Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-Ula and Jeddah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-Ula: $1,184 a month against $1,374 in Jeddah, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Al-Ula
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Al-Ula Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Jeddah
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Jeddah Living Index

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Al-Ula

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,184

/mo nomad

Jeddah

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,374

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,184 per month in Al-Ula vs $1,374 in Jeddah, rent included.

Al-Ula $1,184
Jeddah $1,374

A couple spends around $1,757 per month in Al-Ula vs $2,148 in Jeddah, rent included.

Al-Ula $1,757
Jeddah $2,148

A family of three spends $2,330 per month in Al-Ula vs $2,922 in Jeddah, rent included.

Al-Ula $2,330
Jeddah $2,922

Al-Ula is about 14% cheaper than Jeddah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Al-Ula sits 12% below the global median, while Jeddah is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.11 SAR 22.91

$6.04 SAR 22.67

1.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.80 SAR 138

$80.3 SAR 301

-54.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 SAR 29.87

$9.50 SAR 35.65

-16.21%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 SAR 7.08

$2.38 SAR 8.95

-20.59%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 SAR 8.62

$2.63 SAR 9.88

-12.55%

Cappuccino

$3.17 SAR 11.89

$3.73 SAR 13.98

-15.01%

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

$0.86 SAR 3.24

$0.97 SAR 3.62

-11.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.98

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 SAR 6.52

$1.68 SAR 6.32

3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 SAR 4.75

$1.26 SAR 4.71

0.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 SAR 8.62

$2.34 SAR 8.76

-1.71%

Eggs

$2.32 SAR 8.72

$2.43 SAR 9.13

-4.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.39 SAR 27.75

$6.36 SAR 23.88

16.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.07 SAR 30.27

$8.30 SAR 31.14

-2.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.67 SAR 47.54

$13.23 SAR 49.66

-4.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 SAR 8.45

$2.13 SAR 7.98

5.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 SAR 6.60

$1.69 SAR 6.33

4.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

$1.62 SAR 6.07

-2.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.89

$1.69 SAR 6.32

-7.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 SAR 4.61

$1.12 SAR 4.22

9.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.79

$1.26 SAR 4.71

1.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 SAR 4.58

$1.07 SAR 4.01

14.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 SAR 2.02

$0.53 SAR 1.99

1.89%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.86 SAR 10.71

$4.21 SAR 15.81

-32.07%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

$1.76 SAR 6.59

1.14%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.91

$2.49 SAR 9.36

-15.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.74 SAR 25.28

$6.71 SAR 25.17

0.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.08

$0.96 SAR 3.61

13.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.77 SAR 138

$55.4 SAR 208

-33.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 SAR 9.80

$3.16 SAR 11.85

-17.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 SAR 6.95

$1.76 SAR 6.62

5.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.14 SAR 49.29

$13.90 SAR 52.2

-5.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.44

$0.64 SAR 2.41

1.56%

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

$44.0K SAR 165.2K

$47.3K SAR 177.3K

-6.82%

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

$21.3K SAR 79.9K

$22.0K SAR 82.4K

-2.97%

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

$106 SAR 397

$90.4 SAR 339

17.18%

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

$33.21 SAR 125

$38.29 SAR 144

-13.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.8 SAR 247

$68.0 SAR 255

-3.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.4 SAR 309

$78.0 SAR 293

5.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.19 SAR 143

Cinema Ticket

$13.33 SAR 50.0

$11.91 SAR 44.69

11.92%

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

$425 SAR 1,596

$769 SAR 2,887

-44.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,102 SAR 30.4K

$16.7K SAR 62.8K

-51.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.74 SAR 160

$72.4 SAR 272

-40.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 SAR 208

$56.1 SAR 211

-1.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 SAR 361

$99.9 SAR 375

-3.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 SAR 329

$93.6 SAR 351

-6.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 SAR 2,162

$789 SAR 2,961

-27.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 SAR 1,397

$532 SAR 1,998

-30.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 SAR 3,121

$1,427 SAR 5,356

-41.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 SAR 2,147

$832 SAR 3,121

-31.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,323 SAR 8,718

$1,767 SAR 6,631

31.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,382 SAR 5,187

$1,143 SAR 4,290

20.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,665 SAR 6,248

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

5.39

2.78%

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

Last update for Al-Ula: October 11, 2026

Last update for Jeddah: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Al-Ula

$372 31.5%

Jeddah

$532 38.7% 43% $160

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al-Ula

$205 17.3%

Jeddah

$197 14.3% 4% $8.3

Groceries & Markets

Al-Ula

$203 17.1%

Jeddah

$201 14.6% 0.8% $1.7

Clothing & Footwear

Al-Ula

$127 10.7%

Jeddah

$145 10.5% 14.2% $18

Eating Out

Al-Ula

$115 9.7%

Jeddah

$126 9.2% 9.7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Al-Ula

$109 9.2%

Jeddah

$102 7.4% 6.6% $7.3

Getting Around

Al-Ula

$53 4.5%

Jeddah

$71 5.2% 34.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $576 in Al-Ula versus $789 in Jeddah. 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 $37.00 in Al-Ula versus $80.0 in Jeddah. Groceries tell a different story – $203 in Al-Ula vs $201 in Jeddah – so Jeddah wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Al-Ula

🇸🇦 Jeddah

🕒 Local time

11:14 11:14 AM

Same time as Al-Ula

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,413

3,430,697

💱 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

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Al-Ula Jeddah 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Al-Ula
Jeddah

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 Jeddah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,184 in Al-Ula, $1,374 in Jeddah – roughly 16% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,776 per month in Al-Ula and $2,062 in Jeddah. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $425 per month in Al-Ula and $769 in Jeddah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Jeddah – 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-Ula, where all-in costs run around $1,184, than in Jeddah at $1,374. In Al-Ula it covers expenses comfortably, while in Jeddah it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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 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-Ula. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Jeddah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.