Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hafar Al Batin and Al Khobar

For one person, living is cheaper in Hafar Al Batin: $1,177 a month against $1,487 in Al Khobar, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Hafar Al Batin
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Hafar Al Batin Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Al Khobar
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Al Khobar Living Index

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Hafar Al Batin

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,177

/mo nomad

Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,487

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hafar Al Batin and in Al Khobar

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hafar Al Batin and in Al Khobar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,177 in Hafar Al Batin versus $1,487 in Al Khobar.

Hafar Al Batin $1,177
Al Khobar $1,487

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,740 in Hafar Al Batin versus $2,252 in Al Khobar.

Hafar Al Batin $1,740
Al Khobar $2,252

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,303 in Hafar Al Batin versus $3,016 in Al Khobar.

Hafar Al Batin $2,303
Al Khobar $3,016

Living in Hafar Al Batin costs roughly 21% less than in Al Khobar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hafar Al Batin is 14% below, Al Khobar is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 SAR 22.34

$6.81 SAR 25.57

-12.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.72 SAR 138

$59.9 SAR 225

-38.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 SAR 30.02

$8.00 SAR 30.00

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 SAR 7.10

$2.61 SAR 9.80

-27.59%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 SAR 8.54

$2.64 SAR 9.92

-13.64%

Cappuccino

$3.19 SAR 11.97

$4.43 SAR 16.64

-27.99%

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

$0.89 SAR 3.32

$0.87 SAR 3.26

2.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 SAR 0.90

$0.40 SAR 1.52

-40.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 SAR 7.67

$1.69 SAR 6.36

20.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 SAR 4.73

$1.27 SAR 4.76

-0.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 SAR 8.38

$2.54 SAR 9.53

-12.20%

Eggs

$2.33 SAR 8.73

$2.45 SAR 9.21

-4.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.35 SAR 27.59

$7.28 SAR 27.33

0.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.66 SAR 28.76

$10.16 SAR 38.14

-24.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.71 SAR 47.69

$11.86 SAR 44.50

7.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 SAR 8.09

$2.66 SAR 9.97

-18.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 SAR 6.52

$1.69 SAR 6.36

2.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.87

$2.04 SAR 7.66

-23.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.84

$1.75 SAR 6.56

-10.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 SAR 4.63

$1.40 SAR 5.27

-12.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 SAR 4.76

$1.65 SAR 6.20

-23.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 SAR 4.60

$1.75 SAR 6.55

-30.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 SAR 2.13

$0.58 SAR 2.18

-1.72%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.01 SAR 11.29

$2.73 SAR 10.26

10.26%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.85

$1.65 SAR 6.18

10.91%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 SAR 7.72

$1.90 SAR 7.13

8.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.84 SAR 25.66

$6.75 SAR 25.31

1.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.07

$0.95 SAR 3.55

14.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.77 SAR 138

$61.9 SAR 232

-40.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 SAR 9.88

$2.90 SAR 10.88

-9.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 SAR 7.10

$2.64 SAR 9.89

-28.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.19 SAR 49.49

$6.58 SAR 24.68

100.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.45

$0.64 SAR 2.39

1.56%

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

$28.6K SAR 107.5K

$67.8K SAR 254.5K

-57.76%

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

$21.9K SAR 82.0K

$21.6K SAR 81.0K

1.30%

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

$103 SAR 385

$99.4 SAR 373

3.38%

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

$32.43 SAR 122

$33.37 SAR 125

-2.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.7 SAR 246

$68.9 SAR 259

-4.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.6 SAR 302

$81.3 SAR 305

-0.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.86 SAR 138

Cinema Ticket

$13.06 SAR 49.02

$15.26 SAR 57.3

-14.42%

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

$427 SAR 1,604

$607 SAR 2,279

-29.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,044 SAR 30.2K

$8,542 SAR 32.1K

-5.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.48 SAR 156

$63.4 SAR 238

-34.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.4 SAR 200

$82.3 SAR 309

-35.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.4 SAR 354

$97.8 SAR 367

-3.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.2 SAR 327

$94.4 SAR 354

-7.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$568 SAR 2,130

$766 SAR 2,876

-25.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 SAR 1,403

$583 SAR 2,189

-35.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$803 SAR 3,011

$1,247 SAR 4,678

-35.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$561 SAR 2,106

$906 SAR 3,400

-38.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,396 SAR 8,992

$1,456 SAR 5,463

64.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,386 SAR 5,201

$1,072 SAR 4,024

29.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,403 SAR 5,266

$1,877 SAR 7,045

-25.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

5.88

-5.78%

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

Last update for Hafar Al Batin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Al Khobar: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Hafar Al Batin

$374 31.8%

Al Khobar

$583 39.2% 56% $209

Groceries & Markets

Hafar Al Batin

$203 17.3%

Al Khobar

$220 14.8% 8.2% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hafar Al Batin

$201 17.1%

Al Khobar

$202 13.6% 0.4% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Hafar Al Batin

$124 10.6%

Al Khobar

$152 10.2% 22.2% $28

Eating Out

Hafar Al Batin

$114 9.7%

Al Khobar

$137 9.2% 19.6% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Hafar Al Batin

$107 9.1%

Al Khobar

$112 7.5% 4.8% $5.1

Getting Around

Hafar Al Batin

$53 4.5%

Al Khobar

$82 5.5% 53.7% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $568 in Hafar Al Batin and $766 in Al Khobar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Khobar pays 34% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $37 in Hafar Al Batin vs $60 in Al Khobar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $220 per month, with Hafar Al Batin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Hafar Al Batin

🇸🇦 Al Khobar

🕒 Local time

16:20 4:20 PM

Same time as Hafar Al Batin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

271,642

219,679

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Hafar Al Batin Al Khobar 480 km

From you

Hafar Al Batin
Al Khobar

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

Hafar Al Batin vs Al Khobar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hafar Al Batin wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Al Khobar. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Hafar Al Batin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Hafar Al Batin. 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: $568 in Hafar Al Batin versus $766 in Al Khobar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Hafar Al Batin runs roughly 41% less than in Al Khobar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Hafar Al Batin versus $607 in Al Khobar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Hafar Al Batin is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Hafar Al Batin and Al Khobar 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 Hafar Al Batin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.