Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-Ula and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-Ula: $1,230 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Al-Ula
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Al-Ula Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Al-Ula

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,230

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al-Ula and in Athens

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Al-Ula and in Athens actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,230 per month in Al-Ula vs $1,779 in Athens, rent included.

Al-Ula $1,230
Athens $1,779

A couple spends around $1,822 per month in Al-Ula vs $2,721 in Athens, rent included.

Al-Ula $1,822
Athens $2,721

A family of three spends $2,414 per month in Al-Ula vs $3,663 in Athens, rent included.

Al-Ula $2,414
Athens $3,663

Al-Ula is about 31% cheaper than Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Al-Ula sits 9% below the global median, while Athens is 32% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.49 SAR 28.12

$16.83 €14.99

-55.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.71 SAR 142

$66.0 €58.8

-42.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.94 SAR 29.80

$11.21 €9.99

-29.17%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 SAR 6.85

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 SAR 8.55

Cappuccino

$3.20 SAR 12.02

$4.08 €3.64

-21.57%

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

$0.88 SAR 3.30

$2.77 €2.47

-68.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 SAR 0.94

$0.54 €0.48

-53.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €5.08

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 €5.58

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 SAR 7.26

$1.84 €1.64

5.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 SAR 4.64

$1.43 €1.27

-13.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 SAR 8.81

$2.67 €2.38

-11.99%

Eggs

$2.43 SAR 9.11

$4.95 €4.41

-50.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.55 SAR 28.35

$15.09 €13.45

-49.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.07 SAR 30.29

$10.99 €9.79

-26.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 SAR 47.10

$19.77 €17.61

-36.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 SAR 8.00

$2.12 €1.89

0.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 SAR 5.73

$1.98 €1.76

-22.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.86

$1.33 €1.19

17.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.14

$2.16 €1.92

-24.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 SAR 4.74

$1.06 €0.94

18.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.79

$1.15 €1.02

11.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 SAR 4.77

$1.08 €0.97

17.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.05

$0.85 €0.75

-35.29%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.01 SAR 11.28

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.63

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 SAR 7.47

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 SAR 25.38

$5.46 €4.86

23.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 €8.93

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.12

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 SAR 4.03

$1.35 €1.20

-20.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.17 SAR 140

$30.52 €27.19

21.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 SAR 9.96

$3.81 €3.39

-30.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 SAR 5.85

$1.03 €0.92

51.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.08 SAR 60.3

$16.49 €14.68

-2.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 SAR 2.58

$2.34 €2.09

-70.51%

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

$30.1K SAR 112.9K

$27.8K €24.7K

8.31%

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

$22.0K SAR 82.7K

$26.6K €23.7K

-17.14%

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

$112 SAR 419

$202 €180

-44.83%

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

$32.23 SAR 121

$26.81 €23.88

20.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.4 SAR 279

$30.49 €27.16

143.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.8 SAR 315

$54.1 €48.17

55.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.40 €24.41

Cinema Ticket

$13.90 SAR 52.2

$10.44 €9.30

33.14%

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

$460 SAR 1,728

$568 €506

-18.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K SAR 41.3K

$15.2K €13.5K

-27.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.58 SAR 141

$90.7 €80.8

-58.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 SAR 213

$39.32 €35.03

44.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 SAR 373

$105 €93.7

-5.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 SAR 318

$129 €115

-34.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$604 SAR 2,266

$742 €661

-18.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 SAR 1,474

$648 €578

-39.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 SAR 3,379

$1,271 €1,132

-29.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 SAR 2,296

$1,122 €999

-45.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,857 SAR 6,969

$3,999 €3,562

-53.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,089 SAR 4,088

$3,281 €2,923

-66.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 €1,109

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

4.44

24.77%

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

Last update for Al-Ula: November 2, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Al-Ula

$393 31.9%

Athens

$648 36.4% 65.1% $256

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al-Ula

$218 17.7%

Athens

$260 14.6% 19% $41

Groceries & Markets

Al-Ula

$204 16.6%

Athens

$316 17.8% 55.3% $113

Eating Out

Al-Ula

$127 10.3%

Athens

$272 15.3% 114% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Al-Ula

$125 10.2%

Athens

$164 9.2% 30.8% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Al-Ula

$112 9.1%

Athens

$75 4.2% 32.9% $37

Getting Around

Al-Ula

$52 4.2%

Athens

$45 2.5% 13.6% $7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $604 in Al-Ula versus $742 in Athens. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Al-Ula versus $66 in Athens. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $204 vs $316 – making Al-Ula the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Al-Ula

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

02:43 2:43 AM

01:43 1:43 AM

1 h behind Al-Ula

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,413

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Al-Ula Athens 1,840 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Al-Ula
Athens

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-Ula vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,230 in Al-Ula, $1,779 in Athens – Al-Ula comes out roughly 31% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,845 per month in Al-Ula and $2,669 in Athens. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al-Ula, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $604 there versus $742 in Athens.

Kindergarten costs $460 per month in Al-Ula and $568 in Athens. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 55% more in Athens, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,230 in Al-Ula and $1,779 in Athens, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Al-Ula – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.