Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dammam and Riyadh

For one person, living is cheaper in Dammam: $1,226 a month against $1,738 in Riyadh, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Dammam
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Dammam Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Riyadh
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Riyadh Living Index

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Dammam

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,226

/mo nomad

Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dammam and in Riyadh

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dammam and in Riyadh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,226 in Dammam versus $1,738 in Riyadh.

Dammam $1,226
Riyadh $1,738

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,857 in Dammam versus $2,587 in Riyadh.

Dammam $1,857
Riyadh $2,587

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,488 in Dammam versus $3,437 in Riyadh.

Dammam $2,488
Riyadh $3,437

Living in Dammam costs roughly 29% less than in Riyadh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dammam is 10% below, Riyadh is 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.49 SAR 24.35

$8.09 SAR 30.37

-19.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.23 SAR 147

$65.3 SAR 245

-39.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.78 SAR 29.21

$8.18 SAR 30.69

-4.89%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 SAR 6.87

$2.16 SAR 8.12

-15.28%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

$2.97 SAR 11.16

-40.07%

Cappuccino

$3.71 SAR 13.94

$4.30 SAR 16.14

-13.72%

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

$0.81 SAR 3.02

$0.85 SAR 3.18

-4.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 SAR 1.04

$0.30 SAR 1.12

-6.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$1.83 SAR 6.85

-6.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 SAR 3.91

$1.31 SAR 4.93

-20.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 SAR 8.71

$2.37 SAR 8.88

-2.11%

Eggs

$2.54 SAR 9.52

$3.04 SAR 11.41

-16.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.79 SAR 25.48

$10.77 SAR 40.41

-36.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.34 SAR 27.55

$9.38 SAR 35.18

-21.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 SAR 48.52

$14.98 SAR 56.2

-13.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 SAR 8.85

$2.85 SAR 10.70

-17.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 SAR 6.01

$1.90 SAR 7.13

-15.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.10

$2.47 SAR 9.26

-34.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 SAR 6.11

$1.71 SAR 6.44

-4.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 SAR 4.67

$1.18 SAR 4.43

5.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 SAR 4.94

$1.28 SAR 4.82

3.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 SAR 5.07

$1.78 SAR 6.70

-24.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.22

$0.58 SAR 2.16

1.72%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.84 SAR 10.65

$8.15 SAR 30.59

-65.15%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 SAR 6.51

$1.82 SAR 6.83

-4.95%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 SAR 7.62

$2.47 SAR 9.28

-17.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 SAR 27.23

$7.85 SAR 29.46

-7.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 SAR 3.90

$1.04 SAR 3.91

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.52 SAR 152

$38.07 SAR 143

6.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 SAR 9.83

$3.13 SAR 11.75

-16.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 SAR 7.10

$1.91 SAR 7.16

-1.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.55 SAR 50.8

$13.31 SAR 49.93

1.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.42

$0.60 SAR 2.26

8.33%

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

$27.1K SAR 101.8K

$26.2K SAR 98.3K

3.62%

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

$23.4K SAR 87.7K

$22.2K SAR 83.4K

5.19%

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

$105 SAR 395

$108 SAR 404

-2.09%

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

$33.70 SAR 126

$29.62 SAR 111

13.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.2 SAR 271

$71.0 SAR 266

1.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.5 SAR 354

$83.0 SAR 312

13.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.96 SAR 139

$57.3 SAR 215

-35.46%

Cinema Ticket

$14.61 SAR 54.8

$13.31 SAR 49.95

9.77%

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

$346 SAR 1,299

$554 SAR 2,077

-37.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,665 SAR 28.8K

$10.1K SAR 37.9K

-24.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 SAR 210

$57.7 SAR 217

-2.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.8 SAR 236

$54.4 SAR 204

15.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 SAR 315

$104 SAR 391

-19.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.3 SAR 305

$105 SAR 393

-22.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 SAR 1,652

$1,149 SAR 4,312

-61.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 SAR 1,441

$833 SAR 3,128

-53.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 SAR 3,337

$2,166 SAR 8,127

-58.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 SAR 2,352

$1,276 SAR 4,787

-50.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,788 SAR 6,708

$2,779 SAR 10.4K

-35.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,073 SAR 4,025

$1,718 SAR 6,445

-37.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,052 SAR 7,701

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

5.54

-20.22%

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

Last update for Dammam: October 26, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Dammam

$384 31.4%

Riyadh

$833 48% 117% $449

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dammam

$211 17.2%

Riyadh

$208 12% 1.5% $3.1

Groceries & Markets

Dammam

$198 16.1%

Riyadh

$241 13.9% 22% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Dammam

$128 10.4%

Riyadh

$144 8.3% 12.9% $17

Eating Out

Dammam

$124 10.1%

Riyadh

$145 8.4% 17.1% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Dammam

$124 10.1%

Riyadh

$110 6.3% 11.3% $14

Getting Around

Dammam

$57 4.6%

Riyadh

$55 3.2% 3.3% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $440 in Dammam and $1,149 in Riyadh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39 in Dammam vs $65 in Riyadh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $241 per month, with Dammam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Dammam

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🕒 Local time

07:25 7:25 AM

Same time as Dammam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

903,312

5,188,286 Capital

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Dammam Riyadh 390 km

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Dammam
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Riyadh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dammam is about 29% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,839 in Dammam and $2,606 in Riyadh 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: $440 in Dammam versus $1,149 in Riyadh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,226 per month in Dammam versus $1,738 in Riyadh – Dammam is about 29% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Riyadh runs roughly 6% less than in Dammam. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,226 in Dammam versus $1,738 in Riyadh, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dammam but tight or insufficient in Riyadh. The gap between the two cities makes Dammam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dammam is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Riyadh, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dammam and Riyadh are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.