Cost of Living Comparison Between Ha'il and Riyadh Cost of Living Comparison Between Ha'il and Riyadh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,011 in Ha'il versus $1,719 in Riyadh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,581 in Ha'il versus $2,562 in Riyadh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,152 in Ha'il versus $3,405 in Riyadh.

Living in Ha'il costs roughly 41% less than in Riyadh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ha'il is 26% below, Riyadh is 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.21 SAR 19.57

$7.82 SAR 29.37

-33.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.78 SAR 142

$63.7 SAR 239

-40.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.12 SAR 22.98

$7.86 SAR 29.51

-22.14%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 SAR 4.44

$2.09 SAR 7.86

-43.54%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 SAR 7.52

$2.98 SAR 11.21

-32.89%

Cappuccino

$2.63 SAR 9.87

$4.54 SAR 17.04

-42.07%

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

$0.61 SAR 2.29

$0.83 SAR 3.13

-26.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 SAR 0.89

$0.30 SAR 1.12

-20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$1.67 SAR 6.25

2.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 SAR 3.16

$1.20 SAR 4.49

-30.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 SAR 7.10

$2.28 SAR 8.58

-17.11%

Eggs

$1.94 SAR 7.27

$3.06 SAR 11.49

-36.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.82 SAR 25.63

$10.02 SAR 37.64

-31.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 SAR 32.01

$10.16 SAR 38.17

-16.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.27 SAR 31.06

$15.70 SAR 59.0

-47.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.54 SAR 5.79

$2.70 SAR 10.13

-42.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.90

$1.86 SAR 6.99

-15.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 SAR 4.68

$2.27 SAR 8.53

-44.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 SAR 7.68

$1.70 SAR 6.37

20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 SAR 4.94

$1.21 SAR 4.54

9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 SAR 6.05

$1.33 SAR 4.99

21.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 SAR 4.29

$1.69 SAR 6.33

-32.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 SAR 1.82

$0.54 SAR 2.04

-11.11%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.74 SAR 10.29

$7.89 SAR 29.62

-65.27%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 SAR 6.34

$1.85 SAR 6.94

-8.65%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 SAR 8.07

$2.59 SAR 9.72

-16.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.47 SAR 24.29

$7.65 SAR 28.73

-15.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.14

$1.08 SAR 4.07

1.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.42 SAR 137

$36.95 SAR 139

-1.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 SAR 10.77

$3.18 SAR 11.96

-9.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 SAR 6.82

$1.82 SAR 6.83

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.42 SAR 50.4

$13.55 SAR 50.9

-0.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 SAR 2.27

$0.64 SAR 2.42

-4.69%

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

$45.0K SAR 169.0K

$35.3K SAR 132.5K

27.58%

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

$21.6K SAR 81.3K

$22.2K SAR 83.4K

-2.57%

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

$54.2 SAR 204

$100 SAR 376

-45.89%

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

$21.14 SAR 79.4

$33.25 SAR 125

-36.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.43 SAR 174

$69.1 SAR 260

-32.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.4 SAR 249

$90.9 SAR 341

-26.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.77 SAR 138

$55.9 SAR 210

-34.26%

Cinema Ticket

$14.92 SAR 56.0

$13.47 SAR 50.6

10.76%

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

$349 SAR 1,311

$537 SAR 2,016

-34.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,537 SAR 24.5K

$10.8K SAR 40.4K

-39.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 SAR 191

$59.5 SAR 223

-14.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 SAR 221

$53.5 SAR 201

10.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.2 SAR 365

$110 SAR 415

-11.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.9 SAR 337

$104 SAR 390

-13.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$243 SAR 912

$1,169 SAR 4,390

-79.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 SAR 1,292

$815 SAR 3,062

-57.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$366 SAR 1,374

$2,160 SAR 8,112

-83.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$540 SAR 2,030

$1,219 SAR 4,578

-55.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 SAR 8,874

$2,930 SAR 11.0K

-19.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,352 SAR 5,076

$1,934 SAR 7,264

-30.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,084 SAR 4,070

$2,052 SAR 7,708

-47.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.47

5.54

-1.26%

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

Last update for Ha'il: September 13, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $243 in Ha'il and $1,169 in Riyadh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 89% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $38.00 in Ha'il vs $64.0 in Riyadh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $240 per month, with Ha'il cheaper across the board.

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

Ha'il vs Riyadh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ha'il wins on cost – living expenses run 70% lower than in Riyadh. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ha'il the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 89% lower in Riyadh. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $243 in Ha'il versus $1,169 in Riyadh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $349 in Ha'il versus $537 in Riyadh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Riyadh. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,011 in Ha'il versus $1,719 in Riyadh, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ha'il but tight or insufficient in Riyadh. The gap between the two cities makes Ha'il the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ha'il delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,011 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ha'il hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ha'il and Riyadh 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 Ha'il gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.