Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Khobar and Hafar Al Batin

For one person, living is cheaper in Hafar Al Batin: $1,202 a month against $1,471 in Al Khobar, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

71

Cost of Living Index in Al Khobar
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Al Khobar Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Hafar Al Batin
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Hafar Al Batin Living Index

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Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,471

/mo nomad

Hafar Al Batin

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al Khobar and in Hafar Al Batin

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 Hafar Al Batin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,471 in Al Khobar versus $1,202 in Hafar Al Batin.

Al Khobar $1,471
Hafar Al Batin $1,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,231 in Al Khobar versus $1,766 in Hafar Al Batin.

Al Khobar $2,231
Hafar Al Batin $1,766

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,991 in Al Khobar versus $2,330 in Hafar Al Batin.

Al Khobar $2,991
Hafar Al Batin $2,330

Living in Al Khobar is roughly 22% more expensive than in Hafar Al Batin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al Khobar is 9% above, Hafar Al Batin is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.74 SAR 25.29

$6.22 SAR 23.33

8.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 SAR 226

$34.60 SAR 130

73.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.14 SAR 30.57

$8.78 SAR 32.94

-7.29%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 SAR 9.76

$1.66 SAR 6.24

56.63%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 SAR 10.03

$2.53 SAR 9.48

5.53%

Cappuccino

$4.35 SAR 16.33

$3.42 SAR 12.82

27.19%

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

$0.94 SAR 3.54

$0.79 SAR 2.95

18.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 SAR 1.53

$0.28 SAR 1.03

46.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

$2.00 SAR 7.52

-17.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 SAR 4.67

$1.14 SAR 4.29

8.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.46 SAR 9.24

$2.35 SAR 8.80

4.68%

Eggs

$2.35 SAR 8.81

$2.35 SAR 8.83

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.42 SAR 27.87

$7.42 SAR 27.85

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.09 SAR 37.87

$8.07 SAR 30.30

25.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.69 SAR 43.86

$12.94 SAR 48.57

-9.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 SAR 10.20

$2.15 SAR 8.09

26.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 SAR 6.40

$1.74 SAR 6.52

-1.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 SAR 7.43

$1.57 SAR 5.90

26.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 SAR 6.52

$1.63 SAR 6.11

6.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 SAR 5.33

$1.23 SAR 4.63

15.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 SAR 6.25

$1.34 SAR 5.02

24.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

$1.21 SAR 4.53

36.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 SAR 2.01

$0.57 SAR 2.14

-7.02%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.62 SAR 9.82

$2.99 SAR 11.21

-12.37%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 SAR 5.92

$1.77 SAR 6.63

-10.73%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 SAR 7.03

$2.02 SAR 7.58

-7.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.80 SAR 25.50

$6.58 SAR 24.68

3.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 SAR 3.49

$1.21 SAR 4.54

-23.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.5 SAR 204

$33.12 SAR 124

64.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 SAR 6.61

$2.89 SAR 10.85

-39.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.68 SAR 10.07

$1.48 SAR 5.55

81.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.22 SAR 53.4

$14.96 SAR 56.1

-4.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.38

$0.66 SAR 2.46

-4.55%

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

$66.8K SAR 250.9K

$26.1K SAR 98.1K

155.86%

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

$21.4K SAR 80.3K

$24.0K SAR 90.0K

-10.77%

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

$96.9 SAR 364

$117 SAR 439

-17.23%

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

$32.58 SAR 122

$28.31 SAR 106

15.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.3 SAR 256

$57.3 SAR 215

19.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.1 SAR 301

$89.2 SAR 335

-10.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.17 SAR 136

Cinema Ticket

$15.22 SAR 57.1

$11.83 SAR 44.39

28.66%

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

$599 SAR 2,249

$421 SAR 1,581

42.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K SAR 69.9K

$10.6K SAR 39.9K

74.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.5 SAR 238

$41.63 SAR 156

52.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$83.0 SAR 311

$58.9 SAR 221

40.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.4 SAR 366

$101 SAR 379

-3.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.8 SAR 356

$93.1 SAR 349

1.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 SAR 2,860

$610 SAR 2,290

24.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$584 SAR 2,192

$379 SAR 1,424

53.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 SAR 4,602

$932 SAR 3,499

31.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$912 SAR 3,424

$560 SAR 2,103

62.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,437 SAR 5,392

$2,033 SAR 7,630

-29.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,037 SAR 3,894

$1,080 SAR 4,054

-3.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,872 SAR 7,028

$1,416 SAR 5,315

32.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.88

5.54

6.14%

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

Last update for Al Khobar: November 3, 2026

Last update for Hafar Al Batin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Al Khobar

$584 39.7%

Hafar Al Batin

$379 31.6% 35% $205

Groceries & Markets

Al Khobar

$217 14.8%

Hafar Al Batin

$205 17.1% 5.3% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Khobar

$198 13.4%

Hafar Al Batin

$203 16.9% 2.5% $4.9

Clothing & Footwear

Al Khobar

$152 10.4%

Hafar Al Batin

$133 11% 13% $20

Eating Out

Al Khobar

$136 9.2%

Hafar Al Batin

$121 10.1% 10.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Al Khobar

$111 7.5%

Hafar Al Batin

$113 9.4% 2% $2.3

Getting Around

Al Khobar

$73 5%

Hafar Al Batin

$48 4% 34.2% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $762 in Al Khobar and $610 in Hafar Al Batin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Khobar pays 32% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $60 in Al Khobar vs $35 in Hafar Al Batin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $205 per month, with Hafar Al Batin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Hafar Al Batin

🕒 Local time

22:12 10:12 PM

Same time as Al Khobar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

219,679

271,642

💱 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 Hafar Al Batin 480 km

From you

Al Khobar
Hafar Al Batin

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 Hafar Al Batin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hafar Al Batin wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Al Khobar. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Hafar Al Batin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 32% higher in Al Khobar, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $762 in Al Khobar versus $610 in Hafar Al Batin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Hafar Al Batin runs roughly 39% less than in Al Khobar. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $599 in Al Khobar versus $421 in Hafar Al Batin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Hafar Al Batin is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Hafar Al Batin are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Hafar Al Batin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.