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: $1,024 in Ha'il versus $1,790 in Riyadh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,474 in Ha'il versus $2,519 in Riyadh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,925 in Ha'il versus $3,249 in Riyadh.

Living in Ha'il costs roughly 43% less than in Riyadh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ha'il is 24% below, Riyadh is 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.83 SAR 25.60

$8.11 SAR 30.41

-15.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.28 SAR 94.8

$52.9 SAR 198

-52.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.19 SAR 26.97

$8.08 SAR 30.32

-11.01%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 SAR 3.93

$1.72 SAR 6.44

-38.95%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 SAR 8.17

$2.23 SAR 8.35

-2.24%

Cappuccino

$3.29 SAR 12.35

$4.13 SAR 15.48

-20.34%

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

$1.04 SAR 3.92

$0.72 SAR 2.72

44.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 SAR 1.20

$0.31 SAR 1.17

3.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$1.62 SAR 6.06

6.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 SAR 3.17

$1.28 SAR 4.80

-34.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 SAR 6.85

$2.32 SAR 8.71

-21.12%

Eggs

$1.97 SAR 7.40

$2.69 SAR 10.07

-26.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.67 SAR 25.03

$8.41 SAR 31.54

-20.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.91 SAR 33.42

$10.11 SAR 37.93

-11.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.23 SAR 30.85

$14.67 SAR 55.0

-43.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.85

$2.22 SAR 8.34

-29.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 SAR 5.62

$1.67 SAR 6.26

-10.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.86

$1.79 SAR 6.71

-27.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 SAR 7.34

$1.58 SAR 5.94

24.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 SAR 4.90

$1.24 SAR 4.67

5.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 SAR 6.13

$1.46 SAR 5.49

11.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 SAR 3.96

$1.40 SAR 5.24

-24.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 SAR 1.82

$0.55 SAR 2.08

-12.73%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.57 SAR 9.65

$8.15 SAR 30.58

-68.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.55

$1.81 SAR 6.78

-3.31%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.92

$2.38 SAR 8.93

-11.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.20 SAR 26.98

$7.52 SAR 28.22

-4.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 SAR 3.91

$1.05 SAR 3.93

-0.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.36 SAR 148

$37.48 SAR 141

5.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 SAR 10.08

$3.28 SAR 12.31

-17.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 SAR 7.11

$1.84 SAR 6.92

3.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.46 SAR 50.5

$13.10 SAR 49.13

2.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.36

$0.59 SAR 2.20

6.78%

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

$26.6K SAR 99.6K

$35.1K SAR 131.5K

-24.31%

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

$22.1K SAR 82.9K

$23.8K SAR 89.1K

-6.99%

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

$52.5 SAR 197

$104 SAR 390

-49.56%

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

$21.05 SAR 78.9

$34.30 SAR 129

-38.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.26 SAR 177

$76.4 SAR 287

-38.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.0 SAR 251

$106 SAR 397

-36.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.14 SAR 132

$59.8 SAR 224

-41.19%

Cinema Ticket

$14.69 SAR 55.1

$15.74 SAR 59.0

-6.67%

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

$360 SAR 1,350

$448 SAR 1,681

-19.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,874 SAR 25.8K

$9,716 SAR 36.4K

-29.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.3 SAR 226

$60.2 SAR 226

0.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.3 SAR 230

$65.1 SAR 244

-5.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 SAR 293

$107 SAR 402

-27.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.1 SAR 311

$99.7 SAR 374

-16.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$483 SAR 1,813

$1,103 SAR 4,135

-56.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 SAR 1,234

$841 SAR 3,155

-60.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$448 SAR 1,680

$2,086 SAR 7,821

-78.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 SAR 1,337

$1,098 SAR 4,117

-67.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,369 SAR 8,883

$2,867 SAR 10.8K

-17.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 SAR 4,926

$1,947 SAR 7,301

-32.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 SAR 3,944

$2,436 SAR 9,136

-56.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

5.31

-16.76%

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

Last update for Ha'il: April 26, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $483 in Ha'il and $1,103 in Riyadh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 132% 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: $25.00 in Ha'il vs $53.0 in Riyadh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $224 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 75% 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, Riyadh earns 132% less. 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: $483 in Ha'il versus $1,103 in Riyadh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $360 in Ha'il versus $448 in Riyadh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Riyadh. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,024 in Ha'il versus $1,790 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 $1,024 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 75% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.