Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-Ula and Riyadh

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-Ula: $1,184 a month against $1,738 in Riyadh, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 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
85

Cost of Living Index in Riyadh
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Riyadh Living Index

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Al-Ula

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,184

/mo nomad

Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,184 per month in Al-Ula vs $1,738 in Riyadh, rent included.

Al-Ula $1,184
Riyadh $1,738

A couple spends around $1,757 per month in Al-Ula vs $2,567 in Riyadh, rent included.

Al-Ula $1,757
Riyadh $2,567

A family of three spends $2,330 per month in Al-Ula vs $3,396 in Riyadh, rent included.

Al-Ula $2,330
Riyadh $3,396

Al-Ula is about 32% cheaper than Riyadh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Al-Ula sits 12% below the global median, while Riyadh is 29% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.11 SAR 22.91

$8.09 SAR 30.35

-24.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.80 SAR 138

$66.3 SAR 249

-44.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 SAR 29.87

$8.16 SAR 30.64

-2.45%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 SAR 7.08

$2.08 SAR 7.79

-9.13%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 SAR 8.62

$2.98 SAR 11.19

-22.82%

Cappuccino

$3.17 SAR 11.89

$4.25 SAR 15.96

-25.41%

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

$0.86 SAR 3.24

$0.91 SAR 3.41

-5.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.98

$0.32 SAR 1.20

-18.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 SAR 6.52

$1.76 SAR 6.60

-1.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 SAR 4.75

$1.26 SAR 4.72

0.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 SAR 8.62

$2.43 SAR 9.13

-5.35%

Eggs

$2.32 SAR 8.72

$3.13 SAR 11.76

-25.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.39 SAR 27.75

$10.69 SAR 40.11

-30.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.07 SAR 30.27

$9.44 SAR 35.41

-14.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.67 SAR 47.54

$15.19 SAR 57.0

-16.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 SAR 8.45

$2.84 SAR 10.65

-20.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 SAR 6.60

$1.96 SAR 7.36

-10.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

$2.53 SAR 9.51

-37.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.89

$1.70 SAR 6.37

-7.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 SAR 4.61

$1.18 SAR 4.44

4.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.79

$1.28 SAR 4.81

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 SAR 4.58

$1.70 SAR 6.37

-28.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 SAR 2.02

$0.57 SAR 2.12

-5.26%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.86 SAR 10.71

$7.83 SAR 29.38

-63.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

$1.80 SAR 6.77

-1.11%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.91

$2.39 SAR 8.95

-11.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.74 SAR 25.28

$7.50 SAR 28.15

-10.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.08

$1.07 SAR 4.03

1.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.77 SAR 138

$37.34 SAR 140

-1.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 SAR 9.80

$3.11 SAR 11.69

-16.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 SAR 6.95

$1.81 SAR 6.79

2.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.14 SAR 49.29

$13.23 SAR 49.66

-0.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.44

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

$44.0K SAR 165.2K

$34.7K SAR 130.1K

27.03%

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

$21.3K SAR 79.9K

$22.9K SAR 85.8K

-6.89%

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

$106 SAR 397

$106 SAR 396

0.40%

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

$33.21 SAR 125

$29.61 SAR 111

12.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.8 SAR 247

$70.7 SAR 265

-6.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.4 SAR 309

$91.6 SAR 344

-10.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$56.9 SAR 214

Cinema Ticket

$13.33 SAR 50.0

$13.09 SAR 49.11

1.83%

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

$425 SAR 1,596

$523 SAR 1,963

-18.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,102 SAR 30.4K

$10.2K SAR 38.4K

-20.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.74 SAR 160

$58.8 SAR 221

-27.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 SAR 208

$53.1 SAR 199

4.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 SAR 361

$101 SAR 379

-4.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 SAR 329

$103 SAR 386

-14.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 SAR 2,162

$1,179 SAR 4,425

-51.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 SAR 1,397

$832 SAR 3,122

-55.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 SAR 3,121

$2,227 SAR 8,359

-62.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 SAR 2,147

$1,224 SAR 4,595

-53.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,323 SAR 8,718

$2,996 SAR 11.2K

-22.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,382 SAR 5,187

$1,913 SAR 7,177

-27.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,067 SAR 7,757

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-Ula: 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-Ula

$372 31.5%

Riyadh

$832 47.9% 124% $460

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al-Ula

$205 17.3%

Riyadh

$206 11.8% 0.4% $0.9

Groceries & Markets

Al-Ula

$203 17.1%

Riyadh

$242 13.9% 19.2% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Al-Ula

$127 10.7%

Riyadh

$142 8.2% 12% $15

Eating Out

Al-Ula

$115 9.7%

Riyadh

$145 8.4% 25.9% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Al-Ula

$109 9.2%

Riyadh

$118 6.8% 8% $8.7

Getting Around

Al-Ula

$53 4.5%

Riyadh

$54 3.1% 1.5% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $576 in Al-Ula 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Al-Ula versus $66.0 in Riyadh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $203 vs $242 – making Al-Ula the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Al-Ula

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🕒 Local time

11:49 11:49 AM

Same time as Al-Ula

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,413

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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Between locations

Al-Ula Riyadh 900 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Al-Ula
Riyadh

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 Riyadh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,184 in Al-Ula, $1,738 in Riyadh – roughly 47% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,776 per month in Al-Ula 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-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 $523 in Riyadh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Riyadh, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Al-Ula, where all-in costs run around $1,184, than in Riyadh at $1,738. In Al-Ula 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 $1,184 in Al-Ula 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-Ula. 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.