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: $1,171 in Ar-rass versus $1,776 in Riyadh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,786 in Ar-rass versus $2,477 in Riyadh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,400 in Ar-rass versus $3,177 in Riyadh.

Living in Ar-rass costs roughly 34% less than in Riyadh, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ar-rass is 13% below, Riyadh is 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.85 SAR 25.69

$8.05 SAR 30.20

-14.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.87 SAR 165

$52.5 SAR 197

-16.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 SAR 29.59

$8.07 SAR 30.29

-2.23%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 SAR 6.69

$1.70 SAR 6.40

4.71%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

$2.25 SAR 8.43

-22.22%

Cappuccino

$3.65 SAR 13.68

$4.01 SAR 15.04

-8.98%

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

$0.74 SAR 2.77

$0.70 SAR 2.64

5.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 SAR 1.17

$0.29 SAR 1.08

6.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 SAR 8.80

$1.63 SAR 6.12

43.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 SAR 3.80

$1.30 SAR 4.88

-22.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.85

$2.43 SAR 9.10

-35.80%

Eggs

$3.56 SAR 13.37

$2.66 SAR 9.96

33.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.89 SAR 25.86

$8.60 SAR 32.27

-19.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.64 SAR 28.66

$10.00 SAR 37.53

-23.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.85 SAR 48.21

$14.60 SAR 54.8

-11.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 SAR 8.10

$2.35 SAR 8.83

-8.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 SAR 6.12

$1.71 SAR 6.40

-4.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 SAR 6.35

$1.80 SAR 6.77

-6.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.85

$1.55 SAR 5.81

0.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 SAR 4.69

$1.24 SAR 4.64

0.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 SAR 4.76

$1.46 SAR 5.48

-13.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 SAR 4.66

$1.46 SAR 5.47

-15.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 SAR 2.10

$0.55 SAR 2.07

1.82%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.40 SAR 8.99

$7.76 SAR 29.11

-69.07%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.64

$1.75 SAR 6.55

1.14%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.87

$2.31 SAR 8.65

-9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.42 SAR 24.10

$7.13 SAR 26.74

-9.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.10

$1.09 SAR 4.08

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.24 SAR 151

$38.03 SAR 143

5.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 SAR 10.10

$3.24 SAR 12.16

-16.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 SAR 7.07

$1.83 SAR 6.86

2.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.18 SAR 49.46

$13.56 SAR 50.9

-2.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.24

$0.63 SAR 2.36

-4.76%

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

$26.5K SAR 99.5K

$35.1K SAR 131.7K

-24.47%

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

$22.4K SAR 84.1K

$23.0K SAR 86.2K

-2.44%

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

$107 SAR 401

$103 SAR 385

4.15%

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

$34.28 SAR 129

$34.54 SAR 130

-0.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.7 SAR 273

$75.3 SAR 283

-3.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.14 SAR 166

$105 SAR 395

-58.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.14 SAR 136

$58.2 SAR 218

-37.90%

Cinema Ticket

$15.61 SAR 58.6

$15.79 SAR 59.3

-1.14%

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

$350 SAR 1,311

$459 SAR 1,723

-23.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,049 SAR 26.5K

$9,401 SAR 35.3K

-25.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.95 SAR 78.6

$60.2 SAR 226

-65.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 SAR 229

$64.2 SAR 241

-5.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 SAR 294

$106 SAR 399

-26.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.4 SAR 305

$100 SAR 376

-18.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 SAR 1,627

$1,083 SAR 4,063

-59.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 SAR 1,454

$849 SAR 3,185

-54.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 SAR 1,421

$2,040 SAR 7,654

-81.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 SAR 2,358

$1,126 SAR 4,227

-44.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,384 SAR 8,946

$3,124 SAR 11.7K

-23.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,325 SAR 4,971

$1,962 SAR 7,362

-32.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,719 SAR 6,452

$2,263 SAR 8,490

-24.01%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $434 in Ar-rass and $1,083 in Riyadh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 32% 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 $52.0 in Riyadh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $225 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 52% in total monthly costs ($1,171 vs $1,776 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Riyadh earns 32% 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: $434 in Ar-rass versus $1,083 in Riyadh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $350 in Ar-rass versus $459 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 $1,171 in Ar-rass versus $1,776 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 52% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.