Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Khafji

For one person, living is cheaper in Khafji: $675 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $26,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
Learn more

Dubai Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Khafji
Learn more

Khafji Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Khafji

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$675

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Khafji

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $675 in Khafji.

Dubai $2,896
Khafji $675

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $1,061 in Khafji.

Dubai $4,384
Khafji $1,061

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $1,447 in Khafji.

Dubai $5,872
Khafji $1,447

Living in Dubai is roughly 329% more expensive than in Khafji, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Khafji is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$3.22 SAR 12.09

293.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$34.71 SAR 130

135.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$5.00 SAR 18.75

86.80%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 SAR 3.44

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.95

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$3.02 SAR 11.32

95.03%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$0.73 SAR 2.73

131.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$0.19 SAR 0.72

310.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.80 SAR 6.74

2.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$1.34 SAR 5.02

11.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$1.88 SAR 7.04

36.70%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$2.13 SAR 7.98

55.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$7.62 SAR 28.58

65.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$8.07 SAR 30.30

19.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$12.64 SAR 47.42

1.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$2.20 SAR 8.26

18.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$1.65 SAR 6.18

15.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.59 SAR 5.98

20.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$1.60 SAR 6.00

-14.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$1.12 SAR 4.21

0.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.20 SAR 4.49

-15.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$1.27 SAR 4.78

13.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.57 SAR 2.15

17.54%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.04 SAR 15.15

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 SAR 5.43

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 SAR 8.02

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$7.66 SAR 28.75

-23.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$2.64 SAR 9.90

22.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$2.64 SAR 9.91

-73.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$13.39 SAR 50.3

-40.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$0.64 SAR 2.41

53.12%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$65.7K SAR 246.6K

-58.32%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$20.8K SAR 77.9K

6.14%

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

$249 AED 913

$131 SAR 490

90.30%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$32.18 SAR 121

69.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$63.0 SAR 236

45.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$13.28 SAR 49.82

22.67%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$133 SAR 500

533.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$4,009 SAR 15.0K

355.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$42.39 SAR 159

58.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$49.33 SAR 185

17.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$94.5 SAR 355

8.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$91.1 SAR 342

8.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$678 SAR 2,544

253.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

5.9

-23.05%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Khafji: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Khafji

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Khafji

$226 33.4% 42.8% $169

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Khafji

$81 12% 73.6% $225

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Khafji

$201 29.8% 30.9% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Khafji

$125 18.5% 14.9% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Khafji

$27 * 3.9% 80.5% $109

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Khafji

$16 * 2.4% 82.2% $73

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 $2,393 in Dubai and $678 in Khafji. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $82.0 in Dubai vs $35.00 in Khafji for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $201 per month, with Khafji cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇸🇦 Khafji

🕒 Local time

02:46 2:46 AM

01:46 1:46 AM

1 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

67,012

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dubai Khafji 760 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Khafji

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

Dubai vs Khafji: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Khafji is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 329% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,344 in Dubai and $1,013 in Khafji 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: $2,393 in Dubai versus $678 in Khafji. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Dubai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,896 per month in Dubai versus $675 in Khafji – a 329% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $675 in Khafji versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Khafji but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Khafji the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Dubai and Khafji 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 Khafji gentler on the wallet – expenses run 329% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.