Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fahaheel and Salmiya

For one person, living is cheaper in Fahaheel: $1,279 a month against $1,633 in Salmiya, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Fahaheel
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Fahaheel Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Salmiya
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Salmiya Living Index

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Fahaheel

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,279

/mo nomad

Salmiya

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,633

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fahaheel and in Salmiya

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

A single person spends $1,279 per month in Fahaheel vs $1,633 in Salmiya, rent included.

Fahaheel $1,279
Salmiya $1,633

A couple spends around $2,130 per month in Fahaheel vs $2,420 in Salmiya, rent included.

Fahaheel $2,130
Salmiya $2,420

A family of three spends $2,982 per month in Fahaheel vs $3,208 in Salmiya, rent included.

Fahaheel $2,982
Salmiya $3,208

Fahaheel is about 22% cheaper than Salmiya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Fahaheel sits 6% below the global median, while Salmiya is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.96 KWD 2.45

$9.53 KWD 2.94

-16.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.6 KWD 18.05

$47.53 KWD 14.64

23.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 KWD 2.50

$8.19 KWD 2.52

-0.98%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 KWD 0.98

$2.34 KWD 0.72

35.47%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 KWD 1.00

$2.55 KWD 0.78

27.06%

Cappuccino

$5.06 KWD 1.56

$5.16 KWD 1.59

-1.94%

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

$0.59 KWD 0.18

$0.45 KWD 0.14

31.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 KWD 0.10

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 KWD 0.39

$1.59 KWD 0.49

-20.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 KWD 0.24

$0.67 KWD 0.21

14.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 KWD 0.59

$1.98 KWD 0.61

-3.54%

Eggs

$2.11 KWD 0.65

$2.06 KWD 0.63

2.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 KWD 1.33

$4.34 KWD 1.34

-0.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.61 KWD 1.73

$6.76 KWD 2.08

-17.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.39 KWD 3.20

$10.27 KWD 3.17

1.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 KWD 0.78

$2.51 KWD 0.77

0.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 KWD 0.57

$1.94 KWD 0.60

-4.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 KWD 0.41

$1.72 KWD 0.53

-23.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 KWD 0.47

$1.55 KWD 0.48

-1.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 KWD 0.40

$1.35 KWD 0.42

-2.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 KWD 0.30

$1.48 KWD 0.46

-35.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 KWD 0.51

$2.33 KWD 0.72

-29.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 KWD 0.15

$0.47 KWD 0.14

4.26%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.15 KWD 0.97

$0.94 KWD 0.29

235.11%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 KWD 0.33

$1.04 KWD 0.32

1.92%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 KWD 0.43

$1.37 KWD 0.42

1.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.68 KWD 0.83

$2.79 KWD 0.86

-3.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 KWD 0.24

$1.11 KWD 0.34

-29.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.63 KWD 14.98

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 KWD 0.98

$3.26 KWD 1.00

-2.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.18 KWD 0.98

$3.23 KWD 1.00

-1.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.98 KWD 4.92

$10.32 KWD 3.18

54.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.33 KWD 0.10

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

$20.7K KWD 6,368

$23.5K KWD 7,253

-12.21%

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

$20.4K KWD 6,273

$19.7K KWD 6,063

3.47%

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

$66.3 KWD 20.41

$48.23 KWD 14.86

37.38%

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

$20.90 KWD 6.44

$22.71 KWD 7.00

-7.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.26 KWD 9.32

$30.34 KWD 9.35

-0.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.2 KWD 25.01

$149 KWD 45.89

-45.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.79 KWD 4.87

Cinema Ticket

$11.12 KWD 3.43

$11.47 KWD 3.53

-3.05%

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

$279 KWD 85.9

$303 KWD 93.5

-8.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,381 KWD 2,274

$7,426 KWD 2,288

-0.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.24 KWD 11.47

$37.43 KWD 11.53

-0.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.92 KWD 12.30

$40.08 KWD 12.35

-0.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 KWD 29.43

$97.4 KWD 30.00

-1.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 KWD 27.39

$88.8 KWD 27.35

0.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$812 KWD 250

$1,069 KWD 329

-24.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 KWD 186

$826 KWD 254

-27.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 KWD 538

$2,370 KWD 730

-26.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 KWD 408

$1,302 KWD 401

1.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,144 KWD 1,277

$2,169 KWD 668

91.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

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

Last update for Fahaheel: October 19, 2026

Last update for Salmiya: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fahaheel

$602 47.1%

Salmiya

$826 50.6% 37.1% $223

Groceries & Markets

Fahaheel

$164 12.8%

Salmiya

$177 10.9% 8.4% $14

Eating Out

Fahaheel

$152 11.9%

Salmiya

$166 10.2% 8.8% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Fahaheel

$118 9.2%

Salmiya

$119 7.3% 0.8% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fahaheel

$117 9.2%

Salmiya

$101 6.2% 13.7% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Fahaheel

$103 8.1%

Salmiya

$172 10.5% 66.2% $68

Getting Around

Fahaheel

$22 * 1.7%

Salmiya

$72 4.4% 227% $50

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $812 in Fahaheel versus $1,069 in Salmiya. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 91% higher in Fahaheel, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in Fahaheel versus $48.00 in Salmiya. Groceries tell a different story – $164 in Fahaheel vs $177 in Salmiya – so Fahaheel wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇼 Fahaheel

🇰🇼 Salmiya

🕒 Local time

02:29 2:29 AM

Same time as Fahaheel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

68,290

309,960

💱 Currency

Kuwaiti Dinar KWD د.ك

📈 Exchange rate

1 KWD = 3.25 USD

1 KWD = 2.89 EUR

1 KWD = 3.25 USD

1 KWD = 2.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Fahaheel Salmiya 29 km

From you

Fahaheel
Salmiya

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

Fahaheel vs Salmiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,279 in Fahaheel, $1,633 in Salmiya – roughly 28% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,919 per month in Fahaheel and $2,449 in Salmiya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fahaheel, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,279 in Fahaheel and $1,633 in Salmiya. That's a gap of about 28%.

Kindergarten costs $279 per month in Fahaheel and $303 in Salmiya. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Fahaheel, where all-in costs run around $1,279, than in Salmiya at $1,633. In Fahaheel it covers expenses comfortably, while in Salmiya it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Fahaheel – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Fahaheel. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Salmiya makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.