Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Mubarraz and Riyadh

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Mubarraz: $1,270 a month against $1,738 in Riyadh, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Al Mubarraz
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Al Mubarraz Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Riyadh
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Riyadh Living Index

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Al Mubarraz

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,270

/mo nomad

Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al Mubarraz 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 Mubarraz and in Riyadh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,270 per month in Al Mubarraz vs $1,738 in Riyadh, rent included.

Al Mubarraz $1,270
Riyadh $1,738

A couple spends around $1,895 per month in Al Mubarraz vs $2,567 in Riyadh, rent included.

Al Mubarraz $1,895
Riyadh $2,567

A family of three spends $2,520 per month in Al Mubarraz vs $3,396 in Riyadh, rent included.

Al Mubarraz $2,520
Riyadh $3,396

Al Mubarraz is about 27% cheaper than Riyadh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Al Mubarraz sits 6% below the global median, while Riyadh is 29% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.30 SAR 27.37

$8.09 SAR 30.35

-9.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.10 SAR 139

$66.3 SAR 249

-44.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.83 SAR 29.39

$8.16 SAR 30.64

-4.04%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 SAR 7.93

$2.08 SAR 7.79

1.44%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.89

$2.98 SAR 11.19

-29.53%

Cappuccino

$4.27 SAR 16.02

$4.25 SAR 15.96

0.47%

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

$0.70 SAR 2.64

$0.91 SAR 3.41

-23.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 SAR 1.06

$0.32 SAR 1.20

-12.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 SAR 6.65

$1.76 SAR 6.60

0.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 SAR 4.71

$1.26 SAR 4.72

-0.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 SAR 9.20

$2.43 SAR 9.13

0.82%

Eggs

$3.12 SAR 11.69

$3.13 SAR 11.76

-0.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.53 SAR 39.51

$10.69 SAR 40.11

-1.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.70 SAR 36.40

$9.44 SAR 35.41

2.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.83 SAR 55.6

$15.19 SAR 57.0

-2.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 SAR 10.97

$2.84 SAR 10.65

2.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 SAR 7.42

$1.96 SAR 7.36

1.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 SAR 9.19

$2.53 SAR 9.51

-3.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.46

$1.70 SAR 6.37

1.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 SAR 4.41

$1.18 SAR 4.44

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 SAR 4.77

$1.28 SAR 4.81

-0.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 SAR 6.40

$1.70 SAR 6.37

0.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 SAR 2.19

$0.57 SAR 2.12

1.75%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.86 SAR 10.73

$7.83 SAR 29.38

-63.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.84

$1.80 SAR 6.77

1.11%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 SAR 8.99

$2.39 SAR 8.95

0.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.56 SAR 28.35

$7.50 SAR 28.15

0.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.10

$1.07 SAR 4.03

1.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.60 SAR 137

$37.34 SAR 140

-1.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 SAR 12.29

$3.11 SAR 11.69

5.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 SAR 6.98

$1.81 SAR 6.79

2.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.09 SAR 49.11

$13.23 SAR 49.66

-1.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.40

$0.65 SAR 2.44

-1.54%

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

$35.3K SAR 132.5K

$34.7K SAR 130.1K

1.88%

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

$22.9K SAR 85.9K

$22.9K SAR 85.8K

0.06%

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

$109 SAR 410

$106 SAR 396

3.53%

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

$30.08 SAR 113

$29.61 SAR 111

1.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.1 SAR 274

$70.7 SAR 265

3.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.5 SAR 310

$91.6 SAR 344

-9.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$56.9 SAR 214

Cinema Ticket

$13.52 SAR 50.7

$13.09 SAR 49.11

3.28%

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

$542 SAR 2,032

$523 SAR 1,963

3.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K SAR 37.9K

$10.2K SAR 38.4K

-1.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 SAR 220

$58.8 SAR 221

-0.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 SAR 204

$53.1 SAR 199

2.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 SAR 392

$101 SAR 379

3.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 SAR 393

$103 SAR 386

1.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$580 SAR 2,178

$1,179 SAR 4,425

-50.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 SAR 1,391

$832 SAR 3,122

-55.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 SAR 3,115

$2,227 SAR 8,359

-62.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$571 SAR 2,143

$1,224 SAR 4,595

-53.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,398 SAR 8,998

$2,996 SAR 11.2K

-19.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,362 SAR 5,109

$1,913 SAR 7,177

-28.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,089 SAR 4,086

$2,067 SAR 7,757

-47.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

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

Last update for Al Mubarraz: October 11, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Al Mubarraz

$371 29.2%

Riyadh

$832 47.9% 125% $461

Groceries & Markets

Al Mubarraz

$242 19.1%

Riyadh

$242 13.9% 0.2% $0.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Mubarraz

$212 16.7%

Riyadh

$206 11.8% 3.1% $6.6

Clothing & Footwear

Al Mubarraz

$145 11.4%

Riyadh

$142 8.2% 2% $2.9

Eating Out

Al Mubarraz

$137 10.8%

Riyadh

$145 8.4% 5.9% $8.1

Sport & Entertainment

Al Mubarraz

$110 8.6%

Riyadh

$118 6.8% 7.5% $8.2

Getting Around

Al Mubarraz

$54 4.2%

Riyadh

$54 3.1% 0.5% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $580 in Al Mubarraz versus $1,179 in Riyadh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 90% higher in Riyadh, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Al Mubarraz versus $66.0 in Riyadh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $242 vs $242 – making Al Mubarraz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Al Mubarraz

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🕒 Local time

06:24 6:24 AM

Same time as Al Mubarraz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

290,802

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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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 Mubarraz vs Riyadh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,270 in Al Mubarraz, $1,738 in Riyadh – roughly 37% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,905 per month in Al Mubarraz and $2,607 in Riyadh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al Mubarraz, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $542 per month in Al Mubarraz and $523 in Riyadh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Riyadh – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Al Mubarraz, where all-in costs run around $1,270, than in Riyadh at $1,738. In Al Mubarraz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Riyadh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Riyadh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,270 in Al Mubarraz to $1,738 in Riyadh. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Al Mubarraz. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Riyadh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.