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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Dammam versus $1,346 in Al Khobar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Dammam versus $2,152 in Al Khobar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,530 in Dammam versus $2,958 in Al Khobar.

Living in Dammam costs roughly 10% less than in Al Khobar, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dammam is 10% below, Al Khobar is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.73 SAR 25.28

$6.67 SAR 25.04

0.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.67 SAR 153

$52.7 SAR 198

-22.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.79 SAR 29.26

$8.04 SAR 30.19

-3.11%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 SAR 6.81

$2.04 SAR 7.68

-11.27%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.64

$2.69 SAR 10.10

-34.20%

Cappuccino

$3.64 SAR 13.67

$4.34 SAR 16.31

-16.13%

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

$0.81 SAR 3.05

$0.94 SAR 3.53

-13.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 SAR 1.14

$0.51 SAR 1.92

-41.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 SAR 6.15

$1.70 SAR 6.39

-3.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 SAR 3.82

$1.40 SAR 5.25

-27.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 SAR 8.85

$2.30 SAR 8.64

2.61%

Eggs

$2.59 SAR 9.74

$2.92 SAR 10.97

-11.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.90 SAR 25.90

$6.70 SAR 25.16

2.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.53 SAR 28.26

$9.28 SAR 34.83

-18.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.74 SAR 47.85

$12.58 SAR 47.24

1.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 SAR 8.79

$2.49 SAR 9.33

-6.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

$1.74 SAR 6.54

-2.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.90

$2.23 SAR 8.38

-29.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

$1.63 SAR 6.10

-3.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 SAR 4.61

$1.42 SAR 5.34

-13.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 SAR 5.01

$1.72 SAR 6.45

-22.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 SAR 5.13

$1.71 SAR 6.42

-19.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 SAR 2.19

$0.63 SAR 2.35

-7.94%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.93 SAR 10.99

$2.61 SAR 9.80

12.26%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 SAR 6.44

$1.46 SAR 5.50

17.81%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 SAR 7.84

$1.96 SAR 7.35

6.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 SAR 27.22

$6.81 SAR 25.57

6.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 SAR 4.06

$0.97 SAR 3.63

11.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.81 SAR 149

$61.2 SAR 230

-34.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 SAR 10.27

$2.19 SAR 8.21

24.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 SAR 7.15

$1.30 SAR 4.87

46.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.59 SAR 51.0

$6.56 SAR 24.64

107.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.24

$0.61 SAR 2.29

-1.64%

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

$27.0K SAR 101.4K

$21.5K SAR 80.9K

25.41%

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

$22.9K SAR 86.1K

$23.4K SAR 87.9K

-2.03%

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

$106 SAR 399

$125 SAR 468

-14.78%

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

$33.85 SAR 127

$34.88 SAR 131

-2.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 SAR 265

$81.1 SAR 305

-13.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.4 SAR 358

$109 SAR 410

-12.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.96 SAR 131

$36.43 SAR 137

-4.04%

Cinema Ticket

$14.40 SAR 54.1

$17.66 SAR 66.3

-18.46%

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

$355 SAR 1,332

$304 SAR 1,140

16.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,665 SAR 28.8K

$7,640 SAR 28.7K

0.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 SAR 209

$64.5 SAR 242

-13.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.7 SAR 235

$69.2 SAR 260

-9.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 SAR 319

$99.5 SAR 374

-14.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 SAR 301

$78.1 SAR 293

2.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 SAR 1,613

$439 SAR 1,649

-2.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 SAR 1,401

$405 SAR 1,522

-7.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$874 SAR 3,283

$1,020 SAR 3,832

-14.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 SAR 2,372

$811 SAR 3,044

-22.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,778 SAR 6,677

$2,399 SAR 9,009

-25.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,106 SAR 4,154

$1,466 SAR 5,505

-24.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,861 SAR 6,987

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

3.84

15.10%

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

Last update for Dammam: June 8, 2026

Last update for Al Khobar: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Dammam and $439 in Al Khobar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $41.00 in Dammam vs $53.0 in Al Khobar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $218 per month, with Dammam 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

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

Dammam wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Al Khobar. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dammam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,810 in Dammam and $2,019 in Al Khobar to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $430 in Dammam 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 Dammam runs roughly 54% less than in Al Khobar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $355 in Dammam versus $304 in Al Khobar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,207 in Dammam versus $1,346 in Al Khobar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dammam but tight or insufficient in Al Khobar. The gap between the two cities makes Dammam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Dammam delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,207 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Dammam hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Dammam 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 Dammam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.