Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Khobar and Khamis Mushayt

For one person, living is cheaper in Khamis Mushayt: $1,113 a month against $1,471 in Al Khobar, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

71

Cost of Living Index in Al Khobar
Learn more

Al Khobar Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Khamis Mushayt
Learn more

Khamis Mushayt Living Index

Jump to prices

Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,471

/mo nomad

Khamis Mushayt

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,113

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al Khobar and in Khamis Mushayt

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,471 in Al Khobar versus $1,113 in Khamis Mushayt.

Al Khobar $1,471
Khamis Mushayt $1,113

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,231 in Al Khobar versus $1,645 in Khamis Mushayt.

Al Khobar $2,231
Khamis Mushayt $1,645

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,991 in Al Khobar versus $2,178 in Khamis Mushayt.

Al Khobar $2,991
Khamis Mushayt $2,178

Living in Al Khobar is roughly 32% more expensive than in Khamis Mushayt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al Khobar is 9% above, Khamis Mushayt is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.74 SAR 25.30

$4.56 SAR 17.11

47.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 SAR 226

$32.11 SAR 121

87.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.14 SAR 30.57

$6.89 SAR 25.87

18.14%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 SAR 9.76

$1.72 SAR 6.47

51.16%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 SAR 10.03

$2.12 SAR 7.97

25.94%

Cappuccino

$4.35 SAR 16.33

$2.94 SAR 11.04

47.96%

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

$0.94 SAR 3.54

$0.68 SAR 2.56

38.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 SAR 1.53

$0.21 SAR 0.79

95.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

$1.63 SAR 6.11

1.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 SAR 4.67

$0.39 SAR 1.46

217.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.46 SAR 9.24

$3.28 SAR 12.31

-25.00%

Eggs

$2.35 SAR 8.81

$2.43 SAR 9.11

-3.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.42 SAR 27.87

$6.41 SAR 24.06

15.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.09 SAR 37.87

$5.54 SAR 20.80

82.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.69 SAR 43.87

$12.76 SAR 47.89

-8.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 SAR 10.20

$2.23 SAR 8.35

21.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 SAR 6.40

$1.69 SAR 6.33

1.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 SAR 7.43

$1.60 SAR 6.02

23.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 SAR 6.52

$1.61 SAR 6.02

8.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 SAR 5.33

$1.21 SAR 4.56

17.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 SAR 6.25

$1.31 SAR 4.91

27.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

$1.29 SAR 4.83

27.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 SAR 2.01

$0.52 SAR 1.96

1.92%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.62 SAR 9.82

$2.60 SAR 9.76

0.77%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 SAR 5.92

$1.77 SAR 6.65

-10.73%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 SAR 7.03

$2.19 SAR 8.23

-14.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.80 SAR 25.51

$6.81 SAR 25.56

-0.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 SAR 3.50

$0.92 SAR 3.47

1.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.5 SAR 204

$35.04 SAR 132

55.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 SAR 6.61

$2.69 SAR 10.09

-34.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.68 SAR 10.07

$1.90 SAR 7.14

41.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.22 SAR 53.4

$13.69 SAR 51.4

3.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.38

$0.64 SAR 2.42

-1.56%

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

$66.8K SAR 250.9K

$32.9K SAR 123.6K

102.98%

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

$21.4K SAR 80.3K

$22.5K SAR 84.3K

-4.74%

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

$96.9 SAR 364

$103 SAR 386

-5.71%

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

$32.58 SAR 122

$32.00 SAR 120

1.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.3 SAR 256

$59.3 SAR 223

15.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.1 SAR 301

$77.6 SAR 291

3.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.17 SAR 136

Cinema Ticket

$15.22 SAR 57.1

$13.30 SAR 49.94

14.44%

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

$599 SAR 2,249

$443 SAR 1,662

35.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K SAR 69.9K

$10.2K SAR 38.2K

82.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.5 SAR 238

$42.84 SAR 161

48.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$83.0 SAR 311

$62.1 SAR 233

33.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.4 SAR 366

$100 SAR 375

-2.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.8 SAR 356

$86.1 SAR 323

10.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 SAR 2,861

$484 SAR 1,818

57.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$584 SAR 2,192

$355 SAR 1,334

64.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 SAR 4,603

$939 SAR 3,524

30.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$912 SAR 3,424

$551 SAR 2,069

65.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,437 SAR 5,392

$2,026 SAR 7,606

-29.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,037 SAR 3,894

$1,134 SAR 4,258

-8.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,872 SAR 7,028

$1,567 SAR 5,880

19.52%

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 Khamis Mushayt: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Al Khobar

$584 39.7%

Khamis Mushayt

$355 31.9% 39.2% $229

Groceries & Markets

Al Khobar

$217 14.8%

Khamis Mushayt

$182 16.3% 16.3% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Khobar

$198 13.4%

Khamis Mushayt

$194 17.4% 1.9% $3.7

Clothing & Footwear

Al Khobar

$152 10.4%

Khamis Mushayt

$131 11.8% 14% $21

Eating Out

Al Khobar

$136 9.2%

Khamis Mushayt

$96 8.6% 29.4% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Al Khobar

$111 7.5%

Khamis Mushayt

$104 9.4% 5.7% $6.3

Getting Around

Al Khobar

$73 5%

Khamis Mushayt

$51 4.6% 30.6% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $762 in Al Khobar and $484 in Khamis Mushayt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Khobar pays 20% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $60 in Al Khobar vs $32 in Khamis Mushayt for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $182 per month, with Khamis Mushayt cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Khamis Mushayt

🕒 Local time

06:32 6:32 AM

Same time as Al Khobar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

219,679

430,828

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Al Khobar Khamis Mushayt 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Al Khobar
Khamis Mushayt

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 Khamis Mushayt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Khamis Mushayt wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Al Khobar. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Khamis Mushayt the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 20% 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 $484 in Khamis Mushayt. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Khamis Mushayt runs roughly 36% less than in Al Khobar. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $599 in Al Khobar versus $443 in Khamis Mushayt. 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. Khamis Mushayt 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 Khamis Mushayt are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Khamis Mushayt gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.