Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Khobar and Yanbu

For one person, living is cheaper in Yanbu: $1,021 a month against $1,487 in Al Khobar, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Yanbu
Learn more

Yanbu Living Index

Jump to prices

Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,487

/mo nomad

Yanbu

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,021

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,487 in Al Khobar versus $1,021 in Yanbu.

Al Khobar $1,487
Yanbu $1,021

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,252 in Al Khobar versus $1,620 in Yanbu.

Al Khobar $2,252
Yanbu $1,620

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Al Khobar versus $2,220 in Yanbu.

Al Khobar $3,016
Yanbu $2,220

Living in Al Khobar is roughly 46% more expensive than in Yanbu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al Khobar is 9% above, Yanbu is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.81 SAR 25.57

$5.99 SAR 22.48

13.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.9 SAR 225

$38.12 SAR 143

57.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 SAR 30.01

$6.67 SAR 25.03

19.94%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.61 SAR 9.80

$1.57 SAR 5.88

66.24%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 SAR 9.92

$1.65 SAR 6.18

60.00%

Cappuccino

$4.43 SAR 16.64

$3.90 SAR 14.65

13.59%

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

$0.87 SAR 3.26

$0.82 SAR 3.07

6.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 SAR 1.52

$0.18 SAR 0.68

122.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 SAR 6.36

$1.71 SAR 6.40

-1.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 SAR 4.76

$0.94 SAR 3.52

35.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 SAR 9.53

$2.20 SAR 8.26

15.45%

Eggs

$2.45 SAR 9.21

$2.53 SAR 9.49

-3.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.28 SAR 27.34

$6.33 SAR 23.76

15.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.16 SAR 38.14

$8.43 SAR 31.64

20.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.86 SAR 44.50

$13.00 SAR 48.78

-8.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 SAR 9.97

$2.12 SAR 7.97

25.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 SAR 6.36

$1.71 SAR 6.41

-1.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 SAR 7.66

$1.46 SAR 5.46

39.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 SAR 6.56

$1.62 SAR 6.06

8.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 SAR 5.27

$1.17 SAR 4.39

19.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 SAR 6.20

$1.04 SAR 3.91

58.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 SAR 6.55

$1.10 SAR 4.13

59.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 SAR 2.18

$0.54 SAR 2.03

7.41%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.73 SAR 10.26

$1.33 SAR 4.98

105.26%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

$1.36 SAR 5.10

21.32%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 SAR 7.13

$2.20 SAR 8.26

-13.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.75 SAR 25.32

$6.48 SAR 24.32

4.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 SAR 3.55

$1.06 SAR 3.97

-10.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.9 SAR 232

$37.43 SAR 140

65.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 SAR 10.88

$3.15 SAR 11.82

-7.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 SAR 9.90

$0.78 SAR 2.94

238.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.58 SAR 24.68

$13.66 SAR 51.3

-51.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.39

$0.62 SAR 2.32

3.23%

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

$67.8K SAR 254.5K

$37.9K SAR 142.4K

78.79%

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

$21.6K SAR 81.0K

$22.0K SAR 82.5K

-1.83%

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

$99.4 SAR 373

$91.4 SAR 343

8.67%

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

$33.37 SAR 125

$22.38 SAR 84.0

49.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.9 SAR 259

$67.0 SAR 251

2.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.3 SAR 305

$95.6 SAR 359

-14.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.86 SAR 138

$26.53 SAR 99.6

38.94%

Cinema Ticket

$15.26 SAR 57.3

$11.78 SAR 44.21

29.54%

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

$607 SAR 2,279

$263 SAR 987

131.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,542 SAR 32.1K

$3,844 SAR 14.4K

122.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 SAR 238

$74.3 SAR 279

-14.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$82.3 SAR 309

$57.7 SAR 217

42.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 SAR 367

$99.2 SAR 372

-1.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.4 SAR 354

$93.5 SAR 351

1.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$766 SAR 2,877

$315 SAR 1,181

143.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 SAR 2,189

$211 SAR 790

177.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 SAR 4,678

$610 SAR 2,288

104.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 SAR 3,401

$414 SAR 1,552

119.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,456 SAR 5,464

$1,702 SAR 6,387

-14.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,072 SAR 4,025

$1,237 SAR 4,644

-13.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,877 SAR 7,046

$3,411 SAR 12.8K

-44.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.88

5.39

9.09%

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

Last update for Al Khobar: October 24, 2026

Last update for Yanbu: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Al Khobar

$583 39.2%

Yanbu

$210 20.6% 63.9% $373

Groceries & Markets

Al Khobar

$220 14.8%

Yanbu

$197 19.3% 10.4% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Khobar

$202 13.6%

Yanbu

$181 17.7% 10.3% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Al Khobar

$152 10.2%

Yanbu

$146 14.3% 3.9% $5.9

Eating Out

Al Khobar

$137 9.2%

Yanbu

$119 11.6% 13.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Al Khobar

$112 7.5%

Yanbu

$119 11.7% 6.6% $7.3

Getting Around

Al Khobar

$82 5.5%

Yanbu

$49 4.8% 40.4% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $766 in Al Khobar and $315 in Yanbu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yanbu pays 82% 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 Yanbu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $197 per month, with Yanbu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Yanbu

🕒 Local time

07:46 7:46 AM

Same time as Al Khobar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

219,679

233,236

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Al Khobar Yanbu 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Al Khobar
Yanbu

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 Yanbu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yanbu wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Al Khobar. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Yanbu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 45% 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 $315 in Yanbu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Yanbu runs roughly 40% less than in Al Khobar. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $607 in Al Khobar versus $263 in Yanbu. 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. Yanbu 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 Yanbu are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Yanbu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.