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: $1,103 in Ar-rass versus $1,719 in Riyadh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,669 in Ar-rass versus $2,562 in Riyadh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,235 in Ar-rass versus $3,405 in Riyadh.

Living in Ar-rass costs roughly 36% less than in Riyadh, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ar-rass is 19% below, Riyadh is 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.70 SAR 25.15

$7.82 SAR 29.38

-14.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.74 SAR 142

$63.7 SAR 239

-40.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.77 SAR 29.17

$7.86 SAR 29.51

-1.15%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 SAR 6.90

$2.09 SAR 7.86

-11.96%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 SAR 7.55

$2.98 SAR 11.21

-32.55%

Cappuccino

$3.36 SAR 12.63

$4.54 SAR 17.05

-25.99%

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

$0.81 SAR 3.04

$0.83 SAR 3.13

-2.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 SAR 0.90

$0.30 SAR 1.12

-20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 SAR 6.85

$1.67 SAR 6.26

8.98%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 SAR 1.55

$1.20 SAR 4.49

-65.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 SAR 7.14

$2.28 SAR 8.58

-16.67%

Eggs

$3.68 SAR 13.82

$3.06 SAR 11.49

20.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.03 SAR 26.40

$10.02 SAR 37.65

-29.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.16 SAR 30.65

$10.16 SAR 38.18

-19.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.12 SAR 49.27

$15.70 SAR 59.0

-16.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 SAR 7.83

$2.70 SAR 10.14

-22.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 SAR 6.66

$1.86 SAR 7.00

-4.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.86

$2.27 SAR 8.53

-31.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 SAR 6.05

$1.70 SAR 6.37

-5.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 SAR 4.32

$1.21 SAR 4.54

-4.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 SAR 5.05

$1.33 SAR 4.99

1.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 SAR 4.32

$1.69 SAR 6.33

-31.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 SAR 2.10

$0.54 SAR 2.04

3.70%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.79 SAR 10.47

$7.89 SAR 29.63

-64.64%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.83

$1.85 SAR 6.94

-1.62%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 SAR 6.82

$2.59 SAR 9.72

-30.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.90 SAR 29.67

$7.65 SAR 28.74

3.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 SAR 4.57

$1.08 SAR 4.07

12.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.86 SAR 135

$36.95 SAR 139

-2.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 SAR 11.11

$3.18 SAR 11.96

-6.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 SAR 5.78

$1.82 SAR 6.83

-15.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.37 SAR 42.69

$13.55 SAR 50.9

-16.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.40

$0.64 SAR 2.42

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

$47.0K SAR 176.6K

$35.3K SAR 132.5K

33.29%

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

$21.3K SAR 79.9K

$22.2K SAR 83.5K

-4.30%

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

$88.2 SAR 331

$100 SAR 376

-11.96%

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

$24.45 SAR 91.8

$33.25 SAR 125

-26.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.2 SAR 226

$69.1 SAR 260

-12.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.03 SAR 165

$90.9 SAR 341

-51.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.53 SAR 152

$55.9 SAR 210

-27.53%

Cinema Ticket

$13.08 SAR 49.14

$13.47 SAR 50.6

-2.90%

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

$349 SAR 1,310

$537 SAR 2,016

-35.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,401 SAR 27.8K

$10.8K SAR 40.5K

-31.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 SAR 190

$59.5 SAR 223

-14.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 SAR 219

$53.5 SAR 201

8.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 SAR 357

$110 SAR 415

-13.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.5 SAR 359

$104 SAR 390

-8.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$580 SAR 2,177

$1,169 SAR 4,391

-50.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 SAR 1,273

$815 SAR 3,063

-58.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$382 SAR 1,433

$2,160 SAR 8,114

-82.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$591 SAR 2,220

$1,219 SAR 4,579

-51.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,677 SAR 10.1K

$2,930 SAR 11.0K

-8.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,276 SAR 4,793

$1,934 SAR 7,265

-34.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,706 SAR 6,407

$2,052 SAR 7,709

-16.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.47

5.54

-1.26%

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

Last update for Ar-rass: September 12, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $580 in Ar-rass and $1,169 in Riyadh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 20% 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: $38.00 in Ar-rass vs $64.0 in Riyadh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $240 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 56% in total monthly costs ($1,103 vs $1,719 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Riyadh. 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: $580 in Ar-rass versus $1,169 in Riyadh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $349 in Ar-rass versus $537 in Riyadh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Riyadh. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,103 in Ar-rass versus $1,719 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 56% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.