Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Germany and Saudi Arabia

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.

Germany
Saudi Arabia
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,080
/mo nomad
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,284
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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
🍽 Eating Out
Germany
Saudi Arabia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.60 €14.88
$6.74 SAR 25.28
146.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.8 €64.4
$40.36 SAR 151
77.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.12 €10.86
$8.14 SAR 30.53
48.89%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.99 SAR 7.46
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.12 SAR 7.95
-
Cappuccino
$3.96 €3.55
$3.78 SAR 14.19
4.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.36 €3.01
$0.75 SAR 2.83
348.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.89 €2.59
$0.27 SAR 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
$1.70 SAR 6.39
-25.88%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 €1.97
$1.11 SAR 4.17
98.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.54 €3.17
$2.21 SAR 8.30
60.18%
Eggs
$3.88 €3.48
$2.67 SAR 10.01
45.32%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.24 €12.76
$7.68 SAR 28.79
85.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.90 €10.66
$7.86 SAR 29.48
51.40%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.68 €18.53
$13.44 SAR 50.4
53.87%
Apples (1kg)
$3.28 €2.94
$2.16 SAR 8.10
51.85%
Banana (1kg)
$2.05 €1.83
$1.79 SAR 6.70
14.53%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.31 €2.07
$1.73 SAR 6.48
33.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.29 €3.84
$1.69 SAR 6.34
153.85%
Potato (1kg)
$1.53 €1.37
$1.31 SAR 4.91
16.79%
Onion (1kg)
$1.50 €1.34
$1.33 SAR 4.99
12.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.64 €1.47
$1.27 SAR 4.76
29.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.02 €0.91
$0.62 SAR 2.32
64.52%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$4.07 SAR 15.25
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.64 SAR 6.16
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.18 SAR 8.17
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.69 €8.68
$7.32 SAR 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
$1.10 SAR 4.12
250.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$69.7 €62.5
$38.07 SAR 143
83.14%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.34 €4.78
$2.74 SAR 10.26
94.89%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.81 €2.52
$2.70 SAR 10.12
4.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$38.83 €34.80
$13.49 SAR 50.6
187.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 €1.91
$0.60 SAR 2.26
255.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.6K €29.2K
$30.4K SAR 114.2K
6.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.7K €33.8K
$21.5K SAR 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
$97.9 SAR 367
249.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.87 €22.29
$31.85 SAR 119
-21.92%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.49 €43.45
$67.1 SAR 252
-27.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Germany
Saudi Arabia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.42 €35.32
$79.8 SAR 300
-50.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.47 €24.62
$39.07 SAR 147
-29.69%
Cinema Ticket
$14.65 €13.13
$13.92 SAR 52.2
5.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Germany
Saudi Arabia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$611 €547
$458 SAR 1,718
33.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.3K €15.5K
$8,896 SAR 33.4K
94.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Germany
Saudi Arabia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.1 €79.8
$48.43 SAR 182
83.91%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.07 €37.70
$56.7 SAR 213
-25.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.3 €88.1
$89.5 SAR 336
9.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 €117
$86.3 SAR 324
51.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Germany
Saudi Arabia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$934 €837
$641 SAR 2,404
45.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$718 €644
$460 SAR 1,726
56.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,704 €1,527
$1,008 SAR 3,781
69.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,294 €1,159
$699 SAR 2,623
85.04%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,944 €5,326
$2,013 SAR 7,551
195.31%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,958 €3,547
$1,252 SAR 4,696
216.18%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Germany
Saudi Arabia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,290 €2,948
$1,864 SAR 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.
Accommodation & Living
Germany
$718
Saudi Arabia
$460 36% $258
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Germany
$415
Saudi Arabia
$197 52.6% $219
Groceries & Markets
Germany
$335
Saudi Arabia
$206 38.4% $129
Eating Out
Germany
$276
Saudi Arabia
$128 53.7% $148
Clothing & Footwear
Germany
$162
Saudi Arabia
$126 22% $36
Getting Around
Germany
$104
Saudi Arabia
$59 43.8% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Germany
$69
Saudi Arabia
$108 56.7% $39

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.

Salaries are 59% higher in Germany.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Germany
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
🕒 Local time
02:59 2:59 AM
04:59 4:59 AM
2 h ahead of Germany
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
84,358,845
33,000,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.267 USD). 1 EUR = 4.18 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Germany Saudi Arabia 4,170 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Germany
  • Saudi Arabia

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.

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