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: $1,041 in Ha'il versus $1,753 in Riyadh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,491 in Ha'il versus $2,529 in Riyadh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,940 in Ha'il versus $3,305 in Riyadh.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Ha'il is 22% below, Riyadh is 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.57 SAR 24.68

$7.79 SAR 29.26

-15.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.76 SAR 96.8

$52.6 SAR 198

-51.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.13 SAR 26.76

$8.16 SAR 30.64

-12.62%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 SAR 4.09

$1.78 SAR 6.68

-38.76%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.88

$2.20 SAR 8.26

-4.55%

Cappuccino

$3.27 SAR 12.26

$3.99 SAR 14.97

-18.05%

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

$1.01 SAR 3.78

$0.77 SAR 2.88

31.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 SAR 1.20

$0.31 SAR 1.17

3.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SAR 6.56

$1.61 SAR 6.05

8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 SAR 3.03

$1.32 SAR 4.96

-38.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 SAR 7.18

$2.37 SAR 8.89

-19.41%

Eggs

$1.95 SAR 7.31

$2.63 SAR 9.88

-25.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.63 SAR 24.89

$8.19 SAR 30.75

-19.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 SAR 33.48

$9.89 SAR 37.14

-9.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 SAR 31.86

$14.47 SAR 54.3

-41.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.55 SAR 5.83

$2.23 SAR 8.36

-30.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 SAR 5.69

$1.68 SAR 6.30

-9.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 SAR 4.72

$1.79 SAR 6.70

-29.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 SAR 7.60

$1.60 SAR 5.99

26.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 SAR 5.04

$1.30 SAR 4.87

3.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.85

$1.51 SAR 5.67

3.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 SAR 3.97

$1.38 SAR 5.19

-23.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 SAR 1.85

$0.56 SAR 2.10

-12.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.43 SAR 9.11

$8.05 SAR 30.22

-69.81%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 SAR 6.32

$1.78 SAR 6.68

-5.62%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.82

$2.31 SAR 8.66

-9.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.02 SAR 26.34

$7.37 SAR 27.68

-4.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 SAR 4.07

$1.10 SAR 4.14

-1.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.94 SAR 150

$36.91 SAR 139

8.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 SAR 10.16

$3.25 SAR 12.22

-16.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 SAR 6.83

$1.91 SAR 7.16

-4.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.09 SAR 49.14

$13.41 SAR 50.4

-2.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$0.63 SAR 2.35

-6.35%

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

$27.2K SAR 102.0K

$35.2K SAR 132.3K

-22.90%

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

$22.7K SAR 85.3K

$23.1K SAR 86.8K

-1.77%

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

$54.0 SAR 203

$103 SAR 387

-47.61%

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

$21.59 SAR 81.1

$34.99 SAR 131

-38.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.03 SAR 173

$75.5 SAR 284

-39.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.3 SAR 249

$108 SAR 404

-38.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.21 SAR 136

$59.7 SAR 224

-39.32%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 SAR 55.2

$16.23 SAR 60.9

-9.43%

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

$352 SAR 1,320

$457 SAR 1,714

-22.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,085 SAR 26.6K

$9,423 SAR 35.4K

-24.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 SAR 222

$59.6 SAR 224

-0.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 SAR 227

$63.5 SAR 238

-4.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 SAR 292

$108 SAR 407

-28.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.6 SAR 303

$99.0 SAR 372

-18.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 SAR 1,871

$1,092 SAR 4,102

-54.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 SAR 1,241

$833 SAR 3,128

-60.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 SAR 1,651

$2,008 SAR 7,540

-78.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 SAR 1,355

$1,130 SAR 4,243

-68.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,366 SAR 8,885

$2,954 SAR 11.1K

-19.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,332 SAR 5,001

$1,965 SAR 7,379

-32.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,064 SAR 3,994

$2,099 SAR 7,883

-49.33%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $498 in Ha'il and $1,092 in Riyadh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 97% 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: $26.00 in Ha'il vs $53.0 in Riyadh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $180 vs $222 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 68% 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 97% 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: $498 in Ha'il versus $1,092 in Riyadh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $352 in Ha'il versus $457 in Riyadh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Riyadh. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,041 in Ha'il versus $1,753 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 $1,041 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 68% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.