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: $1,215 in Dammam versus $1,363 in Al Khobar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,840 in Dammam versus $2,155 in Al Khobar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,465 in Dammam versus $2,946 in Al Khobar.

Living in Dammam costs roughly 11% less than in Al Khobar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dammam is 9% below, Al Khobar is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.68 SAR 25.04

$6.47 SAR 24.25

3.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.64 SAR 149

$54.2 SAR 203

-26.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.01 SAR 30.05

$7.81 SAR 29.27

2.56%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

$1.96 SAR 7.34

-9.18%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.93

$2.73 SAR 10.24

-32.23%

Cappuccino

$3.56 SAR 13.36

$4.33 SAR 16.24

-17.78%

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

$0.81 SAR 3.03

$1.02 SAR 3.82

-20.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 SAR 1.14

$0.52 SAR 1.96

-42.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 SAR 6.40

$1.71 SAR 6.41

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 SAR 3.76

$1.32 SAR 4.97

-24.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 SAR 8.89

$2.34 SAR 8.77

1.28%

Eggs

$2.51 SAR 9.41

$2.91 SAR 10.91

-13.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.73 SAR 25.24

$6.73 SAR 25.23

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.53 SAR 28.26

$9.15 SAR 34.31

-17.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 SAR 47.94

$12.45 SAR 46.70

2.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 SAR 8.54

$2.46 SAR 9.22

-7.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 SAR 6.23

$1.73 SAR 6.47

-4.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.95

$2.12 SAR 7.97

-25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.84

$1.64 SAR 6.13

-4.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 SAR 4.60

$1.43 SAR 5.38

-13.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 SAR 4.96

$1.68 SAR 6.31

-21.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 SAR 4.87

$1.69 SAR 6.35

-23.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 SAR 2.35

$0.60 SAR 2.23

5.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.90 SAR 10.89

$2.63 SAR 9.84

10.27%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 SAR 6.71

$1.42 SAR 5.32

26.06%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 SAR 7.52

$1.95 SAR 7.30

3.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 SAR 26.75

$6.55 SAR 24.56

8.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.11

$0.89 SAR 3.32

23.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.58 SAR 148

$61.3 SAR 230

-35.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 SAR 10.23

$2.25 SAR 8.44

21.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 SAR 7.21

$1.36 SAR 5.11

41.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.42 SAR 50.3

$6.78 SAR 25.44

97.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.40

$0.65 SAR 2.43

-1.54%

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

$26.2K SAR 98.2K

$21.4K SAR 80.1K

22.54%

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

$23.1K SAR 86.7K

$23.2K SAR 86.9K

-0.17%

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

$106 SAR 397

$122 SAR 457

-13.18%

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

$33.23 SAR 125

$35.22 SAR 132

-5.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 SAR 264

$80.5 SAR 302

-12.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.3 SAR 361

$109 SAR 408

-11.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.28 SAR 136

$36.80 SAR 138

-1.41%

Cinema Ticket

$14.86 SAR 55.7

$17.50 SAR 65.6

-15.09%

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

$346 SAR 1,298

$305 SAR 1,145

13.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,416 SAR 27.8K

$7,624 SAR 28.6K

-2.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 SAR 212

$64.0 SAR 240

-11.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.9 SAR 240

$69.5 SAR 261

-8.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 SAR 317

$97.9 SAR 367

-13.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.8 SAR 307

$80.0 SAR 300

2.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 SAR 1,606

$432 SAR 1,621

-0.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 SAR 1,434

$393 SAR 1,472

-2.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$877 SAR 3,288

$1,035 SAR 3,881

-15.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 SAR 2,374

$801 SAR 3,005

-21.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,776 SAR 6,661

$2,469 SAR 9,261

-28.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,107 SAR 4,150

$1,461 SAR 5,480

-24.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,921 SAR 7,202

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: April 22, 2026

Last update for Al Khobar: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Dammam and $432 in Al Khobar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40 in Dammam vs $54 in Al Khobar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $216 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 $1,823 in Dammam and $2,044 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: $428 in Dammam versus $432 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 55% less than in Al Khobar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $346 in Dammam versus $305 in Al Khobar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,215 in Dammam versus $1,363 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 $1,215 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.