Cost of Living Comparison Between Ar-rass and Riyadh Cost of Living Comparison Between Ar-rass and Riyadh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,166 in Ar-rass versus $1,790 in Riyadh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,758 in Ar-rass versus $2,519 in Riyadh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,350 in Ar-rass versus $3,249 in Riyadh.

Living in Ar-rass costs roughly 35% less than in Riyadh, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ar-rass is 13% below, Riyadh is 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.60 SAR 24.75

$8.11 SAR 30.41

-18.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 SAR 166

$52.9 SAR 198

-16.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.18 SAR 30.67

$8.08 SAR 30.32

1.24%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 SAR 6.30

$1.72 SAR 6.44

-2.33%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.84

$2.23 SAR 8.35

-17.94%

Cappuccino

$3.71 SAR 13.93

$4.13 SAR 15.48

-10.17%

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

$0.78 SAR 2.93

$0.72 SAR 2.72

8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 SAR 1.17

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 SAR 8.84

$1.62 SAR 6.06

45.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 SAR 3.75

$1.28 SAR 4.80

-21.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 SAR 5.61

$2.32 SAR 8.71

-35.34%

Eggs

$3.69 SAR 13.85

$2.69 SAR 10.07

37.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.75 SAR 25.30

$8.41 SAR 31.54

-19.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.50 SAR 28.13

$10.11 SAR 37.93

-25.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.87 SAR 48.28

$14.67 SAR 55.0

-12.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 SAR 8.16

$2.22 SAR 8.34

-1.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.96

$1.67 SAR 6.26

-4.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$1.79 SAR 6.71

-3.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.07

$1.58 SAR 5.94

2.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.83

$1.24 SAR 4.67

4.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 SAR 4.76

$1.46 SAR 5.49

-13.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 SAR 4.63

$1.40 SAR 5.24

-11.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.06

$0.55 SAR 2.08

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.44 SAR 9.16

$8.15 SAR 30.58

-70.06%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

$1.81 SAR 6.78

-3.31%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 SAR 7.59

$2.38 SAR 8.93

-15.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.41 SAR 24.03

$7.52 SAR 28.22

-14.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.09

$1.05 SAR 3.93

3.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.57 SAR 148

$37.48 SAR 141

5.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 SAR 9.87

$3.28 SAR 12.31

-19.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 SAR 7.18

$1.84 SAR 6.92

4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.15 SAR 49.30

$13.10 SAR 49.13

0.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 SAR 2.18

$0.59 SAR 2.20

-1.69%

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

$26.9K SAR 101.0K

$35.1K SAR 131.5K

-23.25%

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

$22.6K SAR 84.6K

$23.8K SAR 89.1K

-5.07%

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

$107 SAR 402

$104 SAR 390

3.13%

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

$33.09 SAR 124

$34.30 SAR 129

-3.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.0 SAR 274

$76.4 SAR 287

-4.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.27 SAR 166

$106 SAR 397

-58.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.20 SAR 136

$59.8 SAR 224

-39.41%

Cinema Ticket

$15.94 SAR 59.8

$15.74 SAR 59.0

1.27%

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

$354 SAR 1,327

$448 SAR 1,681

-21.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,915 SAR 25.9K

$9,716 SAR 36.4K

-28.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.12 SAR 79.2

$60.2 SAR 226

-64.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 SAR 229

$65.1 SAR 244

-6.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.2 SAR 293

$107 SAR 402

-26.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.6 SAR 310

$99.7 SAR 374

-17.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 SAR 1,631

$1,103 SAR 4,135

-60.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 SAR 1,431

$841 SAR 3,155

-54.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 SAR 1,444

$2,086 SAR 7,821

-81.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 SAR 2,377

$1,098 SAR 4,117

-42.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,374 SAR 8,901

$2,867 SAR 10.8K

-17.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,509 SAR 5,661

$1,947 SAR 7,301

-22.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,724 SAR 6,465

$2,436 SAR 9,136

-29.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

5.31

-16.76%

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

Last update for Ar-rass: April 27, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $435 in Ar-rass and $1,103 in Riyadh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 41% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $44.00 in Ar-rass vs $53.0 in Riyadh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $224 per month, with Ar-rass cheaper across the board.

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

Ar-rass vs Riyadh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ar-rass and Riyadh differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($1,166 vs $1,790 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Riyadh earns 41% less. 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: $435 in Ar-rass versus $1,103 in Riyadh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $354 in Ar-rass versus $448 in Riyadh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Riyadh. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,166 in Ar-rass versus $1,790 in Riyadh, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ar-rass but tight or insufficient in Riyadh. The gap between the two cities makes Ar-rass the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Ar-rass and Riyadh are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ar-rass gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.