Cost of Living Comparison Between Hafar Al Batin and Riyadh Cost of Living Comparison Between Hafar Al Batin and Riyadh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,214 in Hafar Al Batin versus $1,776 in Riyadh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,788 in Hafar Al Batin versus $2,477 in Riyadh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,362 in Hafar Al Batin versus $3,177 in Riyadh.

Living in Hafar Al Batin costs roughly 32% less than in Riyadh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hafar Al Batin is 10% below, Riyadh is 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.27 SAR 19.76

$8.05 SAR 30.20

-34.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.33 SAR 98.8

$52.5 SAR 197

-49.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.37 SAR 23.91

$8.07 SAR 30.30

-21.07%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 SAR 5.83

$1.70 SAR 6.40

-8.82%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

$2.25 SAR 8.43

-24.00%

Cappuccino

$3.40 SAR 12.74

$4.01 SAR 15.04

-15.21%

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

$0.69 SAR 2.59

$0.70 SAR 2.64

-1.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 SAR 0.82

$0.29 SAR 1.08

-24.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 SAR 7.35

$1.63 SAR 6.12

20.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 SAR 3.60

$1.30 SAR 4.89

-26.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 SAR 8.79

$2.43 SAR 9.10

-3.70%

Eggs

$2.44 SAR 9.17

$2.66 SAR 9.96

-8.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.02 SAR 26.34

$8.60 SAR 32.28

-18.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.28 SAR 27.31

$10.00 SAR 37.53

-27.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.88 SAR 48.32

$14.60 SAR 54.8

-11.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 SAR 8.22

$2.35 SAR 8.83

-6.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.87

$1.71 SAR 6.40

-8.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 SAR 6.32

$1.80 SAR 6.77

-6.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 SAR 6.06

$1.55 SAR 5.82

3.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 SAR 4.64

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.82

$1.46 SAR 5.48

-12.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 SAR 4.46

$1.46 SAR 5.47

-18.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.22

$0.55 SAR 2.07

7.27%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.76 SAR 10.34

$7.76 SAR 29.11

-64.43%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 SAR 6.36

$1.75 SAR 6.55

-2.86%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 SAR 7.55

$2.31 SAR 8.65

-12.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 SAR 26.79

$7.13 SAR 26.75

0.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.11

$1.09 SAR 4.08

0.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.08 SAR 150

$38.03 SAR 143

5.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 SAR 9.75

$3.24 SAR 12.16

-19.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 SAR 6.94

$1.83 SAR 6.86

1.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.08 SAR 49.10

$13.56 SAR 50.9

-3.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.46

$0.63 SAR 2.36

3.17%

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

$26.7K SAR 100.1K

$35.1K SAR 131.8K

-24.02%

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

$22.7K SAR 85.3K

$23.0K SAR 86.2K

-0.99%

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

$103 SAR 388

$103 SAR 385

0.73%

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

$33.83 SAR 127

$34.54 SAR 130

-2.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.6 SAR 272

$75.3 SAR 283

-3.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.0 SAR 330

$105 SAR 395

-16.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.54 SAR 133

$58.2 SAR 218

-38.93%

Cinema Ticket

$15.68 SAR 58.9

$15.79 SAR 59.3

-0.70%

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

$347 SAR 1,302

$459 SAR 1,723

-24.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,024 SAR 26.4K

$9,401 SAR 35.3K

-25.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 SAR 221

$60.2 SAR 226

-2.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 SAR 227

$64.2 SAR 241

-5.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 SAR 294

$106 SAR 399

-26.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.3 SAR 309

$100 SAR 376

-17.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 SAR 1,628

$1,083 SAR 4,063

-59.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$380 SAR 1,426

$849 SAR 3,185

-55.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$866 SAR 3,248

$2,040 SAR 7,654

-57.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 SAR 2,317

$1,126 SAR 4,227

-45.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,030 SAR 7,618

$3,124 SAR 11.7K

-35.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,509 SAR 5,662

$1,962 SAR 7,363

-23.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,379 SAR 5,175

$2,263 SAR 8,491

-39.06%

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 Hafar Al Batin: June 9, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $434 in Hafar Al Batin and $1,083 in Riyadh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 64% 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 Hafar Al Batin vs $52.0 in Riyadh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $225 per month, with Hafar Al Batin 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

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

Hafar Al Batin wins on cost – living expenses run 46% lower than in Riyadh. 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, Riyadh earns 64% 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: $434 in Hafar Al Batin versus $1,083 in Riyadh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $347 in Hafar Al Batin 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 14% higher in Riyadh. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,214 in Hafar Al Batin versus $1,776 in Riyadh, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hafar Al Batin but tight or insufficient in Riyadh. The gap between the two cities makes Hafar Al Batin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hafar Al Batin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,214 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hafar Al Batin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Hafar Al Batin 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 Hafar Al Batin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.