7.42

$1.64 SAR 6.16

20.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 SAR 6.87

$1.58 SAR 5.92

15.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 SAR 5.05

$1.23 SAR 4.63

9.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 SAR 6.13

$1.39 SAR 5.21

17.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 SAR 6.30

$1.30 SAR 4.87

29.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.05

$0.59 SAR 2.23

-6.78%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.60 SAR 9.75

$2.94 SAR 11.04

-11.56%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.96

$1.75 SAR 6.57

-9.14%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 SAR 6.79

$2.01 SAR 7.53

-9.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 SAR 24.56

$7.39 SAR 27.75

-11.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 SAR 2.79

$1.08 SAR 4.06

-31.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.6 SAR 250

$40.25 SAR 151

65.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 SAR 12.78

$2.68 SAR 10.08

26.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 SAR 9.83

$1.92 SAR 7.21

36.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.75 SAR 25.36

$13.44 SAR 50.5

-49.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.25

$0.59 SAR 2.23

1.69%

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

$67.2K SAR 252.4K

$26.1K SAR 98.1K

157.25%

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

$22.3K SAR 83.7K

$23.5K SAR 88.3K

-5.27%

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

$100 SAR 376

$106 SAR 397

-5.25%

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

$32.10 SAR 121

$33.13 SAR 124

-3.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.3 SAR 256

$70.4 SAR 264

-3.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.6 SAR 306

$95.6 SAR 359

-14.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.00 SAR 135

$36.61 SAR 138

-1.67%

Cinema Ticket

$15.59 SAR 58.6

$14.31 SAR 53.8

8.94%

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

$590 SAR 2,216

$349 SAR 1,310

69.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,568 SAR 32.2K

$7,538 SAR 28.3K

13.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 SAR 234

$56.2 SAR 211

10.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$83.5 SAR 313

$64.5 SAR 242

29.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 SAR 359

$85.1 SAR 319

12.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 SAR 343

$82.0 SAR 308

11.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 SAR 2,423

$438 SAR 1,646

47.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$496 SAR 1,864

$384 SAR 1,441

29.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 SAR 4,463

$884 SAR 3,321

34.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$876 SAR 3,289

$633 SAR 2,379

38.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,382 SAR 8,944

$1,731 SAR 6,502

37.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 SAR 5,498

$1,102 SAR 4,139

32.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,812 SAR 6,806

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.88

4.42

33.03%

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

Last update for Al Khobar: September 6, 2026

Last update for Dammam: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $645 in Al Khobar and $438 in Dammam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $59.0 in Al Khobar vs $39.00 in Dammam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $218 vs $197 per month, with Dammam 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 Dammam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dammam wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Al Khobar. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dammam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,122 in Al Khobar and $1,840 in Dammam 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: $645 in Al Khobar versus $438 in Dammam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dammam runs roughly 65% less than in Al Khobar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $590 in Al Khobar versus $349 in Dammam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,227 in Dammam versus $1,415 in Al Khobar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dammam but tight or insufficient in Al Khobar. The gap between the two cities makes Dammam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Dammam delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,227 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Dammam hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Al Khobar and Dammam 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 Dammam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.