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: $1,227 in Dammam versus $1,415 in Al Khobar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,878 in Dammam versus $2,187 in Al Khobar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,530 in Dammam versus $2,960 in Al Khobar.

Living in Dammam costs roughly 13% less than in Al Khobar, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dammam is 11% below, Al Khobar is 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.59 SAR 24.74

$6.69 SAR 25.13

-1.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.22 SAR 147

$59.3 SAR 223

-33.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 SAR 29.87

$7.92 SAR 29.73

0.38%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 SAR 6.82

$2.59 SAR 9.74

-29.73%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 SAR 6.71

$2.70 SAR 10.15

-33.70%

Cappuccino

$3.56 SAR 13.36

$4.32 SAR 16.21

-17.59%

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

$0.80 SAR 3.00

$1.00 SAR 3.74

-20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 SAR 1.04

$0.38 SAR 1.42

-26.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 SAR 6.16

$1.62 SAR 6.08

1.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 SAR 3.95

$1.26 SAR 4.75

-16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 SAR 8.79

$2.43 SAR 9.13

-3.70%

Eggs

$2.46 SAR 9.23

$2.40 SAR 9.02

2.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.75 SAR 25.33

$7.11 SAR 26.72

-5.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.30 SAR 27.41

$10.25 SAR 38.48

-28.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.01 SAR 48.85

$11.75 SAR 44.13

10.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 SAR 8.97

$2.78 SAR 10.44

-14.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.16

$1.72 SAR 6.45

-4.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.16

$1.97 SAR 7.42

-16.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.92

$1.83 SAR 6.87

-13.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 SAR 4.63

$1.35 SAR 5.05

-8.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 SAR 5.21

$1.63 SAR 6.13

-14.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 SAR 4.87

$1.68 SAR 6.30

-22.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$0.55 SAR 2.05

7.27%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.94 SAR 11.04

$2.60 SAR 9.75

13.08%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

$1.59 SAR 5.96

10.06%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 SAR 7.53

$1.81 SAR 6.79

11.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.39 SAR 27.75

$6.54 SAR 24.56

13.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 SAR 4.06

$0.74 SAR 2.79

45.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.25 SAR 151

$66.6 SAR 250

-39.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 SAR 10.08

$3.40 SAR 12.78

-21.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 SAR 7.21

$2.62 SAR 9.83

-26.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.44 SAR 50.5

$6.75 SAR 25.36

99.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$0.60 SAR 2.25

-1.67%

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

$26.1K SAR 98.1K

$67.2K SAR 252.4K

-61.13%

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

$23.5K SAR 88.3K

$22.3K SAR 83.7K

5.57%

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

$106 SAR 397

$100 SAR 376

5.54%

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

$33.13 SAR 124

$32.10 SAR 121

3.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.4 SAR 264

$68.3 SAR 256

3.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.6 SAR 359

$81.6 SAR 306

17.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.61 SAR 138

$36.00 SAR 135

1.69%

Cinema Ticket

$14.31 SAR 53.8

$15.59 SAR 58.6

-8.21%

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

$349 SAR 1,310

$590 SAR 2,216

-40.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,538 SAR 28.3K

$8,568 SAR 32.2K

-12.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 SAR 211

$62.4 SAR 234

-9.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.5 SAR 242

$83.5 SAR 313

-22.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 SAR 319

$95.7 SAR 359

-11.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.0 SAR 308

$91.4 SAR 343

-10.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 SAR 1,646

$645 SAR 2,423

-32.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 SAR 1,441

$496 SAR 1,864

-22.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 SAR 3,321

$1,188 SAR 4,463

-25.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 SAR 2,379

$876 SAR 3,289

-27.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,731 SAR 6,502

$2,382 SAR 8,944

-27.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,102 SAR 4,139

$1,464 SAR 5,498

-24.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,812 SAR 6,806

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

5.88

-24.83%

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

Last update for Dammam: September 7, 2026

Last update for Al Khobar: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Dammam and $645 in Al Khobar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Dammam vs $59.0 in Al Khobar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 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 15% 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 $1,840 in Dammam and $2,122 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: $438 in Dammam versus $645 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 65% less than in Al Khobar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $349 in Dammam versus $590 in Al Khobar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,227 in Dammam versus $1,415 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 $1,227 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 15% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.