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 $1,177 in Saudi Arabia, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,219 per month in Australia vs $1,802 in Saudi Arabia, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,253 per month in Australia vs $2,426 in Saudi Arabia, rent included.

Australia costs about 86% 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 ($1,592–$2,842) than Saudi Arabia ($896–$1,776), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Australia.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.44 A$23.33

$6.63 SAR 24.90

147.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.1 A$111

$39.25 SAR 147

99.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 A$14.11

$8.02 SAR 30.11

23.94%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 SAR 7.17

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 SAR 7.09

Cappuccino

$3.60 A$5.10

$3.71 SAR 13.91

-2.96%

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

$2.68 A$3.80

$0.73 SAR 2.74

267.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.03

$0.27 SAR 1.02

692.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.53 A$9.26

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 A$10.00

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 A$2.24

$1.72 SAR 6.44

-8.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.59

$0.97 SAR 3.65

160.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 A$2.94

$2.19 SAR 8.23

-5.48%

Eggs

$4.30 A$6.11

$2.59 SAR 9.72

66.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 A$12.81

$7.11 SAR 26.70

27.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.55 A$12.13

$8.03 SAR 30.14

6.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 A$19.80

$13.24 SAR 49.68

5.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.51

$2.21 SAR 8.30

43.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.03

$1.60 SAR 6.02

77.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.18

$1.61 SAR 6.05

83.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 A$6.29

$1.62 SAR 6.10

173.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.48

$1.33 SAR 5.00

84.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.08

$1.30 SAR 4.88

66.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 A$3.25

$1.24 SAR 4.65

84.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 A$2.23

$0.57 SAR 2.12

175.44%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.04 SAR 15.17

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 SAR 8.00

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.87 A$43.79

$7.49 SAR 28.13

312.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 A$19.94

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.55 A$6.45

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 A$6.83

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.87 A$4.07

$1.04 SAR 3.91

175.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.8 A$136

$37.69 SAR 141

154.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 A$5.17

$2.60 SAR 9.74

40.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 A$2.50

$2.71 SAR 10.16

-35.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.27 A$54.3

$13.51 SAR 50.7

183.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.63

$0.65 SAR 2.43

76.92%

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

$28.4K A$40.3K

$25.8K SAR 96.8K

9.98%

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

$23.0K A$32.6K

$22.1K SAR 83.0K

3.99%

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

$178 A$253

$105 SAR 395

69.01%

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

$26.46 A$37.53

$34.22 SAR 128

-22.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 A$76.8

$71.7 SAR 269

-24.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.64 A$66.2

$92.7 SAR 348

-49.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.54 A$23.47

$41.55 SAR 156

-60.19%

Cinema Ticket

$13.65 A$19.36

$15.71 SAR 59.0

-13.11%

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

$1,575 A$2,234

$348 SAR 1,305

352.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.0K

$7,206 SAR 27.0K

76.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 A$101

$52.4 SAR 197

36.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 A$72.1

$57.5 SAR 216

-11.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 A$142

$94.3 SAR 354

6.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$153

$83.5 SAR 313

29.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 A$1,963

$487 SAR 1,827

184.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 A$1,568

$397 SAR 1,488

178.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,298 A$3,260

$896 SAR 3,364

156.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 A$2,451

$624 SAR 2,341

176.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,610 A$10.8K

$2,271 SAR 8,521

235.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,504 A$7,808

$1,238 SAR 4,645

344.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,002 A$5,677

$1,944 SAR 7,296

105.82%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Saudi Arabia: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $419 in Saudi Arabia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,568 in Canberra and $1,083 in Riyadh.

Average salary: $3,845 in Australia vs $1,998 in Saudi Arabia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 194% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 93% more in Australia.

Public transport is 68% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 92% 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 66% 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 66% 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.