Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Saudi Arabia Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Saudi Arabia

Name: Saudi Arabia
Address: SA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,184 per month in Australia vs $1,178 in Saudi Arabia, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,217 per month in Australia vs $1,800 in Saudi Arabia, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,249 per month in Australia vs $2,422 in Saudi Arabia, rent included.

Australia costs about 85% more than Saudi Arabia on average — the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 63% above the global median, while Saudi Arabia is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Australia has a wider regional cost range ($1,584–$2,827) than Saudi Arabia ($918–$1,790), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Australia.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.24 A$22.57

$6.60 SAR 24.76

146.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 A$107

$40.41 SAR 152

90.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 A$13.64

$8.02 SAR 30.08

22.32%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 SAR 6.92

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 SAR 7.16

Cappuccino

$3.58 A$4.97

$3.65 SAR 13.67

-1.92%

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

$2.57 A$3.57

$0.73 SAR 2.73

252.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.03

$0.25 SAR 0.94

772.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 A$9.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 A$9.90

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.09

$1.67 SAR 6.25

-10.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.51

$1.03 SAR 3.86

145.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 A$2.88

$2.15 SAR 8.06

-3.72%

Eggs

$4.29 A$5.96

$2.57 SAR 9.63

66.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 A$12.02

$7.38 SAR 27.68

17.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 A$11.60

$8.26 SAR 30.97

0.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 A$19.33

$12.81 SAR 48.04

8.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.58

$2.15 SAR 8.07

53.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.85

$1.62 SAR 6.09

70.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.10

$1.71 SAR 6.41

72.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 A$5.83

$1.59 SAR 5.96

163.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.36

$1.27 SAR 4.77

90.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.92

$1.30 SAR 4.89

61.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 A$3.14

$1.20 SAR 4.51

88.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 A$2.09

$0.62 SAR 2.31

141.94%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.08 SAR 15.31

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 SAR 8.10

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.58 A$43.90

$7.36 SAR 27.61

329.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.29 A$19.86

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.59 A$6.38

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 A$6.70

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 A$4.19

$1.05 SAR 3.95

187.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.3 A$137

$36.94 SAR 139

166.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 A$4.84

$2.68 SAR 10.06

29.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.43

$2.65 SAR 9.95

-33.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.97 A$52.8

$13.54 SAR 50.8

180.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 A$1.68

$0.59 SAR 2.22

105.08%

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

$29.0K A$40.4K

$25.1K SAR 94.0K

15.80%

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

$22.6K A$31.4K

$22.0K SAR 82.5K

2.58%

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

$177 A$247

$105 SAR 394

68.84%

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

$26.85 A$37.32

$33.52 SAR 126

-19.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 A$72.9

$72.7 SAR 273

-27.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.57 A$66.1

$95.3 SAR 357

-50.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.46 A$22.88

$41.38 SAR 155

-60.22%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 A$19.09

$16.21 SAR 60.8

-15.30%

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

$1,593 A$2,215

$352 SAR 1,322

352.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$17.7K

$7,166 SAR 26.9K

77.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 A$100

$51.7 SAR 194

39.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 A$71.3

$59.3 SAR 222

-13.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 A$143

$93.8 SAR 352

9.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$151

$82.1 SAR 308

32.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 A$1,947

$476 SAR 1,783

194.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,501

$407 SAR 1,527

165.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,340 A$3,253

$885 SAR 3,320

164.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,756 A$2,441

$634 SAR 2,379

176.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,733 A$10.7K

$2,303 SAR 8,636

235.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,563 A$7,733

$1,278 SAR 4,793

335.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,000 A$5,560

$2,034 SAR 7,626

96.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

4.65

36.56%

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

Last update for Australia: April 27, 2026

Last update for Saudi Arabia: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $418 in Saudi Arabia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,529 in Canberra and $1,103 in Riyadh.

Average salary: $3,878 in Australia vs $2,012 in Saudi Arabia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 195% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 93% more in Australia.

Public transport is 68% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 93% higher in Australia.

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

Australia vs Saudi Arabia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saudi Arabia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 63% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Saudi Arabia, contributing to the overall 63% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Saudi Arabia, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Saudi Arabia is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.