Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhahran and Al Khobar

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhahran: $1,317 a month against $1,405 in Al Khobar, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Dhahran
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Dhahran Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Al Khobar
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Al Khobar Living Index

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Dhahran

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,317

/mo nomad

Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,405

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhahran and in Al Khobar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,317 in Dhahran versus $1,405 in Al Khobar.

Dhahran $1,317
Al Khobar $1,405

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,671 in Dhahran versus $2,186 in Al Khobar.

Dhahran $1,671
Al Khobar $2,186

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,026 in Dhahran versus $2,967 in Al Khobar.

Dhahran $2,026
Al Khobar $2,967

Living in Dhahran costs roughly 6% less than in Al Khobar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dhahran is 2% below, Al Khobar is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.30 SAR 19.90

$6.53 SAR 24.51

-18.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.17 SAR 147

$59.2 SAR 222

-33.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.35 SAR 23.81

$7.86 SAR 29.50

-19.21%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 SAR 6.80

$2.74 SAR 10.28

-33.94%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.96

$2.68 SAR 10.05

-40.67%

Cappuccino

$4.01 SAR 15.03

$4.48 SAR 16.79

-10.49%

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

$0.74 SAR 2.76

$0.87 SAR 3.25

-14.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 SAR 0.70

$0.38 SAR 1.42

-50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

$1.70 SAR 6.38

-2.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 SAR 3.62

$1.28 SAR 4.80

-24.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 SAR 7.41

$2.46 SAR 9.24

-19.92%

Eggs

$3.87 SAR 14.54

$2.32 SAR 8.69

66.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.59 SAR 32.23

$7.15 SAR 26.84

20.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.92 SAR 40.97

$10.24 SAR 38.43

6.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.89 SAR 52.1

$11.69 SAR 43.86

18.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 SAR 8.07

$2.62 SAR 9.83

-17.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 SAR 5.21

$1.76 SAR 6.59

-21.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 SAR 6.69

$1.98 SAR 7.43

-10.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 SAR 6.74

$1.77 SAR 6.64

1.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 SAR 5.61

$1.36 SAR 5.11

10.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 SAR 3.61

$1.66 SAR 6.24

-42.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 SAR 7.39

$1.66 SAR 6.23

18.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 SAR 3.19

$0.53 SAR 2.01

60.38%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.81 SAR 18.03

$2.63 SAR 9.88

82.89%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 SAR 6.15

$1.59 SAR 5.98

3.14%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 SAR 9.22

$1.84 SAR 6.91

33.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 SAR 20.92

$6.66 SAR 25.00

-16.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 SAR 3.11

$0.73 SAR 2.75

13.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.2 SAR 252

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 SAR 5.12

$3.23 SAR 12.14

-57.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 SAR 12.21

$2.72 SAR 10.20

19.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.52 SAR 35.73

$6.48 SAR 24.31

46.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.44

$0.63 SAR 2.37

3.17%

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

$53.2K SAR 199.7K

$66.3K SAR 248.6K

-19.67%

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

$20.7K SAR 77.6K

$22.5K SAR 84.6K

-8.19%

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

$59.0 SAR 221

$99.6 SAR 374

-40.74%

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

$42.19 SAR 158

$33.32 SAR 125

26.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.9 SAR 244

$70.5 SAR 265

-7.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$195 SAR 731

$82.0 SAR 308

137.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$93.5 SAR 351

$37.23 SAR 140

151.20%

Cinema Ticket

$10.56 SAR 39.62

$15.07 SAR 56.6

-29.93%

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

$65.3 SAR 245

$589 SAR 2,210

-88.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K SAR 49.8K

$8,524 SAR 32.0K

55.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 SAR 190

$62.0 SAR 233

-18.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.79 SAR 157

$83.0 SAR 312

-49.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 SAR 289

$97.2 SAR 365

-20.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 SAR 339

$93.9 SAR 352

-3.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$361 SAR 1,355

$630 SAR 2,363

-42.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 SAR 1,700

$499 SAR 1,873

-9.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 SAR 4,454

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 SAR 3,226

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,404 SAR 9,020

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 SAR 5,417

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,785 SAR 10.5K

$1,829 SAR 6,864

52.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

5.88

-23.47%

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

Last update for Dhahran: October 11, 2026

Last update for Al Khobar: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dhahran

$453 34.4%

Al Khobar

$499 35.5% 10.2% $46

Groceries & Markets

Dhahran

$231 17.6%

Al Khobar

$217 15.5% 5.9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Dhahran

$216 16.4%

Al Khobar

$112 8% 48% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhahran

$166 12.6%

Al Khobar

$203 14.5% 22.4% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Dhahran

$117 8.9%

Al Khobar

$151 10.8% 29.4% $34

Eating Out

Dhahran

$113 8.6%

Al Khobar

$135 9.6% 18.8% $21

Getting Around

Dhahran

$21 * 1.6%

Al Khobar

$87 6.2% 315% $66

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $361 in Dhahran and $630 in Al Khobar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dhahran pays 52% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Dhahran vs $59.0 in Al Khobar. Groceries flip the comparison at $231 vs $217, with Al Khobar cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Dhahran

🇸🇦 Al Khobar

🕒 Local time

03:15 3:15 AM

Same time as Dhahran

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

120,521

219,679

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Dhahran Al Khobar 8 km

From you

Dhahran
Al Khobar

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

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

Dhahran wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Al Khobar. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dhahran the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 52% higher in Dhahran, 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: $361 in Dhahran versus $630 in Al Khobar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $65.3 in Dhahran versus $589 in Al Khobar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Dhahran – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $59.0 in Al Khobar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,317 in Dhahran versus $1,405 in Al Khobar, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Dhahran but tight or insufficient in Al Khobar. The gap between the two cities makes Dhahran the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Dhahran 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 Dhahran gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.