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: $1,860 in Benalmadena versus $1,341 in Al Khobar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,802 in Benalmadena versus $2,136 in Al Khobar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,745 in Benalmadena versus $2,931 in Al Khobar.

Living in Benalmadena is roughly 39% more expensive than Al Khobar, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Benalmadena 39% above, Al Khobar 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.01 €12.00

$6.80 SAR 25.51

106.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.0 €46.21

$52.4 SAR 196

3.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.01 €7.72

$7.81 SAR 29.27

15.36%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 SAR 7.63

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 SAR 10.23

Cappuccino

$2.37 €2.02

$4.23 SAR 15.84

-43.97%

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

$2.28 €1.95

$1.02 SAR 3.84

123.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.49 SAR 1.83

273.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 €2.80

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 €3.82

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €0.99

$1.77 SAR 6.63

-34.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 €1.30

$1.34 SAR 5.02

13.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 €1.59

$2.40 SAR 9.01

-22.50%

Eggs

$3.30 €2.83

$2.82 SAR 10.57

17.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.23 €13.04

$6.88 SAR 25.80

121.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.16

$9.05 SAR 33.93

5.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.19 €15.57

$12.37 SAR 46.39

47.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.23

$2.43 SAR 9.11

7.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.86

$1.73 SAR 6.47

25.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 €1.53

$2.21 SAR 8.29

-19.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 €2.38

$1.62 SAR 6.08

71.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.54

$1.43 SAR 5.36

25.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.72 SAR 6.46

19.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.27

$1.71 SAR 6.40

-13.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.61

$0.59 SAR 2.23

20.34%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.72 SAR 10.21

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 SAR 5.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 SAR 7.02

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.43 €5.50

$6.59 SAR 24.71

-2.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 €5.21

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 €1.97

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 €1.76

$0.91 SAR 3.40

126.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.59 €29.61

$59.5 SAR 223

-41.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.57 €3.91

$2.21 SAR 8.29

106.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.31 SAR 4.90

-17.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.82 €21.25

$6.69 SAR 25.08

271.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.54

$0.63 SAR 2.38

185.71%

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

$38.4K €32.9K

$21.0K SAR 78.7K

82.85%

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

$30.8K €26.4K

$23.1K SAR 86.5K

33.47%

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

$134 €115

$123 SAR 461

8.85%

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

$17.53 €15.00

$34.30 SAR 129

-48.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.48 €31.23

$80.9 SAR 303

-54.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.15 €42.07

$109 SAR 409

-54.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.76 €12.64

$36.07 SAR 135

-59.08%

Cinema Ticket

$9.24 €7.91

$17.15 SAR 64.3

-46.12%

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

$452 €387

$306 SAR 1,147

47.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,800 €7,533

$7,552 SAR 28.3K

16.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 €72.8

$62.9 SAR 236

35.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.79 €34.91

$68.8 SAR 258

-40.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.5 €80.0

$99.1 SAR 372

-5.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €101

$79.1 SAR 297

48.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,007 €862

$437 SAR 1,639

130.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$924 €791

$394 SAR 1,479

134.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,896 €1,623

$1,054 SAR 3,952

79.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,623 €1,389

$788 SAR 2,955

105.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,352 €3,725

$2,411 SAR 9,040

80.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,669 €3,141

$1,432 SAR 5,370

156.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,707 €2,317

$1,942 SAR 7,283

39.40%

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Al Khobar: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,007 in Benalmadena and $437 in Al Khobar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Benalmadena pays 39% 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: $54.0 in Benalmadena vs $52.0 in Al Khobar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $216 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 39% 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 39% 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: $1,007 in Benalmadena versus $437 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 72% less than in Benalmadena. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $452 in Benalmadena versus $306 in Al Khobar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,341 in Al Khobar versus $1,860 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 $1,341 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 39% less than in Benalmadena. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.