For one person, living is cheaper in Saudi Arabia: $1,284 a month against $2,080 in Germany, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
How much you'll spend in Germany and in Saudi Arabia
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Germany and in Saudi Arabia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,080 in Germany versus $1,284 in Saudi Arabia.
Germany $2,080
Saudi Arabia $1,284
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,130 in Germany versus $1,916 in Saudi Arabia.
Germany $3,130
Saudi Arabia $1,916
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,180 in Germany versus $2,549 in Saudi Arabia.
Germany $4,180
Saudi Arabia $2,549
📏
Germany ($1,337–$2,681) and Saudi Arabia ($674–$1,738) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.
🌍
Living in Germany is roughly 62% more expensive than in Saudi Arabia on average.
📊
Germany (53% above) and Saudi Arabia (6% below) straddle the global median.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Germany
Saudi Arabia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.60€14.88
$6.74SAR 25.28
146.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.8€64.4
$40.36SAR 151
77.95%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$12.12€10.86
$8.14SAR 30.53
48.89%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.99SAR 7.46
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.12SAR 7.95
-
Cappuccino
$3.96€3.55
$3.78SAR 14.19
4.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.36€3.01
$0.75SAR 2.83
348.00%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.89€2.59
$0.27SAR 1.02
970.37%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.07€4.54
-
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.50€4.03
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Germany
Saudi Arabia
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.26€1.13
$1.70SAR 6.39
-25.88%
White Bread(500g)
$2.20€1.97
$1.11SAR 4.17
98.20%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$3.54€3.17
$2.21SAR 8.30
60.18%
Eggs
$3.88€3.48
$2.67SAR 10.01
45.32%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$14.24€12.76
$7.68SAR 28.79
85.42%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$11.90€10.66
$7.86SAR 29.48
51.40%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$20.68€18.53
$13.44SAR 50.4
53.87%
Apples(1kg)
$3.28€2.94
$2.16SAR 8.10
51.85%
Banana(1kg)
$2.05€1.83
$1.79SAR 6.70
14.53%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.31€2.07
$1.73SAR 6.48
33.53%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.29€3.84
$1.69SAR 6.34
153.85%
Potato(1kg)
$1.53€1.37
$1.31SAR 4.91
16.79%
Onion(1kg)
$1.50€1.34
$1.33SAR 4.99
12.78%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.64€1.47
$1.27SAR 4.76
29.13%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.02€0.91
$0.62SAR 2.32
64.52%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine(Mid-Range)
-
$4.07SAR 15.25
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.64SAR 6.16
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.18SAR 8.17
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$9.69€8.68
$7.32SAR 27.44
32.38%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.01€5.38
-
-
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.12€1.01
-
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.56€1.40
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Germany
Saudi Arabia
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$3.85€3.45
$1.10SAR 4.12
250.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$69.7€62.5
$38.07SAR 143
83.14%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.34€4.78
$2.74SAR 10.26
94.89%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.81€2.52
$2.70SAR 10.12
4.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$38.83€34.80
$13.49SAR 50.6
187.84%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.13€1.91
$0.60SAR 2.26
255.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.6K€29.2K
$30.4KSAR 114.2K
6.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.7K€33.8K
$21.5KSAR 80.5K
75.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Germany
Saudi Arabia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$342€307
$97.9SAR 367
249.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.87€22.29
$31.85SAR 119
-21.92%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.49€43.45
$67.1SAR 252
-27.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Germany
Saudi Arabia
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$39.42€35.32
$79.8SAR 300
-50.63%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.47€24.62
$39.07SAR 147
-29.69%
Cinema Ticket
$14.65€13.13
$13.92SAR 52.2
5.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Germany
Saudi Arabia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$611€547
$458SAR 1,718
33.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$17.3K€15.5K
$8,896SAR 33.4K
94.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Germany
Saudi Arabia
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.1€79.8
$48.43SAR 182
83.91%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.07€37.70
$56.7SAR 213
-25.80%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$98.3€88.1
$89.5SAR 336
9.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131€117
$86.3SAR 324
51.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Germany
Saudi Arabia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$934€837
$641SAR 2,404
45.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$718€644
$460SAR 1,726
56.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,704€1,527
$1,008SAR 3,781
69.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,294€1,159
$699SAR 2,623
85.04%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$5,944€5,326
$2,013SAR 7,551
195.31%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,958€3,547
$1,252SAR 4,696
216.18%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Germany
Saudi Arabia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,290€2,948
$1,864SAR 6,992
76.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.96
5.4
-26.67%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Germany: October 25, 2026
Last update for Saudi Arabia: October 26, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Germany
$718 34.6%
Saudi Arabia
$460 35.8% ↓ 36%$258
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Germany
$415 20%
Saudi Arabia
$197 15.3% ↓ 52.6%$219
🛒Groceries & Markets
Germany
$335 16.1%
Saudi Arabia
$206 16.1% ↓ 38.4%$129
🍽Eating Out
Germany
$276 13.3%
Saudi Arabia
$128 10% ↓ 53.7%$148
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Germany
$162 7.8%
Saudi Arabia
$126 9.9% ↓ 22%$36
🚌Getting Around
Germany
$104 5%
Saudi Arabia
$59 4.6% ↓ 43.8%$46
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Germany
$69 3.3%
Saudi Arabia
$108 8.4% ↑ 56.7%$39
🏠Accommodation & Living
Germany
$1.3K 31%
Saudi Arabia
$699 27.5% ↓ 46%$595
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Germany
$440 10.5%
Saudi Arabia
$229 9% ↓ 48.1%$212
🛒Groceries & Markets
Germany
$795 19%
Saudi Arabia
$505 19.8% ↓ 36.4%$290
🍽Eating Out
Germany
$910 21.8%
Saudi Arabia
$461 18.1% ↓ 49.4%$449
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Germany
$360 8.6%
Saudi Arabia
$281 11% ↓ 22%$79
🚌Getting Around
Germany
$217 5.2%
Saudi Arabia
$120 4.7% ↓ 44.8%$97
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Germany
$165 4%
Saudi Arabia
$254 10% ↑ 54.3%$90
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $812 in Germany, $556 in Saudi Arabia. Capital cities: $1,407 in Berlin vs $1,149 in Riyadh.
💰National salary averages: $3,107 in Germany, $1,949 in Saudi Arabia. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 46% higher in Germany.
⭐Dining out costs 78% more in Germany.
⭐Public transport is 79% more expensive in Germany.
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
Germany vs Saudi Arabia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: Germany or Saudi Arabia?
At $2,080 per month in Germany and $1,284 in Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia comes out about 38% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: Germany or Saudi Arabia?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in Saudi Arabia: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
How do rents compare between Germany and Saudi Arabia?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $812 in Germany and $556 in Saudi Arabia. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
How far does $2,000 go in Germany compared to Saudi Arabia?
In Saudi Arabia, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Germany it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
How do I choose between living in Germany and in Saudi Arabia?
It depends on what you’re after: Saudi Arabia wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.