Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Khobar and Riyadh

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Khobar: $1,405 a month against $1,738 in Riyadh, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Riyadh outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

68

Cost of Living Index in Al Khobar
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Al Khobar Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Riyadh
Learn more

Riyadh Living Index

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Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,405

/mo nomad

Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,405 in Al Khobar versus $1,738 in Riyadh.

Al Khobar $1,405
Riyadh $1,738

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,186 in Al Khobar versus $2,567 in Riyadh.

Al Khobar $2,186
Riyadh $2,567

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,967 in Al Khobar versus $3,396 in Riyadh.

Al Khobar $2,967
Riyadh $3,396

Living in Al Khobar costs roughly 19% less than in Riyadh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Al Khobar 4% above, Riyadh 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.53 SAR 24.51

$8.09 SAR 30.35

-19.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.2 SAR 222

$66.3 SAR 249

-10.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 SAR 29.50

$8.16 SAR 30.64

-3.68%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 SAR 10.28

$2.08 SAR 7.79

31.73%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 SAR 10.05

$2.98 SAR 11.19

-10.07%

Cappuccino

$4.48 SAR 16.79

$4.25 SAR 15.96

5.41%

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

$0.87 SAR 3.25

$0.91 SAR 3.41

-4.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 SAR 1.42

$0.32 SAR 1.20

18.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

$1.76 SAR 6.60

-3.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 SAR 4.80

$1.26 SAR 4.72

1.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.46 SAR 9.24

$2.43 SAR 9.13

1.23%

Eggs

$2.32 SAR 8.69

$3.13 SAR 11.76

-25.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.15 SAR 26.84

$10.69 SAR 40.11

-33.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 SAR 38.43

$9.44 SAR 35.41

8.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.69 SAR 43.86

$15.19 SAR 57.0

-23.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 SAR 9.83

$2.84 SAR 10.65

-7.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 SAR 6.59

$1.96 SAR 7.36

-10.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 SAR 7.43

$2.53 SAR 9.51

-21.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 SAR 6.64

$1.70 SAR 6.37

4.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 SAR 5.11

$1.18 SAR 4.44

15.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 SAR 6.24

$1.28 SAR 4.81

29.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 SAR 6.23

$1.70 SAR 6.37

-2.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 SAR 2.01

$0.57 SAR 2.12

-7.02%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.63 SAR 9.88

$7.83 SAR 29.38

-66.41%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.98

$1.80 SAR 6.77

-11.67%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 SAR 6.91

$2.39 SAR 8.95

-23.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 SAR 25.00

$7.50 SAR 28.15

-11.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 SAR 2.75

$1.07 SAR 4.03

-31.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.2 SAR 252

$37.34 SAR 140

80.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 SAR 12.14

$3.11 SAR 11.69

3.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 SAR 10.20

$1.81 SAR 6.79

50.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.48 SAR 24.31

$13.23 SAR 49.66

-51.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.37

$0.65 SAR 2.44

-3.08%

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

$66.3K SAR 248.6K

$34.7K SAR 130.1K

91.16%

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

$22.5K SAR 84.6K

$22.9K SAR 85.8K

-1.50%

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

$99.6 SAR 374

$106 SAR 396

-5.62%

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

$33.32 SAR 125

$29.61 SAR 111

12.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 SAR 265

$70.7 SAR 265

-0.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.0 SAR 308

$91.6 SAR 344

-10.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.23 SAR 140

$56.9 SAR 214

-34.58%

Cinema Ticket

$15.07 SAR 56.6

$13.09 SAR 49.11

15.13%

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

$589 SAR 2,210

$523 SAR 1,963

12.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,524 SAR 32.0K

$10.2K SAR 38.4K

-16.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 SAR 233

$58.8 SAR 221

5.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$83.0 SAR 312

$53.1 SAR 199

56.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.2 SAR 365

$101 SAR 379

-3.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 SAR 352

$103 SAR 386

-8.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$630 SAR 2,363

$1,179 SAR 4,425

-46.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 SAR 1,873

$832 SAR 3,122

-40.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 SAR 4,454

$2,227 SAR 8,359

-46.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 SAR 3,226

$1,224 SAR 4,595

-29.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,404 SAR 9,020

$2,996 SAR 11.2K

-19.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 SAR 5,417

$1,913 SAR 7,177

-24.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,829 SAR 6,864

$2,067 SAR 7,757

-11.50%

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: October 10, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Al Khobar

$499 35.5%

Riyadh

$832 47.9% 66.7% $333

Groceries & Markets

Al Khobar

$217 15.5%

Riyadh

$242 13.9% 11% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Khobar

$203 14.5%

Riyadh

$206 11.8% 1.2% $2.4

Clothing & Footwear

Al Khobar

$151 10.8%

Riyadh

$142 8.2% 6% $9.1

Eating Out

Al Khobar

$135 9.6%

Riyadh

$145 8.4% 7.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Al Khobar

$112 8%

Riyadh

$118 6.8% 5% $5.6

Getting Around

Al Khobar

$87 6.2%

Riyadh

$54 3.1% 38.2% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $630 in Al Khobar and $1,179 in Riyadh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 13% 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: $59.0 in Al Khobar vs $66.0 in Riyadh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $242 per month, with Al Khobar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🕒 Local time

03:14 3:14 AM

Same time as Al Khobar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

219,679

5,188,286 Capital

💱 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

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Al Khobar Riyadh 400 km

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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 Riyadh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Riyadh. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $630 in Al Khobar versus $1,179 in Riyadh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Al Khobar runs roughly 80% less than in Riyadh. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $589 in Al Khobar versus $523 in Riyadh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,405 in Al Khobar versus $1,738 in Riyadh, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al Khobar but tight or insufficient in Riyadh. The gap between the two cities makes Al Khobar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Al Khobar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,405 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Al Khobar hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Al Khobar and Riyadh 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 Khobar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.