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 $1,776 in Riyadh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,456 in Ha'il versus $2,477 in Riyadh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,889 in Ha'il versus $3,177 in Riyadh.

Living in Ha'il costs roughly 42% less than in Riyadh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ha'il is 24% below, Riyadh is 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.74 SAR 25.31

$8.05 SAR 30.20

-16.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.47 SAR 95.6

$52.5 SAR 197

-51.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 SAR 27.11

$8.07 SAR 30.29

-10.41%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 SAR 3.96

$1.70 SAR 6.40

-37.65%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 SAR 7.84

$2.25 SAR 8.43

-7.11%

Cappuccino

$3.29 SAR 12.36

$4.01 SAR 15.04

-17.96%

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

$1.03 SAR 3.87

$0.70 SAR 2.64

47.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 SAR 1.20

$0.29 SAR 1.08

10.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 SAR 6.34

$1.63 SAR 6.12

3.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 SAR 3.19

$1.30 SAR 4.88

-34.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 SAR 6.97

$2.43 SAR 9.10

-23.46%

Eggs

$1.96 SAR 7.36

$2.66 SAR 9.96

-26.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.81 SAR 25.54

$8.60 SAR 32.27

-20.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 SAR 31.84

$10.00 SAR 37.53

-15.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.41 SAR 31.58

$14.60 SAR 54.8

-42.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.54 SAR 5.79

$2.35 SAR 8.83

-34.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.89

$1.71 SAR 6.40

-8.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 SAR 4.90

$1.80 SAR 6.77

-27.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 SAR 7.32

$1.55 SAR 5.81

25.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.86

$1.24 SAR 4.64

4.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.96

$1.46 SAR 5.48

8.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 SAR 3.98

$1.46 SAR 5.47

-27.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 SAR 1.83

$0.55 SAR 2.07

-10.91%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.74 SAR 10.27

$7.76 SAR 29.11

-64.69%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.69

$1.75 SAR 6.55

1.71%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.80

$2.31 SAR 8.65

-9.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.05 SAR 26.45

$7.13 SAR 26.74

-1.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.09

$1.09 SAR 4.08

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.68 SAR 153

$38.03 SAR 143

6.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 SAR 9.93

$3.24 SAR 12.16

-18.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 SAR 7.13

$1.83 SAR 6.86

3.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.51 SAR 50.7

$13.56 SAR 50.9

-0.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 SAR 2.18

$0.63 SAR 2.36

-7.94%

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

$27.2K SAR 102.0K

$35.1K SAR 131.7K

-22.61%

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

$22.1K SAR 82.8K

$23.0K SAR 86.2K

-3.95%

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

$53.4 SAR 200

$103 SAR 385

-47.92%

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

$21.53 SAR 80.8

$34.54 SAR 130

-37.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.44 SAR 174

$75.3 SAR 283

-38.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.9 SAR 251

$105 SAR 395

-36.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.13 SAR 136

$58.2 SAR 218

-37.92%

Cinema Ticket

$14.85 SAR 55.7

$15.79 SAR 59.3

-5.95%

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

$356 SAR 1,336

$459 SAR 1,723

-22.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,030 SAR 26.4K

$9,401 SAR 35.3K

-25.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 SAR 225

$60.2 SAR 226

-0.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.8 SAR 228

$64.2 SAR 241

-5.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 SAR 298

$106 SAR 399

-25.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.2 SAR 305

$100 SAR 376

-19.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 SAR 1,840

$1,083 SAR 4,063

-54.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 SAR 1,223

$849 SAR 3,185

-61.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 SAR 1,652

$2,040 SAR 7,654

-78.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 SAR 1,360

$1,126 SAR 4,227

-67.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,399 SAR 9,004

$3,124 SAR 11.7K

-23.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,311 SAR 4,921

$1,962 SAR 7,362

-33.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,066 SAR 3,999

$2,263 SAR 8,490

-52.90%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Ha'il and $1,083 in Riyadh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 112% 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 $52.0 in Riyadh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $178 vs $225 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 73% 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 112% 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: $490 in Ha'il versus $1,083 in Riyadh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $356 in Ha'il versus $459 in Riyadh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Riyadh. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,024 in Ha'il versus $1,776 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 73% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.