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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,341 in Al Khobar versus $1,146 in Unaizah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,136 in Al Khobar versus $1,774 in Unaizah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,931 in Al Khobar versus $2,402 in Unaizah.

Living in Al Khobar is roughly 17% more expensive than Unaizah, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al Khobar is 0% above, Unaizah is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.80 SAR 25.51

$6.47 SAR 24.26

5.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.4 SAR 196

$40.06 SAR 150

30.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 SAR 29.27

$7.04 SAR 26.39

10.94%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 SAR 7.63

$1.57 SAR 5.90

29.30%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 SAR 10.23

$1.30 SAR 4.86

110.00%

Cappuccino

$4.23 SAR 15.84

$4.07 SAR 15.26

3.93%

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

$1.02 SAR 3.84

$0.72 SAR 2.72

41.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 SAR 1.83

$0.28 SAR 1.06

75.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 SAR 6.63

$1.50 SAR 5.61

18.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 SAR 5.02

$0.29 SAR 1.08

362.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 SAR 9.01

$2.26 SAR 8.49

6.19%

Eggs

$2.82 SAR 10.57

$2.42 SAR 9.06

16.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.88 SAR 25.80

$6.05 SAR 22.69

13.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.05 SAR 33.93

$4.62 SAR 17.32

95.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.37 SAR 46.39

$13.08 SAR 49.06

-5.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 SAR 9.11

$2.27 SAR 8.52

7.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 SAR 6.47

$1.62 SAR 6.07

6.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 SAR 8.29

$1.72 SAR 6.45

28.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.08

$1.55 SAR 5.82

4.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 SAR 5.36

$1.29 SAR 4.84

10.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.46

$2.65 SAR 9.93

-35.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 SAR 6.40

$1.19 SAR 4.47

43.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$0.68 SAR 2.55

-13.24%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.72 SAR 10.21

$3.09 SAR 11.58

-11.97%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 SAR 5.50

$1.68 SAR 6.30

-12.50%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 SAR 7.02

$2.08 SAR 7.80

-10.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.59 SAR 24.71

$6.84 SAR 25.64

-3.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 SAR 3.40

$1.08 SAR 4.05

-15.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.5 SAR 223

$40.65 SAR 152

46.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 SAR 8.29

$2.60 SAR 9.75

-15.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 SAR 4.90

$1.88 SAR 7.07

-30.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.69 SAR 25.08

$13.53 SAR 50.7

-50.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.38

$0.61 SAR 2.28

3.28%

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

$21.0K SAR 78.7K

$26.2K SAR 98.3K

-19.92%

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

$23.1K SAR 86.5K

$21.9K SAR 82.2K

5.26%

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

$123 SAR 461

$104 SAR 391

17.83%

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

$34.30 SAR 129

$33.59 SAR 126

2.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.9 SAR 303

$71.8 SAR 269

12.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$109 SAR 409

$53.9 SAR 202

102.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.07 SAR 135

$35.68 SAR 134

1.09%

Cinema Ticket

$17.15 SAR 64.3

$15.43 SAR 57.9

11.15%

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

$306 SAR 1,147

$358 SAR 1,341

-14.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,552 SAR 28.3K

$7,080 SAR 26.6K

6.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 SAR 236

$60.1 SAR 225

4.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.8 SAR 258

$60.8 SAR 228

13.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 SAR 372

$78.6 SAR 295

26.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 SAR 297

$80.4 SAR 302

-1.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 SAR 1,639

$448 SAR 1,679

-2.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 SAR 1,479

$374 SAR 1,404

5.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,054 SAR 3,952

$847 SAR 3,175

24.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$788 SAR 2,955

$630 SAR 2,364

24.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,411 SAR 9,040

$2,243 SAR 8,410

7.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,432 SAR 5,370

$1,249 SAR 4,683

14.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,942 SAR 7,283

$2,542 SAR 9,532

-23.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.84

4.42

-13.12%

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

Last update for Al Khobar: April 26, 2026

Last update for Unaizah: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $437 in Al Khobar and $448 in Unaizah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Unaizah pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Al Khobar vs $40.00 in Unaizah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $175 per month, with Unaizah 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 Unaizah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Unaizah wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Al Khobar. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Unaizah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Unaizah earns 31% less. 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: $437 in Al Khobar versus $448 in Unaizah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Unaizah runs roughly 46% less than in Al Khobar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $306 in Al Khobar versus $358 in Unaizah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,146 in Unaizah versus $1,341 in Al Khobar, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Unaizah but tight or insufficient in Al Khobar. The gap between the two cities makes Unaizah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Unaizah 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 Unaizah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.