Cost of Living Comparison Between Benalmadena and Al Khobar Cost of Living Comparison Between Benalmadena and Al Khobar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,882 in Benalmadena versus $1,346 in Al Khobar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,800 in Benalmadena versus $2,152 in Al Khobar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,718 in Benalmadena versus $2,958 in Al Khobar.

Living in Benalmadena is roughly 40% more expensive than Al Khobar, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Benalmadena 40% above, Al Khobar 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.69 €11.80

$6.67 SAR 25.03

105.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 €47.22

$52.7 SAR 198

3.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.21 €7.94

$8.04 SAR 30.18

14.55%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 SAR 7.67

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 SAR 10.09

Cappuccino

$2.25 €1.94

$4.34 SAR 16.30

-48.16%

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

$2.26 €1.94

$0.94 SAR 3.53

140.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.65

$0.51 SAR 1.92

274.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 €2.69

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 €3.70

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.00

$1.70 SAR 6.38

-31.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.40 SAR 5.25

12.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.30 SAR 8.64

-17.39%

Eggs

$3.42 €2.95

$2.92 SAR 10.96

17.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.21 €13.11

$6.70 SAR 25.15

127.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.35 €8.06

$9.28 SAR 34.81

0.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.84 €15.37

$12.58 SAR 47.21

41.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.21

$2.49 SAR 9.33

2.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.74 SAR 6.54

24.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$2.23 SAR 8.38

-19.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$1.63 SAR 6.10

69.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.42 SAR 5.33

31.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.72 SAR 6.45

23.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.28

$1.71 SAR 6.41

-13.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.61

$0.63 SAR 2.35

12.70%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.61 SAR 9.79

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 SAR 5.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 SAR 7.35

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.73

$6.81 SAR 25.55

-2.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.86 €5.05

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 €2.02

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 €1.76

$0.97 SAR 3.63

110.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.93 €29.24

$61.2 SAR 230

-44.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 €3.98

$2.19 SAR 8.21

110.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.30 SAR 4.87

-16.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.04 €21.58

$6.56 SAR 24.62

281.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.61 SAR 2.29

196.72%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$21.5K SAR 80.8K

81.22%

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

$31.0K €26.7K

$23.4K SAR 87.8K

32.24%

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

$134 €115

$125 SAR 468

7.44%

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

$17.77 €15.31

$34.88 SAR 131

-49.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.81 €31.71

$81.1 SAR 304

-54.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.74 €41.13

$109 SAR 410

-56.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.24 €13.13

$36.43 SAR 137

-58.17%

Cinema Ticket

$8.99 €7.75

$17.66 SAR 66.3

-49.09%

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

$457 €394

$304 SAR 1,140

50.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,111 €7,850

$7,640 SAR 28.7K

19.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$64.5 SAR 242

33.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.84 €36.05

$69.2 SAR 260

-39.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 €81.1

$99.5 SAR 373

-5.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$78.1 SAR 293

48.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 €873

$439 SAR 1,648

130.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$913 €786

$405 SAR 1,521

125.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,873 €1,614

$1,020 SAR 3,829

83.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 €1,377

$811 SAR 3,043

97.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,316 €3,718

$2,399 SAR 9,003

79.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,675 €3,166

$1,466 SAR 5,502

150.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,978 €3,428

$1,861 SAR 6,983

113.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

3.84

-9.90%

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

Last update for Benalmadena: June 7, 2026

Last update for Al Khobar: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Benalmadena and $439 in Al Khobar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Benalmadena pays 114% 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: $55.0 in Benalmadena vs $53.0 in Al Khobar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $218 per month, with Al Khobar 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

Benalmadena vs Al Khobar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Khobar wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Benalmadena. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Al Khobar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Benalmadena pays 114% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,014 in Benalmadena versus $439 in Al Khobar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Al Khobar runs roughly 80% less than in Benalmadena. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $457 in Benalmadena versus $304 in Al Khobar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,346 in Al Khobar versus $1,882 in Benalmadena, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al Khobar but tight or insufficient in Benalmadena. The gap between the two cities makes Al Khobar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Al Khobar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,346 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Al Khobar hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Benalmadena and Al Khobar 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 Al Khobar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Benalmadena. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.