Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Khobar and Umluj

For one person, living is cheaper in Umluj: $1,173 a month against $1,487 in Al Khobar, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

72

Cost of Living Index in Al Khobar
Learn more

Al Khobar Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Umluj
Learn more

Umluj Living Index

Jump to prices

Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,487

/mo nomad

Umluj

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,173

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,487 in Al Khobar versus $1,173 in Umluj.

Al Khobar $1,487
Umluj $1,173

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,252 in Al Khobar versus $1,748 in Umluj.

Al Khobar $2,252
Umluj $1,748

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Al Khobar versus $2,323 in Umluj.

Al Khobar $3,016
Umluj $2,323

Living in Al Khobar is roughly 27% more expensive than in Umluj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al Khobar is 9% above, Umluj is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.81 SAR 25.56

$5.94 SAR 22.30

14.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.9 SAR 225

$37.56 SAR 141

59.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 SAR 30.00

$8.06 SAR 30.22

-0.74%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.61 SAR 9.79

$1.90 SAR 7.13

37.37%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 SAR 9.91

$2.28 SAR 8.55

15.79%

Cappuccino

$4.43 SAR 16.63

$3.19 SAR 11.96

38.87%

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

$0.87 SAR 3.26

$0.84 SAR 3.15

3.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 SAR 1.52

$0.26 SAR 0.98

53.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 SAR 6.36

$1.73 SAR 6.48

-2.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 SAR 4.76

$1.30 SAR 4.89

-2.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 SAR 9.53

$2.25 SAR 8.45

12.89%

Eggs

$2.45 SAR 9.21

$2.42 SAR 9.08

1.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.28 SAR 27.33

$7.54 SAR 28.30

-3.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.16 SAR 38.13

$7.99 SAR 29.97

27.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.86 SAR 44.48

$12.85 SAR 48.21

-7.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 SAR 9.97

$2.22 SAR 8.33

19.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 SAR 6.36

$1.75 SAR 6.56

-3.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 SAR 7.66

$1.63 SAR 6.12

25.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 SAR 6.56

$1.55 SAR 5.82

12.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 SAR 5.27

$1.22 SAR 4.58

14.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 SAR 6.20

$1.27 SAR 4.76

29.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 SAR 6.55

$1.20 SAR 4.51

45.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 SAR 2.18

$0.53 SAR 2.01

9.43%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.73 SAR 10.26

$2.96 SAR 11.12

-7.77%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

$1.79 SAR 6.72

-7.82%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 SAR 7.13

$2.08 SAR 7.79

-8.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.75 SAR 25.31

$6.45 SAR 24.21

4.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 SAR 3.55

$1.09 SAR 4.09

-12.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.9 SAR 232

$36.66 SAR 138

68.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 SAR 10.88

$2.68 SAR 10.04

8.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 SAR 9.89

$1.89 SAR 7.08

39.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.58 SAR 24.67

$13.51 SAR 50.7

-51.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.39

$0.60 SAR 2.26

6.67%

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

$67.8K SAR 254.4K

$29.1K SAR 109.3K

132.73%

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

$21.6K SAR 81.0K

$21.9K SAR 82.0K

-1.23%

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

$99.4 SAR 373

$106 SAR 396

-5.86%

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

$33.37 SAR 125

$32.42 SAR 122

2.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.9 SAR 258

$66.6 SAR 250

3.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.3 SAR 305

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.86 SAR 138

Cinema Ticket

$15.26 SAR 57.3

$13.09 SAR 49.11

16.58%

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

$607 SAR 2,278

$423 SAR 1,586

43.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,542 SAR 32.0K

$7,811 SAR 29.3K

9.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 SAR 238

$42.28 SAR 159

49.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$82.3 SAR 309

$54.5 SAR 204

50.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 SAR 367

$96.5 SAR 362

1.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.4 SAR 354

$86.0 SAR 323

9.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$766 SAR 2,875

$570 SAR 2,139

34.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 SAR 2,189

$364 SAR 1,365

60.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 SAR 4,677

$809 SAR 3,034

54.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 SAR 3,400

$567 SAR 2,127

59.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,456 SAR 5,462

$2,340 SAR 8,777

-37.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,072 SAR 4,023

$1,355 SAR 5,085

-20.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,877 SAR 7,043

$4,290 SAR 16.1K

-56.24%

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 24, 2026

Last update for Umluj: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Al Khobar

$583 39.2%

Umluj

$364 31% 37.6% $220

Groceries & Markets

Al Khobar

$220 14.8%

Umluj

$203 17.4% 7.4% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Khobar

$202 13.6%

Umluj

$205 17.5% 1.5% $2.9

Clothing & Footwear

Al Khobar

$152 10.2%

Umluj

$126 10.7% 17.3% $26

Eating Out

Al Khobar

$137 9.2%

Umluj

$114 9.8% 16.4% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Al Khobar

$112 7.5%

Umluj

$107 9.2% 3.9% $4.3

Getting Around

Al Khobar

$82 5.5%

Umluj

$53 4.5% 35% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $766 in Al Khobar and $570 in Umluj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umluj pays about 2.3 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 $38 in Umluj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $203 per month, with Umluj cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Umluj

🕒 Local time

07:42 7:42 AM

Same time as Al Khobar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

219,679

37,757

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.267 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

1 SAR = 0.267 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Al Khobar Umluj 1,300 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Al Khobar
Umluj

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 Umluj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Umluj wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Al Khobar. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Umluj the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 56% lower in Al Khobar. 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: $766 in Al Khobar versus $570 in Umluj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Umluj runs roughly 41% less than in Al Khobar. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $607 in Al Khobar versus $423 in Umluj. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Umluj gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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

Expats usually find Umluj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.